View source for Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

{{Short description|Prussian military officer (1730–1794)}}
{{For|ships named after General von Steuben|Von Steuben (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| image         = Baron Steuben by Peale, 1780.jpg
| caption       = Portrait by [[Charles Willson Peale]], 1780
| birth_name    = Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Freiherr von Steuben
| nickname      = Baron von Steuben
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1730|9|17}}
| birth_place   = [[Magdeburg]], Prussia
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1794|11|28|1730|9|17}}
| death_place   = [[Steuben, New York]], U.S.
| placeofburial = [[Steuben Memorial State Historic Site]], [[Remsen, New York]], U.S.
| allegiance    = {{ubl|[[Kingdom of Prussia]] (1744–1762)|[[Confederation period|United States]] (1778–1783)}}
| branch        = {{ubl|[[Prussian Army]]|[[Continental Army]]}}
| serviceyears  = {{ubl|1744–1762|1778–1783}}
| rank          = [[Major General (United States)|Major general]]
| unit          = 
| commands      = 
| battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[War of the Austrian Succession]]
** Siege of Prague 
* [[Seven Years' War]]
** [[Siege of Prague]] 
** [[Battle of Kunersdorf]]
** [[Siege of Kolberg (Seven Years' War)|Siege of Kolberg]]
** Siege of [[Świdnica|Schweidnitz]]
* [[American Revolutionary War]]
** [[Valley Forge]]
** [[Battle of Monmouth]]
** [[Battle of Blandford]]
** [[Siege of Yorktown]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = [[House Order of Fidelity|Cross of the Order of ''De la Fidelite'']]
| signature     = Appletons' Steuben signature.jpg
| signature_alt = Cursive signature in ink
}}
'''Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Freiherr von Steuben''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|tj|uː|b|ən}} {{respell|STEW|bən}} {{small|or}} {{IPAc-en|s|tj|uː|ˈ|b|ɛ|n}} {{respell|stew|BEN}},<ref>{{OED|Steuben, n.|6226827619}}</ref> {{IPA|de|ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈvɪlhɛlm fɔn ˈʃtɔʏbn̩|lang}}; born '''Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis Freiherr von Steuben'''; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as '''Baron von Steuben''', was a Prussian-born army officer who played a leading role in the [[American Revolutionary War]] by reforming the [[Continental Army]] into a disciplined and professional fighting force.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baron von Steuben {{!}} Biography & Facts {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Baron-von-Steuben|access-date=2022-01-30|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> His contributions marked a significant improvement in the performance of U.S. troops, and he is consequently regarded as one of the fathers of the [[United States Army]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Trickey|first=Erick|title=The Prussian Nobleman Who Helped Save the American Revolution|url=https://www.history.com/news/openly-gay-revolutionary-war-hero-friedrich-von-steuben|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Smithsonian Magazine|date=June 14, 2018 |language=en|quote=Though his name is little known among Americans today, every U.S. soldier is indebted to von Steuben{{snd}}he created America’s professional army.}}</ref>

Born into a military family, Steuben was exposed to war from an early age; at 14 years old, he observed his father directing Prussian engineers in the [[Siege of Prague (1742)|1744 siege of Prague]]. At age 16 or 17, he enlisted in the [[Prussian Army]],<ref name="smithsonianmag.com">{{Cite web|last1=Trickey|first1=Erick|title=The Prussian Nobleman Who Helped Save the American Revolution|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/baron-von-steuben-180963048/|access-date=2022-01-30|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Blakemore|first=Erin|title=The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay|url=https://www.history.com/news/openly-gay-revolutionary-war-hero-friedrich-von-steuben|access-date=2022-01-30|website=History.com|date=June 14, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> which was considered the most professional and disciplined in Europe.<ref name="smithsonianmag.com"/> During his 17 years of military service, Steuben took part in several battles in the [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763), rose to the rank of [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]], and became ''[[aide-de-camp]]'' to King [[Frederick the Great|Frederick II of Prussia]], who was renowned for his military prowess and strategy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Armstrong |first=O.K. |date=1947 |title=He Transformed a Rabble Into an Army. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40623911 |journal=Prairie Schooner |volume=21 |issue=4 |page=381 |jstor=40623911 }}</ref> Steuben's career culminated in his attendance of Frederick's elite school for young military officers, after which he was abruptly discharged from the army in 1763, allegedly by the machinations of a rival.<ref name=":1"/>

Steuben spent 11 years as [[Chamberlain (office)|court chamberlain]] to the prince of [[Hohenzollern-Hechingen]], a small German principality. In 1769, the [[Duchess of Wurttemberg]], a niece of Frederick, named him to the chivalric [[Order of Fidelity (Baden)|Order of Fidelity]], a meritorious award that conferred the title {{lang|de|[[Freiherr]]}}, or 'free lord';<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|last1=Trickey|first1=Erick|title=The Prussian Nobleman Who Helped Save the American Revolution|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/baron-von-steuben-180963048/|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}</ref> in 1771, his service to Hohenzollern-Hechingen earned him the title ''[[baron]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=General von Steuben – Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/vonsteuben.htm|access-date=2022-01-31|website=www.nps.gov|language=en}}</ref> In 1775, as the [[American Revolution]] had begun, Steuben saw a reduction in his salary and sought some form of military work; unable to find employment in peacetime Europe, he joined the U.S. war effort through mutual French contacts with U.S. diplomats, most notably ambassadors to France [[Silas Deane]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]]. Due to his military exploits, and his willingness to serve the Americans without compensation, Steuben made a positive impression on both [[Second Continental Congress|Congress]] and General [[George Washington]], who appointed him as temporary [[Inspector General#United States|Inspector General]] of the Continental Army.

