History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 171

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 171

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Soon after the conclusion of peace, Steuben left the Prussian service, for reasons not very clearly set forth. He petitioned for his discharge from the army, and visited various places, and formed among other acquaintances that of Count St. Germain, then in the service of Denmark, but afterwards the French minister of war.

In 1764 he was tendered the position of grand marshal of the court of the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, which he accepted, and filled with distinguished ability for a period of ten years. Steuben was a nominal follower of the Protestant teachings of Luther, and this led him into difficulty with the priests at the court, who were zealous Catholics, and he resigned his honorable position. He with-

drew to the court of the Margrave of Baden, at Carlsruhe, who had bestowed upon him the cross of the order " De la Fidelité" in 1769.

Having plenty of leisure, Steuben traveled quite exten- sively, and visited Baron Von Waldener at his residence in Alsace, where he renewed his acquaintance with Count St. Germain. He also visited Montpellier, in the south of France, and formed the acquaintance of the English Earls of Warwick and Spencer, and the French Prince de Mont- barey, subsequently minister of war.

Tiring of his inactive life, Steuben, during the year 1776, had determined to re-enter the military service, and it would appear that he made application to enter the Ger- man army ; but the obstacles were found too formidable to be overcome, and Steuben determined to visit England, and set out in April, 1777, traveling via Paris, where he arrived in May.

At this time the excitement in France over the Ameri- can war pervaded the ranks of the nobility and the conrt, and he found Count St. Germain greatly interested, although the government had not yet taken any decided steps towards assisting the struggling colonies.

Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, the agents of the Americans, were then in France endeavoring to interest the government in the struggle, but the king and his minis- ters, while manifesting the most lively interest, were too wary to risk the chances of a war with England without due deliberation ; and, therefore, while every facility for supplying the Americans with the sinews of war through private sources was allowed, the court dexterously avoided an open declaration of war.

Steuben met the American commissioners, who were ex- ceedingly anxions to engage his services, but at the same time declared their inability to make any satisfactory guar- antees. The Count St. Germain urged him to go to Amer- ica, and endeavored to show him what a magnificent field was open to him; but Stenben was wholly disinclined to adventure, and made arrangements to return to Prussia. He made a farewell visit to the Count St. Germain, and while there the Spanish ambassador came in, to whom the count introdneed Steuben. On the same day he visited the Prince De Montbarey, and found him, like the others, greatly interested on the side of the Americans.

He finally departed for Germany, and on his arrival at Rastadt met Prince Louis William, of Baden, and also found a most persuasive letter from M. de Beaumarchais, who stated that Count St. Germain expected his immediate return to Versailles. He also stated that funds would be furnished him, and that a vessel was ready at Marseilles to depart for America. This letter was accompanied by one from the count, who strongly urged his return. In this dilemma he resolved to consult Prince Louis William, of Baden, who, to his surprise, told him he considered there was no room for hesitation, and advised him to proceed at onee to America. This determined his course, and arrang- ing his business and obtaining permission from the King of Prussia, he returned to Paris in August, 1777.

Here he conferred with Prince De Montbarey, Count St. Germain, and the Count De Vergennes, the French minis- ter of foreign affairs, and having made all necessary ar-

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

rangements, on the 26th of September, 1777, he set sail from Marseilles in the ship " L'Heureux," of 24 guns. His name was entered on the ship's book as Frank .* His suite consisted of Peter S. Duponceau, as secretary and interpreter ; and his aids, De l'Enfant, De Romanai, Des Epinières, and De Ponticre, the latter of whom afterwards entered the cavalry legion of Count Pulaski as captain.

On board this vessel were also supplies and munitions of war for the American government, consisting of 1700 pounds of powder, 22 tons of sulphur, 52 brass guns, 19 mortars, etc., advanced partly by the French govern- ment and partly by M. De Beaumarchais, who also ad- vanced Steuben his traveling expenses. After a rough and tedious passage of sixty-six days, during which she encountered two severe storms, and had a mutiny and a fire on board, the vessel reached Portsmouth, N. H., on the first day of December, 1777.

News of the capture of Burgoyne's army reached Paris late in the same year, and the new Republic was recognized by the Court of France on the 6th of February, 1778, and an alliance was concluded between the two nations.

Steuben was everywhere received with acclamation. In writing to a friend in Europe lic says,-

"The more disastrous the passage the more flattering was my arrival in America. Before entering the port of Portsmouth, I ordered my secretury to go on shore in a boat, and inform General Langdon, the commander of the place, of my arrival, who came on board himself to take me and my officers ashore in his boat. While we were landing we were saluted by the guns of the fortress, and by ships in the port. Several thousands of the inhabitants welcomed me in the most flattering- way. Mr. Langdon took us to his house to dine. Although exhausted by the hardships of the voyage, I went the next day to examine the fortifications. On the following day I reviewed the troops of the garrison."

