The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Baron Friedrich von Steuben - Jul. 19th, 2004

www.ushistory.org ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
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FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben
(1730-1794)

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Baron von Steuben
Forging an American Army
Winter 1777-1778

Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben
[The name he was primarily known in America by]
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben
[The name he was baptized with]
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand
[The name he changed to]


Baron von Steuben, Major General, Inspector General & Drill Master, Continental Army

Von Steuben was born in Magdeburg fortress where his father was an engineer lieutenant in the military in 1730. Most of his adolescent years were spent in Russia, but with his father at the age of 10, they returned to Germany. He was schooled in Breslau by Jesuits and by the age of 17...was a Prussian officer in the military. He was a member of an infantry unit and a staff officer in the Seven Years War, later being made a member of the General Staff serving in Russia periodically. His service was commendable enough that he was eventually given assignment with Frederick the Great's headquarters. His experiences as a General Staff member in the Prussian Army gave him a wealth of knowledge that heretofore was unheard of, even in the British and French armies of the period. His training would eventually bring to the American soldiers the technical knowledge necessary to create an ARMY.


General von Steuben drilling the troops at Valley Forge (1777-78)
-- a pencil sketch

At the age of 33, in 1763, Steuben was discharged as a captain from the army, for reasons that are only speculative. The following year he received his "Baron" title when he became chamberlain at the Petty Court of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. He was the only courtier to accompany his incognito prince to France in 1771, hoping to borrow money. Failing to find funds, they returned to Germany in 1775, deeply in debt. Looking for work to reverse his fortunes, von Steuben tried employment in several foreign armies including Austria, Baden and France. He discovered that Benjmin Franklin was in Paris and that possibly, he could find work with the Continental Army in America.



Steuben traveled to Paris in the summer of 1777. As luck would have it, he was endorsed for service by the French Minister of War (Count de St. Germain) who fully realized the potential of an officer with Prussian General Staff training. Steuben was introduced to General Washington by means of a letter from Franklin as a "Lieutenant General in the King of Prussia's service," a certain exaggeration of his actual credentials. He was advanced travel funds and left Europe from Marseilles. On September 26th, 1777, he reached Portsmouth, New Hampshire and by December 1st, was being extravagantly entertained in Boston. Congress was in York Pennsylvania, after being ousted from Philadelphia for the winter and on February 5, 1778, Steuben was with them. They accepted his offer to volunteer, without pay for the time, and on the 23rd of the same month, Steuben was reporting for duty to General Washington at Valley Forge. Steuben did not speak English, but his French was such that he could communicate with some of the officers. Washington's aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton as well as Nathanael Greene were a great help in this area. The two men assisted Steuben in drafting a training program for the soldiers which found approval with the Commander-in-Chief in March.


Von Steuben (left) and Washington At Valley Forge

How did the men at Valley Forge become an ARMY? Steuben began with a "model company," a group of 100 chosen men and trained them...they in turn successively worked outward into each brigade. Steuben's eclectic personality greatly enhanced his mystique. He trained the soldiers, who at this point were greatly lacking in proper clothing themselves, in full military dress uniform, swearing and yelling at them up and down in German and French. When that was no longer successful, he recruited Captain Benjamin Walker, his French speaking aid to curse at them FOR HIM in English. His instructions and methods have a familiar ring, nor is this strange when we consider that much of what is done today stems from his teachings. To correct the existing policy of placing recruits in a unit before they had received training, Von Steuben introduced a system of progressive training, beginning with the school of the soldier, with and without arms, and going through the school of the regiment. Each company commander was made responsible for the training of new men, but actually instruction was done by selected sergeants, the best obtainable.

[SAMWolf]

What is astounding, despite holidays of the MPs, most of them decided to return (!!!) to the Parliament to organize a special session. All is kept dark and behind closed doors but journalists speculate they debate to recall the Polish ambassador and his deputy from Berlin, which actually means a very serious crisis in the EU.