Appalled by the state of U.S. forces, Steuben took the lead in teaching soldiers the essentials of [[military drills]], tactics, and discipline based on Prussian techniques.<ref>Stephen C. Danckert, "Baron von Steuben and the Training of Armies." ''Military Review'' 74 (1994): 29–34 in EBSCO</ref> He wrote ''[[Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States]],'' which remained the army's drill manual for decades, and continues to influence modern U.S. army manuals.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=After 230 years, the 'Blue Book' still guides NCOs|url=https://www.army.mil/article/29717/after_230_years_the_blue_book_still_guides_ncos|access-date=2022-01-31|website=www.army.mil|date=November 2, 2009 |language=en}}</ref> Steuben also addressed widespread administrative waste and graft, helping save desperately needed supplies and funds. As these reforms began bearing fruit on the battlefield, in 1778, Congress, on Washington's recommendation, commissioned Steuben to the position of Inspector General with the rank of [[Major general (United States)|major general]]. He served the remainder of the war as Washington's [[chief of staff]] and one of his most trusted advisors.<ref name=":1"/><ref name="Fleming">{{cite web |url=https://www.americanheritage.com/magnificent-fraud |first=Thomas |last=Fleming |title=The Magnificent Fraud |work=American Heritage |date=February–March 2006}}</ref>

After the war, Steuben was made a [[Citizenship of the United States|U.S. citizen]] and granted a large estate in New York in reward for his service. In 1780, he was elected a member of the [[American Philosophical Society]], a [[learned society]] that included many of the nation's most prominent [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Friedrich+W.+von+Steuben&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-03-31|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Baron von Steuben was born in the fortress town of [[Magdeburg]] in [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] (now in [[Saxony-Anhalt]], Germany), on September 17, 1730, the son of Royal Prussian Engineer Capt. Wilhelm von Steuben and his wife, Elizabeth von Jagvodin.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://bergencountyhistory.org/Pages/gnsteuben.html |title = Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben |publisher = Bergen County Historical Society |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141116173134/http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/Pages/gnsteuben.html |archive-date = November 16, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> When his father entered the service of Empress [[Anna of Russia]], young Friedrich went with him to [[Crimean Khanate|Crimea]] and then to [[Kronstadt]], staying until the [[Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)|Russian war against the Turks]] under General [[Burkhard Christoph von Münnich]]. In 1740, Steuben's father returned to Prussia and Friedrich was educated in the garrison towns [[Nysa, Poland|Neisse]] and [[Breslau]] by [[Jesuits]]. Despite his education by a Catholic order, von Steuben remained critical of [[Catholicism]].<ref name="Kapp"/>{{rp|63}} Originally, von Steuben's family were [[Protestants]] in the Kingdom of Prussia, and after his emigration to America he became a member of the [[Reformed Church in the United States|Reformed German Church]], a congregation in New York.<ref name="Thacher1827">{{cite book|last=Thacher|first=James|title=A Military Journal During the American Revolutionary War: From 1775 to 1783|url=https://archive.org/details/amilitaryjourna00thacgoog|access-date=February 26, 2018|year=1827|publisher=Cottons & Barnard|page=[https://archive.org/details/amilitaryjourna00thacgoog/page/n423 420]}}</ref> It is said that at age 14 he served as a volunteer with his father in one of the campaigns of the [[War of the Austrian Succession]].{{sfn|Kapp|1859|p=45}}

==First military service==
Baron von Steuben joined the [[Prussian Army]] at age 17.<ref name=nps>{{cite web |url = https://home.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/vonsteuben.htm |title = General von Steuben |work = Valley Forge (National Historical Park Pennsylvania) |publisher = National Park Service |access-date = October 9, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150210113353/http://www.nps.gov/vafo/historyculture/vonsteuben.htm |archive-date = February 10, 2015 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> He served as a second lieutenant during the [[Seven Years' War]] in 1756, and was wounded at the 1757 [[Battle of Prague (1757)|Battle of Prague]].<ref name=nps/> He served as [[adjutant]] to the [[free battalion]] of General [[Johann von Mayr]] and was promoted to [[first lieutenant]] in 1759.<ref name=nps/> In August 1759 he was wounded a second time at the [[Battle of Kunersdorf]].<ref name=nps/> In the same year, he was appointed deputy [[quartermaster]] at the [[general headquarters]]. In 1761 he became adjutant of the Major General Von Knobloch upon being taken prisoner by the Russians at [[Trzebiatów|Treptow]].<ref name=nps/> He subsequently attained the rank of captain and served as [[aide-de-camp]] to [[Frederick the Great]]; in 1762 he was one of 13 young officers chosen to participate in a special course of instruction delivered by the king himself.<ref name=Bielakowski>{{cite book |first = Alexander M. |last = Bielakowski |title = Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S. Military: An Encyclopedia |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5ufJEa6u3BcC&pg=PA667 |year = 2013 |publisher = ABC-CLIO |pages = 667–69 |isbn = 9781598844276 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160114043535/https://books.google.com/books?id=5ufJEa6u3BcC&pg=PA667 |archive-date = January 14, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Upon the reduction of the army at the end of the war, in 1763, Steuben was one of many officers who found themselves unemployed.<ref name=Bielakowski/> Towards the end of his life, Steuben indicated in a letter that "an inconsiderate step and an implacable personal enemy" led to his leaving the Prussian army.<ref name=Kapp>{{cite book |url = https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrederickw00kappuoft |page = [https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrederickw00kappuoft/page/54 54] |last = Kapp |first = Friedrich |title = Life of Frederick William Von Steuben: Major General in the Revolutionary Army |publisher = Mason Brothers |year = 1859 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>{{rp|61}}

==Service in Hohenzollern-Hechingen==
In 1765, Steuben became ''[[Hofmarschall]]'' to [[Fürst]] [[Josef Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen|Josef Friedrich Wilhelm]] of [[Hohenzollern-Hechingen]], a post he held until 1777.<ref name="Forgotten Founder">{{cite news |url= https://www.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/06/27/the-rich-legacy-of-a-forgotten-founder |last= Lockhart |first= Paul |title= The Rich Legacy of a Forgotten Founder |work= U.S. News & World Report |date= June 27, 2008 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150908034517/http://www.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/06/27/the-rich-legacy-of-a-forgotten-founder |archive-date= September 8, 2015 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> In 1769 the [[Margravine Elisabeth Fredericka Sophie of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Duchess of Württemberg]], niece of Frederick the Great, presented him with the [[House Order of Fidelity|Cross of the Order of ''De la Fidelite'']].<ref name="ssa">{{Cite book |last=Lockhart |first=Paul |title=The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army |date=2010 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |isbn=978-0-06-145164-5 |edition=1st |location=Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar}}</ref> In 1771 he began to use the title [[baron]]. That same year he accompanied the prince to [[France in the early modern period|France]], hoping to borrow money. Failing to find funds, they returned to [[Holy Roman Empire|Germany]] in 1775, deeply in debt.<ref name=Bielakowski/>

In 1763, Steuben had been formally introduced to the future French Minister of War, [[Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain]], in [[Hamburg]]. They met again in Paris in 1777. The Count, fully realizing the potential of an officer with Prussian general staff training, introduced him to Americans [[Silas Deane|Silas Dean]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]]. The Americans, however, were unable to offer Steuben a rank or pay in the American army. The [[Continental Congress]] had grown tired of foreign [[mercenary|mercenaries]] [[Germans in the American Revolution#Europeans coming to join Washington|coming to America]] and demanding a high rank and pay.<ref name=":0"/>

Promoting these men over qualified American officers caused discontent in the ranks. Steuben would have to go to North America strictly as a volunteer and present himself to Congress. Steuben left these first meetings in disgust and returned to Prussia.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |first = Thomas |last = Adam |title = Germany and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History; a Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8uxfTF4Lm-kC&pg=PA1007 |year = 2005 |publisher = ABC-CLIO |page = 1007 |isbn = 9781851096282 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160114043534/https://books.google.com/books?id=8uxfTF4Lm-kC&pg=PA1007 |archive-date = January 14, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> After unknown events, Steuben was discharged from his position as a captain and traveled to Paris. It is speculated that he was, or was accused of being, homosexual. It is unknown whether or not this occurred, and regardless, no charges were pursued.<ref name=":0" />

Upon the Count's recommendation, Steuben was introduced to future president [[George Washington]] by means of a letter from Franklin as a "[[Lieutenant General]] in the King of Prussia's service",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: From Benjamin Franklin to George Washington, 4 September 1777 |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-24-02-0389 |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}</ref> an exaggeration of his actual credentials that appears to be based on a mistranslation of his service record. He was advanced travel funds and left Europe from [[Marseille]] on Friday, September 26, 1777, on board the frigate ''Flamand''.<ref name="Forgotten Founder"/>

==American Revolution==
[[File:Major General Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus Baron von Steuben by Ralph Earl.jpeg|thumb|190px|alt=Painting Steuben in uniform|A portrait of Major General von Steuben wearing the badge of the [[Society of the Cincinnati]] by [[Ralph Earl]]]]

Steuben, his [[Italian Greyhound]] Azor (which he took with him everywhere), his young ''[[aide-de-camp]]'' Louis de Pontière, his military secretary [[Peter Stephen Du Ponceau|Pierre-Étienne du Ponceau]], and two other companions reached [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] on December 1, 1777. There, they were almost arrested because Steuben and his entourage were wearing red clothing similar to those worn by British troops.<ref name=nps/> They were extravagantly entertained in [[Boston]]. On February 5, 1778, Steuben and his party arrived in [[York, Pennsylvania]], where the Continental Congress had relocated after being ousted from [[Philadelphia]] by the British advance.

Arrangements were made for Steuben to be paid following the successful completion of the war according to his contributions. He arrived at [[Valley Forge]] on February 23, 1778, and reported for duty as a volunteer. One soldier's first impression of the Baron was "of the ancient fabled God of War ... he seemed to me a perfect personification of [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]]. The trappings of his horse, the enormous holsters of his pistols, his large size, and his strikingly martial aspect, all seemed to favor the idea. He turned the volunteers into a great army."<ref name=nps/>

===Inspector General===
Washington appointed von Steuben as temporary [[inspector general]]. He went out into the camp to talk with the officers and men, inspect their huts, and scrutinize their equipment. Steuben established standards of sanitation and camp layouts that would still be standard a century and a half later. There had previously been no set arrangement of tents and huts. Men relieved themselves where they wished, and when an animal died it was stripped of its meat and the rest was left to rot where it lay. Steuben laid out a plan to have rows for command, officers, and enlisted men. Kitchens and [[latrine]]s were on opposite sides of the camp, with latrines on the downhill side. There was the familiar arrangement of company and regimental streets.

On May 5, 1778, on General Washington's recommendation, Congress appointed Steuben inspector general of the army, with the rank and pay of [[major general]]. The internal administration had been neglected, and no books had been kept either as to supplies, clothing, or men. Steuben became aware of the "administrative incompetence, [[graft (politics)|graft]], [[war profiteering]]" that existed.<ref name=Gulian/> He enforced the keeping of exact records and strict inspections. His inspections saved the army an estimated loss of five to eight thousand muskets.<ref name=ssa/>

===Training program===
[[File:Baron Steuben drilling troops at Valley Forge by E A Abbey.png|thumb|270px|alt=Painting, see caption|''Baron von Steuben Drilling Troops at Valley Forge'', by E. A. Abbey (c. 1904), [[Pennsylvania State Capitol]], Harrisburg]]

Steuben used 120 men of the [[Commander-in-Chief's Guard|Commander in Chief's Guard]], and used them to demonstrate military training to the rest of the troops.<ref name=ssa/> These men, whom Steuben called the "Model Company" in turn trained other personnel at regimental and brigade levels. Steuben's eccentric personality greatly enhanced his mystique. In full military dress uniform, he twice a day trained the soldiers who, at this point, were themselves greatly lacking in proper clothing.<ref>{{cite episode |last1 = Deats |first1 = Paula |last2 = Fleisher |first2 = Carol L. |title = A War Without End" episode |series = The Revolutionary War |publisher = The Learning Channel |year = 1995 }}</ref>