As far as I know this is getting no mention in the American Press. I wonder how many of those that voted to join the EU are now having second thoughts?

[snippy_about_it]

They don't understand the will of an "aroused democracy,"...

I offer a quote from Washington's Crossing by Fischer (on loan to me from WaterDragon):

After the loss to the Brits at Long Island;

...some British and Hessian officers were quick to see that something else had happened. The Americans had been driven from the field, but most of them survived to fight another day. Those who talked with American prisoners also reported that even though they had suffered a heavy defeat, they did not feel defeated. In the eyes of the Regulars, the rebels had lost all honor, but many retained their pride and determination even as prisoners, to the irritation of their captors. They believed deeply in their cause and were confident that they would win in the end. It was maddening to professional soldiers. These American "peasants" were so ignorant of war that they didn't know they were beaten. It was clear, even to the winners, that the battle of Long Island was only the beginning.

[SAMWolf]

I'll comment the picture with a famous quote of Philip Kindred Dick, my favorite American writer, from his excellent novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

I liked his "The Man in the High Castle"

Did you know that the inspiration for "BladeRunner" was "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"?

[snippy_about_it]

Good news! Thanks for the report sw.

free dixie bump!

[SAMWolf]

Evening CT. Europe sure seems to be a mess lately, don't the? Seems no one can get along with the french and Germans trying to run everything.

[snippy_about_it]

And now Erica Steinbach wants financial compensations for their loses after the war.

This seems absurd! Incredible.

[SAMWolf]

My research says that the tail markings of "HO" say they're from the 49th TFW. DO I get the 50 points?

[snippy_about_it]

LOL.

[SAMWolf]

Seems every generation or so we have to teach that lesson to some other country. Of course, John Effing Kerry and the Democratic Party are doing everything they can to sap that will.

That's the scary part, the enemy within is more dangerous in the long run than our external enemies.

[SAMWolf]

Evening stand watie.

Thanks for sharing the good news about Sandra with us.

Removing stitches. :-(

Free Dixie

[stand watie]

duckie is improving steadily. nonetheless, it will be a LONG recovery.

i'm NOT looking forward to her having her stitches out & actually SEEING her incision on this wednesday morning. it will NOT be a fun day!

free dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

Jeez! Tenet, Berger, Richard Clark, Richardson, etc. How many of the Clinton administration members are we gonna find out screwed up National Security? And why the hell where some of them they allowed to stay on? Every Clinton appointee should have been fired on day one.

[SAMWolf]

Excellent point and well illustrated, Matt

[snippy_about_it]

Geez e pete. Can the left get a clue. Clinton and his cronies, theives and liars the whole lot!

[stand watie]

good evening, Sam!

i took my best girl out to lunch for THAI food at a nice restaurant today. she really LIKED that!

free dxiie,sw

[snippy_about_it]

Frau Steinbach!!! Could you tell us all where they are going? Do you know what happened to them? Do you know the difference between those from the the picture 1 and those from the picture 2?

Very good illustration Matt. Very good!

[SAMWolf]

Evening Phil Dragoo.

After seeing the video of the training commands I say "Thanks for belt/magazine fed weapons!!"

Poland should tell Germany, "Yes, we must get together on this: your lips, our ass."

Most excellent! :-)

If Clinton had put as much effort into getting bin Laden as he did Bill Gates and Elian Gonzalez, September 11, 2001, would have been just another crisp, fall day.

I just hope someday the Nation realizes that and it becomes part of the Clinton legacy along with impeachment and BJ's.

[SAMWolf]

she really LIKED that

The THAI food or the trip out? ;-)

[stand watie]

BOTH! like me, duckie SPOILS EASILY!

i told her over lunch that NOBODY but me will be able to stand her after i've waited on her every WHIM for 2-3 months!

she LOL! and agreed.

free dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

I told her over lunch that NOBODY but me will be able to stand her after i've waited on her every WHIM for 2-3 months!

Sure make us regular guys look bad. ;-)