[[File:Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben 2018.jpg|thumb|The ''Steuben'' Statue in ''Valley Forge'' National Historical Park]]
As he could only speak and write a small amount of English, Steuben originally wrote the drills in French, the military language of Europe at the time. His secretary, Du Ponceau, then translated the drills from French into English, with the help of [[John Laurens]] and [[Alexander Hamilton]], two of Washington's aides-de-camp.<ref name=nps/> They did this every single night so the soldiers could practice the next day. Colonel Alexander Hamilton and General [[Nathanael Greene]] were of great help in assisting Steuben in drafting a training program for the Army. The Baron's willingness and ability to work with the men, as well as his use of profanity (in several languages), made him popular among the soldiers.<ref name=nps/> It is here he met his close friend and future adopted heir, Captain [[Benjamin Walker (Continental Army officer)|Benjamin Walker]]. Within weeks, Walker was Steuben's aide-de-camp.<ref name="test">{{cite journal |first=William E. |last=Benemann |title=Male–Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships |year=2006 |location=New York |publisher=[[Routledge]]}}{{page needed |date= July 2016}}</ref>

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. This corrected the previous policy of simply assigning personnel to regiments. Each company commander was made responsible for the training of new men, but actual instruction was done by sergeants specifically selected for being the best obtainable.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Upon Steuben's initial inspection of the camp and soldiers, he remarked that “the American soldier, never having used this arm, had no faith in it, and never used it but to roast his beefsteak."<ref name=ssa/> Steuben's introduction of effective bayonet charges became crucial. In the [[Battle of Stony Point]], Continental Army soldiers attacked with unloaded muskets and won the battle solely on Steuben's bayonet training.{{sfn|Kapp|1859|pp=228–229}}

The first results of Steuben's training were in evidence at the [[Battle of Barren Hill]], May 20, 1778, and then again at the [[Battle of Monmouth]] in June 1778. Steuben, by then serving in Washington's headquarters, was the first to determine that the enemy was heading for Monmouth.{{sfn|Kapp|1859|pp=157–158}}

During the winter of 1778–1779, Steuben prepared ''[[Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States]]'', commonly known as the "Blue Book".<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/drill_and_ceremony/drill-and-ceremony-study-.shtml |work = ArmyStudyGuide.com |title = Drill and Ceremony #43 |access-date = April 9, 2009 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090302095210/http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/drill_and_ceremony/drill-and-ceremony-study-.shtml |archive-date = March 2, 2009 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>The current revision of this book is available for download from the US Army directly [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20051022021636/https://akocomm.us.army.mil/usapa/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_aa/pdf/fm3_21x5.pdf The United States Army]</ref> Its basis was the training plan he had devised at [[Valley Forge]].<ref name=Lockhart>{{cite book |last = Lockhart |first = Paul Douglas |title = The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army |publisher = HarperCollins |location = New York |year = 2008 |isbn = 978-0061451638 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061451638 }}{{page needed|date= July 2016}}</ref> It was used by the United States Army until 1814,<ref name=nps/> and affected U.S. drills and tactics until the [[Mexican–American War]] of 1846.<ref name=Gulian/>

On May 2, 1779, during the [[second Middlebrook encampment]], a review of the army was held to honor the French minister [[Conrad Alexandre Gérard de Rayneval]] and the Spanish diplomat [[Juan de Miralles]]. Led by General [[William Smallwood]], four battalions performed precise military formations to demonstrate their mastery of Steuben's training.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Washington|first1=George|author-link=George Washington|title=General Orders, 2 May 1779|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-20-02-0263|publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration|Founders Online, National Archives]]|date=May 2, 1779|at=Notes}}</ref> After the review, about sixty generals and colonels attended a dinner hosted by Steuben in a [[Pole marquee|large tent]] near his headquarters at the [[Staats House (South Bound Brook, New Jersey)|Abraham Staats House]].<ref name="nrhpnom">{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=02001483}}|title=NRHP Nomination: Staats House|last1=Greiff|first1=Constance M.|date=December 4, 2002|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

===Southern campaign===
[[File:Mount gulian fishkill closeup 2006.jpg|thumb|alt=Photo of stone and wood house|Mount Gulian, [[Fishkill, NY]]]]

In 1780, Steuben sat on the [[court-martial]] of British Major [[John André]], captured and charged with [[espionage]] in conjunction with the defection of General [[Benedict Arnold]].<ref name=Kapp/>{{rp|289}} He later traveled with [[Nathanael Greene]], the new commander of the Southern campaign.<ref name=Kapp/>{{rp|344–345}} He quartered in [[Virginia]], since U.S. supplies and soldiers would be provided to the army from there. Steuben would help in the defense of Virginia with approximately 1,000 militia fighting a delaying action in the [[Battle of Blandford]]. During the spring of 1781, he aided Greene in the campaign in the South, culminating in the delivery of 450 Virginia Continentals to [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Lafayette]] in June.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greene, Franics Vinton |title=The Revolutionary War and the Military Policy of the United States |date=1911 |location=New York Public Library |page=262 |isbn=978-0722280089 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7UTAAAAYAAJ|author1-link=Francis Vinton Greene }}</ref>

He was forced to take sick leave, rejoining the army for the final campaign at [[Siege of Yorktown|Yorktown]], where his role was as commander of one of the three divisions of Washington's troops. In 1783, General Von Steuben joined General Knox at Vail's Gate, near [[West Point, New York|West Point]], in the fall of 1782 and in early 1783 moved to the Verplanck homestead, at [[Mount Gulian]], across the Hudson River from Washington's headquarters in [[Newburgh, New York|Newburgh]].<ref name=Gulian>{{cite web |url = http://www.mountgulian.org/steuben.html |title = General Von Steuben |publisher = Mount Gulian Historic site |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150502063934/http://www.mountgulian.org/steuben.html |archive-date = May 2, 2015 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Steuben gave assistance to Washington in demobilizing the army in 1783<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/indeimg/steuben.html |title = Baron Von Steuben |publisher = National Park Service |work = Museum Collections |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121113172216/http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/indeimg/steuben.html |archive-date = November 13, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> as well as aiding in the defense plan of the new nation. In May 1783, Steuben presided over the founding of the [[Society of the Cincinnati]].<ref name=Gulian/> He was discharged from the military with honor on March 24, 1784.<ref name=Bielakowski/>

==Final years==
[[File:Appletons' Steuben House.jpg|right|thumb|200px|alt=Drawing of cabin|Steuben's log cabin summer residence, [[Steuben, New York]]<ref>{{Cite Appletons' |wstitle = Steuben, Frederick William Augustus Henry Ferdinand von |year = 1900 |first =Joel Tyler |last = Headley}}</ref>]]
[[File:SH BergenCountyHistory2020 3825MR.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Steuben House]] & his "Jersey Estate", c. 1752, enlarged 1767, in situ, at [[New Bridge Landing]]]]

Steuben became a naturalized [[U.S. citizen]] by act of the [[Pennsylvania legislature]] in March 1784 and later by the New York authorities in July 1786. With the war over, Steuben resigned from service and first settled with his longtime companion, [[William North]], for whom he created a special room on [[Manhattan Island]], where he became a prominent figure and elder in the [[German Reformed Church]]. From 1785 until his death in 1794, he served as president of the [[German Society of the City of New York]], a charitable society founded in 1784 to assist German immigrants.<ref>Wust, Klaus (1984). ''Guardian on the Hudson: The German Society of the City of New York, 1784–1984''. New York:  The Society. {{ISBN|0917968115}}. pp. 15–16.</ref>

In 1786, during [[Shays's Rebellion]], under the written name "Belisarius", Steuben criticized the Massachusetts government for being an oligarchy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Richards|first=Leonard L|year=2002|title=Shays's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle|location=Philadelphia|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0812218701|oclc=56029217}} pp. 15–16</ref>

On December 23, 1783, the state of [[New Jersey]] presented him with the use of an estate in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] now known as [[Steuben House]],<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/Pages/steubenhsehistory.html#Baron_von_Steuben |title = Zabriskie-Steuben House |publisher = Bergen County Historical Society |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070103210749/http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/Pages/steubenhsehistory.html#Baron_von_Steuben |archive-date = January 3, 2007 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> which had been confiscated from [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] Jan Zabriskie in 1781. Located in the formerly strategic [[New Bridge Landing]], the estate included a [[gristmill]] and about {{convert|40|acre}} of land. Legislators initially conditioned the grant, requiring Steuben to "hold, occupy and enjoy the said estate in person, and not by tenant."<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Revolutionary War in Bergen County |last = Karels |first = Carol |publisher = The History Press |year = 2007 |isbn = 978-1596293588 |location = Charleston, SC |page = 61 }}</ref>

General [[Philemon Dickinson]] of the New Jersey Militia informed Steuben of this gift and responded to his inquiries that "there are on the premises an exceeding good House, an excellent barn, together with many useful outbuildings, all of which I am told, want some repairs... there is... a Grist-mill; a good Orchard, some meadow Ground, & plenty of Wood. The distance from N York by land 15 miles, but you may keep a boat & go from your own door to N York by water{{snd}}Oysters, Fish & wild fowl in abundance{{snd}}Possession will be given to you in the Spring, when you will take a view of the premises."<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Revolutionary War in Bergen County |last = Karels |first = Carol |publisher = The History Press |year = 2007 |isbn = 978-1596293588 |location = Charleston, SC |page = 61 }}</ref> Von Steuben spent considerable sums to repair wartime damages to the house and restore its commercial operations under Walker.

On September 5, 1788, the New Jersey Legislature gave Baron von Steuben full title to the former Zabriskie estate. A month later, recognizing his financial embarrassment, Steuben wrote another former aide-de-camp and companion, William North, recognizing: "The Jersey Estate must and is to be sold. Walker is my administrator, all debts are to be paid out of it."<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Bridge That Saved a Nation, Bergen County, New Bridge and the Hackensack Valley |last = Wright |first = Kevin W. |publisher = Arcadia Publishing by arrangement with Fonthill Media |year = 2019 |isbn = 978-1634991650 |location = England |page = 191}}</ref>

On November 6, 1788, Steuben again wrote North (at his new home in [[Duanesburg, New York]]), noting "My Jersey Estate is Advertised but not yet Sold, from this Walker Shall immediately pay to you the money, you so generously lend me and all my debts in New-York will be payed.{{sic}} I support my present poverty with more heroism than I Expected. All Clubs and parties are renounced, I seldom leave the House."<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Bridge That Saved a Nation, Bergen County, New Bridge and the Hackensack Valley |last = Wright |first = Kevin W. |publisher = Arcadia Publishing by arrangement with Fonthill Media |year = 2019 |isbn = 978-1634991650 |location = England |page = 191}}</ref> Steuben eventually sold the New Jersey property to a son of the previous owner, and it remained in the Zabriskie family until 1909. It is the only remaining eighteenth-century building that von Steuben owned.

Von Steuben was present at the [[first inauguration of George Washington]] in New York in 1789.{{sfn|Kapp|1859|p=585}}

Von Steuben moved upstate and settled in [[Oneida County, New York|Oneida County]] on a small estate in the vicinity of [[Rome, New York]], on land granted to him for his military service and where he had spent summers. He was later appointed a regent for what evolved into the [[University of the State of New York]]. In 1790, Congress awarded him a pension of $2,500 a year, which he kept until his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/steuben.html |title=Baron von Steuben |website=Historic Valley Forge |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Von Steuben died on November 28, 1794, at his estate in Oneida County,<ref>"Frederick William Augustus von Steuben, Baron." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Retrieved from ''Biography in Context'' database, October 9, 2016.</ref> and was buried in a grove at what became the [[Steuben Memorial State Historic Site]]. The estate became part of the town of [[Steuben, New York]], which was named for him.

Von Steuben is believed by some historical journalists to have been gay.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Estep |first=Richard |title=The Handy Armed Forces Answer Book |publisher=Visible Ink Press |year=2022 |isbn=9781578597741 |edition=1st |location=Detroit |pages=21 |language=EN}}</ref><ref name=NPS>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/000/general-von-steuben-statue.htm |title=General Von Steuben Statue |publisher=United States National Park Service |accessdate=September 10, 2024}}</ref>

Von Steuben had arrived in the United States with his 17-year-old secretary and (then speculated to be) lover, [[Peter Stephen Du Ponceau]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/vonsteuben.htm|title= General Von Steuben|author= |date= February 3, 2016|website= www.nps.gov|publisher= National Park Service|access-date= December 10, 2018}}</ref> In Prussia, he may have had numerous relationships with young soldiers, and also with [[Prince Henry of Prussia (1726–1802)|Prince Henry of Prussia]] and [[Frederick the Great]].<ref name=NPS/>

At Valley Forge, he began close relationships with Walker and [[William North]], then both military officers in their 20s.<ref>{{cite book |last=  Benemann|first= William E.|date= 2014|title= Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Isi3AwAAQBAJ|publisher= Routledge|page= 102|isbn= 978-1317953463}}</ref> Von Steuben formally adopted Walker and North and made them his heirs. Some consider this action an indication of Von Steuben's homosexuality, as some gay men of the time period would use adoption as a substitution for marriage, to establish a recognized legal relationship and a legal connection to heirs.<ref>Kapp, Friedrich ''The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben, Major General in the United States Army'', Mason Brothers, New York, 1859, p. 707.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://loyolanotredamelib.org/php/report05/articles/pdfs/Report35Pritchett19-26.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918143220/http://loyolanotredamelib.org/php/report05/articles/pdfs/Report35Pritchett19-26.pdf |archive-date=2016-09-18 |url-status=live |title=The three Wills of Baron von Steuben |last=Pritchett |first=Morgan H |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>

He never married and had no children, and he did not care much for his European relatives.<ref name="Kapp" /> Thus, he left his estate to his companions and [[aide-de-camp|aides-de-camp]], Walker and North, with whom he had had an "extraordinarily intense emotional relationship ... treating them as surrogate sons."<ref>{{cite book |first = William B. |last = Skelton |chapter = North, William |title = [[American National Biography Online]] |date = February 2000 }}</ref> A third young man, [[John W. Mulligan]] (1774–1862), the son of Hercules Mulligan, who also considered himself one of von Steuben's "sons", inherited his vast library, collection of maps and $2,500 in cash. In his 1781 will, he left the majority of his estate to his nephew, as long as he would move permanently to the United States and reject the title of baron or any other title of nobility. (From Paul Lockhart's book.)<ref name="Kapp" />{{rp|702}} Following von Steuben's death, North divided the property bequeathed to him among his military companions.<ref>{{cite book |last= White|first= J.T.|title= The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Fl4oAAAAYAAJ&q=Following+Baron+Steuben%27s+death,+North+divided+the+property+bequeathed+to+him+among+his+military+companions.|publisher= Harvard University|page= 7|date= 1892}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:General Von Steuben 1930 Issue-2c.jpg|thumb|right|210px|alt=Two cent postage stamp|General Von Steuben on a two-cent postage stamp, 1930 issue]]

Generally, [[Von Steuben Day]] takes place in September in many cities throughout the United States. It is often considered the [[German Americans|German American]] event of the year. Participants march, dance, wear German costumes and play German music, and the event is attended by millions of people. The German-American Steuben Parade is held annually in September in New York City. It is one of the largest parades in the city and is traditionally followed by an [[Oktoberfest]] in [[Central Park]] as well as celebrations in [[Yorkville, Manhattan]], a historically German section of New York City. The German-American Steuben Parade has been taking place since 1958.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.germanparadenyc.org |title = German-American Steuben Parade of New York |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070608145545/http://www.germanparadenyc.org/ |archive-date = June 8, 2007 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> 

[[Chicago]] hosts a von Steuben Day parade, which is featured in the U.S. film ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-thirty-years-ago-ferris-bueller-took-a-day-off-20150605-story.html |title=Ferris Bueller took his day off 30 years ago today |last=Swartz |first=Tracy |date=June 5, 2015 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=February 2, 2018 |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210040403/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-thirty-years-ago-ferris-bueller-took-a-day-off-20150605-story.html |archive-date=December 10, 2017  }}</ref> [[Philadelphia]] hosts a smaller Steuben Parade in the [[Northeast Philadelphia|Northeast]] section of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.steubenparade.com/ |title=German – American Parade Philadelphia |publisher=Steuben Day Observance Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922122505/http://steubenparade.com/ |archive-date=September 22, 2017 }}</ref>

The [[Steuben Society]] was founded in 1919 as "an educational, fraternal, and patriotic organization of American citizens of German background". In the difficult post-[[World War I]] years the Society helped the German-American community to reorganize. It is now one of the largest organizations for Americans of German descent.<ref>"[http://steubensociety.org/history/ Our History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011125539/http://steubensociety.org/history/ |date=October 11, 2016 }}". The Steuben Society of America. www.steubensociety.org. Retrieved October 9, 2016.</ref>

A warship, a submarine, and an ocean liner (later pressed into military service) were named in von Steuben's honor. In [[World War I]], the captured [[German Empire|German]] ship {{SS|Kronprinz Wilhelm}} was renamed as USS ''Von Steuben''.<ref>{{cite DANFS | title=Von Steuben I (Id. No. 3017) | url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/v/von-steuben-i.html}}</ref> In World War II there was the [[SS General von Steuben|Dampfschiff ''General von Steuben'']], an ill-fated German luxury passenger ship which was turned into an armed transport ship during the war.<ref name="Grooss2017">{{cite book|last=Grooss|first=Poul|title=The Naval War in the Baltic 1939–1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-P0sDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT473|access-date=February 23, 2018|year=2017|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1526700025|page=473}}</ref> During the [[Cold War]], the U.S. Navy submarine {{USS|Von Steuben|SSBN-632|6}} was named for him.<ref>{{cite DANFS | title=Von Steuben  | url=http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ssbn632.txt}}</ref>

Several locations in the United States are named Steuben, most of them in his honor. Examples include [[Steuben County, New York]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.steubencony.org/pages.asp?PID=318 |title=A Brief History |last=Sherer |first=Richard G. |website=Steuben County, New York |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221055937/http://steubencony.org/pages.asp?PID=318 |archive-date=December 21, 2016  }}</ref> [[Steuben County, Indiana]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.co.steuben.in.us/about_us/index.php |title=Steuben County History |website=Steuben County, Indiana |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608185218/http://www.co.steuben.in.us/about_us/index.php |archive-date=June 8, 2017  }}</ref> and the city of [[Steubenville, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldfortsteuben.com/|title=Historic Fort Steuben|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201163613/http://oldfortsteuben.com/|archive-date=February 1, 2011}}</ref> [[Steuben Hill]] is named after him. Several buildings are named for Steuben, among them [[Von Steuben Metropolitan High School]] in [[Chicago]], Illinois,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://schoolinfo.cps.edu/schoolprofile/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolId=609737 |title=Von Steuben HS |website=Chicago Public Schools |language=en |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929220352/http://schoolinfo.cps.edu/schoolprofile/SchoolDetails.aspx?SchoolId=609737 |archive-date=September 29, 2017  }}</ref> and one of the cadet barracks buildings at [[Valley Forge Military College]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vfmac.edu/academy/cadet-life/ |title=Cadet Life |website=Valley Forge Military Academy & College |language=en-US |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222090334/https://www.vfmac.edu/academy/cadet-life/ |archive-date=February 22, 2018  }}</ref>

Von Steuben was one of four European military leaders who assisted the U.S. cause during the Revolution and was honored with [[Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|a statue]] in [[Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.|Lafayette Square]], just north of the [[White House]], in [[Washington, D.C.]] The statue by [[Albert Jaegers]] was dedicated in 1910.<ref>"Honor Steuben Today." ''Washington Post''. December 7, 1910.</ref> A copy was dedicated in [[Potsdam]], Germany, in 1911, and destroyed during [[World War II]]. A new cast was given in honor of German-American friendship in 1987, and to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the founding of [[Berlin]]. It was installed in the [[Dahlem (Berlin)|Dahlem]] district, in what had been the U.S. sector of the formerly divided city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.steubenparade.de/steubenparade/ueber-baron-steuben.html |title=Die Geschichte der Steubenparade in New York – in Erinnerung an Baron Steuben |last=Salzmann |first=Dieter |website=www.steubenparade.de |language=de |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317025129/http://www.steubenparade.de/steubenparade/ueber-baron-steuben.html |archive-date=March 17, 2017  }}</ref> 

A cast is in Steuben's home town of [[Magdeburg]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.germany.travel/en/ms/german-originality/heritage/places/memorials/friedrich-von-steuben-magdeburg.html |title=Friedrich von Steuben Memorial, Magdeburg |website=German Information Center USA |publisher=German National Tourist Board |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222090335/http://www.germany.travel/en/ms/german-originality/heritage/places/memorials/friedrich-von-steuben-magdeburg.html |archive-date=February 22, 2018  }}</ref> Statues of Steuben by [[J. Otto Schweizer]] can be found in [[Valley Forge, Pennsylvania]], and [[Utica, New York]],<ref name="Pohlsander2010">{{cite book|last=Pohlsander|first=Hans A.|title=German Monuments in the Americas: Bonds Across the Atlantic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6kCDYByxCSYC&pg=PA28|access-date=February 21, 2018|year=2010|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-3034301381|pages=28–33}}</ref> in addition to [[Steuben Monument|an equestrian statue]] by Schweizer in [[Milwaukee]], Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Buck|first=Diane|title=Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee|year=1995|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|location=Madison|isbn=978-0870202766|pages=154–156}}</ref> A bust of Steuben is in the garden of the [[Embassy of Germany, Washington, D.C.|German Embassy]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="Pohlsander2010"/>

The [[Steuben House]], presented to Steuben as a gift for his services in the [[Continental Army]], is located at [[New Bridge Landing]] in [[River Edge, New Jersey]]. The house and surrounding farmland were seized in 1781 from a Loyalist family. The house looks much as it did after Steuben renovated it. The State of New Jersey took possession of the historic mansion and one acre of ground for $9,000 in June 1928. It was opened as a public museum in September 1939. The Bergen County Historical Society opens the building for special events. It is under the jurisdiction of the Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/ |title = Bergen County Historical Society |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080509170156/http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/ |archive-date = May 9, 2008 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in December 1970, for its significance in architecture and military history.<ref>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=70000381}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Steuben House |publisher=[[National Park Service]]|author=Elburtus Prol |date=August 1970 }}</ref>

[[Franciscan University of Steubenville]] honors their city's namesake by having The Barons as their moniker and mascot.

Other tributes include Steuben Field, the stadium of the [[Hamilton College (New York)|Hamilton College]] football team.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nescac.com/Records/fbrecordbook.htm |title = NESCAC Football Record Book |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061129211153/http://www.nescac.com/Records/fbrecordbook.htm |archive-date = November 29, 2006 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Von Steuben, acting as [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s surrogate, laid the cornerstone of the school.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hamilton.edu/200/tour/mobile/2 |title=Memorial stone for Hamilton-Oneida Academy building |website=Hamilton College |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021010522/https://www.hamilton.edu/200/tour/mobile/2 |archive-date=October 21, 2016  }}</ref>

Depictions of Steuben in popular U.S. media include portrayals by [[Nehemiah Persoff]] in the 1979 U.S. TV miniseries ''[[The Rebels (miniseries)|The Rebels]]'',<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q16931648|title=The Rebels}}</ref> Kurt Knudson in the 1984 TV miniseries ''[[George Washington (miniseries)|George Washington]]'',<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q586680|title=George Washington}}</ref> being voiced by Austrian-American [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in the animated series ''[[Liberty's Kids]]'',<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q3237787}}
</ref> and by [[David Cross]] on the "Philadelphia" episode of ''[[Drunk History]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cc.com/episodes/b8enkp/drunk-history-philadelphia-season-2-ep-209 |title=Drunk History – Philadelphia |website=Comedy Central |date=August 20, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802045956/http://www.cc.com/episodes/b8enkp/drunk-history-philadelphia-season-2-ep-209 |archive-date=August 2, 2017  }}</ref>

In 2007, a popular documentary DVD was released by LionHeart FilmWorks and director [[Kevin Hershberger]] titled ''Von Steuben's Continentals: The First American Army''. The 60-minute, live-action documentary details the uniforms, camp life, food, weapons, equipment, and drill of the Continental soldier from 1775 to 1781, as taught and developed by Baron von Steuben.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.lionheart-filmworks.com |title = LionHeart FilmWorks |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100228083550/http://www.lionheart-filmworks.com/ |archive-date = February 28, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

<gallery heights="160" widths="225" mode="nolines">
File:Baron von Steuben Monumental Tomb Jul 10.jpg|[[Steuben Memorial State Historic Site|Steuben's grave]], [[Steuben, New York]]
File:Von Steuben Statue (Washington, D.C.).jpg|''[[Statue of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|Baron von Steuben]]'' (1910), [[Albert Jaegers]], sculptor, [[President's Park#Lafayette Park|Lafayette Square]], Washington, D.C.
File:Monument to Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben in Utica, New York.jpg|''Baron von Steuben'' (1914), [[J. Otto Schweizer]], sculptor, Memorial Parkway, [[Utica, New York]].
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10122, Potsdam, Kundgebung der Steubengesellschaft.jpg|''Steubendenkmal'' (1911), Steubenplatz, [[Potsdam|Potsdam, Germany]]. A replica of the 1910 Washington, D.C. statue.
</gallery>

==See also==
* ''[[Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States]]''
* [[American Revolutionary War#American strategy]]
* [[List of Drunk History episodes|''Drunk History'']] Season 2 Episode 8 Philadelphia as retold by [[Nick Rutherford]] features [[David Cross]] as Baron von Steuben

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last = Palmer |first = John McAuley |title = General Von Steuben |publisher = Yale University Press |year = 1937 }}
* Danckert, Stephen C. "Baron von Steuben and the Training of Armies." ''Military Review'' 74 (1994): 29–34 in EBSCO
* Steuben Papers, NYHS
* The Historic Society of Pennsylvania, Simon Gratz Collection (#250), Case 4, Box 13 William North /Benjamin Walker Letters
* [http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/steuben/ Guide to the Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Papers at the New-York Historical Society]

==Further reading==
* Bigelow, Dana W. "Baron Steuben, At Home, At Rest, In Oneida County." ''Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association'' 14 (1915): 91–100.
* Chase, Philander D. ''Steuben, Friedrich Wilhelm von'' ''American National Biography'' (1999) {{doi|10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0100855}}
* Chase, Philander D. "Baron von Steuben in the War of Independence" (Ph.D. diss., Duke Univ., 1972) ProQuest Dissertations Publishing,  1973.  7319468. 
* Clary, David A., and Joseph W. A. Whitehorne. ''The Inspectors General of the United States Army, 1777–1903''  (1987).
* Doyle, Joseph Beatty. ''Frederick William Von Steuben and the American Revolution: Aide to Washington and Inspector General of the Army'' (1913).
* [[Friedrich Kapp|Kapp, Friedrich]], ''Life of Frederick William Von Steuben: Major General in the Revolutionary Army'' (1859) {{librivox book | title=Life of Frederick William Von Steuben | author=Friedrich Kapp}}
* Lockhart, Paul. ''The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army'' (2010) [https://www.amazon.com/Drillmaster-Valley-Forge-Steuben-American/dp/0061451649/ excerpt], a standard scholarly biography
* Palmer, John MacAuley. ''General von Steuben'' (Yale UP, 1937).
* Whitridge, Arnold.  "Baron von Steuben, Washington's Drillmaster." ''History Today'' (July 1976) 26#7 pp 429–436.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben}}
{{wikisource|works=or}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben}}
* {{Librivox author |id=9720}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=njiwFoU3GFoC&q=bayonets Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Baron von Steuben. ''Baron Von Steuben's Revolutionary War Drill Manual'']
* [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/11/27/101230189.pdf ''N.Y. Times'': Steuben hosted by the Nation he helped to create]
* [https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org The Society of the Cincinnati]
* [https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/soldiers-and-sailors-of-the-revolutionary-war/officers-represented-in-the-society-of-the-cincinnati/ American Revolution Institute]

{{S-start}}
{{S-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Thomas Conway]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Inspectors General of the U.S. Army|Inspector General of the U.S. Army]]|years=May 5, 1778&nbsp;– April 15, 1784}}
{{s-aft|after=[[William North]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Inspectors General of the United States Army}}
{{American Revolutionary War|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steuben, Friedrich Wilhelm Von}}
[[Category:Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben| ]]
[[Category:1730 births]]
[[Category:1794 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century German LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:18th-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:German barons]]
[[Category:Continental Army generals]]
[[Category:Continental Army officers from Germany]]
[[Category:Continental Army staff officers]]
[[Category:German military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession]]
[[Category:Inspectors general of the United States Army]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]
[[Category:Prussian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Magdeburg]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ military personnel]]
[[Category:German LGBTQ military personnel]]