While at Portsmouth, Steuben heard of the capture of Burgoyne's army. It was hailed as a good omen. His first care upon his arrival was to write to Congress and to General Washington. These letters are such a character- istic reflex of the man that we give them entire. To Con- gress, on the 6th of December, he wrote,-

"HONORABLE GENTLEMEN,-The honor of serving a nation engaged in the noble enterprise of defending its rights and liberties was the motive that brought me to this continent. I ask neither riches nor titles. I am come here from the remotest end of Germany, at my own expense, and have given up an honorable aud lucrative rank. I have made no conditions with your deputies in France, nor shall I make any with you. My only ambition is to serve you as a volunteer, to deserve the confidenee of your general-in-chief, and to follow him in all his operations, as I have done during seven campaigos with the king of Prussia. Two and twenty years spent in such a school seem to give me a right of thinking myself among the number of ex- perienced officers; and if I am possessed of acquirements in the art of war, they will be much more prized by me if I can employ them in serving a republie such as I hope soon to see America. I should willingly purchase, at the expense of my blood, the honor of having my name enrolled among those of the defenders of your liberty. Your graeions neeeptance will be sufficient for me, and I ask no other favor than to be received among your officers. I venture to hope that you will grant this, my request, and that you will be so good as to send ine your orders to Boston, where I shall await theo, and take suitable incasures in accordance."

To Washington he wrote as follows :

# Steuben carried letters of introduction from Franklin to General Washington and prominent members of Congress.

"Sın,-The inclosed copy of a letter, the original of which I shall have the honor of presenting to your Excelleney, will inform you of the motives which brought me over to this land. I shall only add to it that the object of my greatest ambition is to render your country all the service in my power, and to deserve the title of a citizen of America hy fighting for the cause of your liberty. If the distin- guished ranks in which I have served in Europe should he an obstacle, I should rather serve under your Excellency as a volunteer than to he an object of discontent to such deserving officers as have already distinguished themselves among yon. Such being the sentiments I have always professed, I dare hope that the respectable Congress of the United States of America will accept my services. I could say, more- over, were it not for the fear of offending your modesty, that your Excellency is the only person under whom, after having served the King of Prussia, I could wish to follow in a profession to the study of which I have wholly devoted myself. I intend to go to Boston in a few days, where I shall present my letters to Mr. Hancock, member of Congress, and there I shall await your Excellency's orders."

Steuben left Portsmouth Dec. 12, and set out for Boston by land, where he arrived on the 14th. He was most cor- dially received by John Hancock, then just retired from the presidency of Congress. At Boston he received a reply from Washington, who informed him that he must proceed to York, Pa., where Congress was in session, and report to them direct. On the 14th of January, 1778, he left Boston, and traveled on horseback through Massachusetts, Connec- ticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, a journey of about 400 miles, which occupied three weeks. The same journey can be performed at the present time (1878) in fifteen hours. The party arrived at York on the 5th of February.

A characteristic anecdote is related of Steuben by his secretary, Duponceau, while on this journey :

"We had been cautioned against putting up at a certain tavern in Worcester Co., Mass., not far from the frontier of Connecticut. We were told that the landlord was a bitter Tory, and that he would refuse to receive us, or, at least, treat us very ill. We determined to avoid the place if it were possible. Unfortunately, when we were at some distance from it, we were surprised by a violent snow-storm; it was in the evening, and we were compelled to take shelter in the very house we wished to avoid. We had not been misinformed. The landlord at once said that he could not accommodate us. He had no beds, no bread, no meat, no drink, no milk, no eggs; all that he could offer us was the bare walls. In vain we remonstrated and prayed ; he remained inflex- ible. At last Baron Steuben grew impatient, and flew into a violent passion. After exhausting all his store of German oaths, he called in that language to his servant to bring his pistols, which he did. Then, the haron, presenting the deadly weapons at the frightened landlord, repeated the question he had in vain asked before, 'Have you any bread, meat, drink, heds, etc .? ' The answers were now such as we desired; we were accommodated with good beds and a good supper, and our horses were properly taken care of. In the morning, after onr breakfast, we politely took leave of our host, who, though a Tory, did not refuse the Continental money in which we liberally paid him."

On the 6th of February a committee of Congress, at the head of which was Dr. Witherspoon, waited upon the baron, and to their inquiries as to his wishes and desires, he replied that he had made no arrangements with the commissioners in Paris, and that he desired to make no special arrangements other than to enter the army as a vol- unteer. If the country should not succeed in gaining its independence he should ask nothing; but if, on the con- trary, the cause should triumph, he should expect reason- uble return for his services. He asked commissions for the officers attached to his person, namely, that of major and aid-de-camp for Mr. De Romanai ; that of captain of engineers for Mr. De l'Enfant; that of captain of cavalry

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IIISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

for Mr. De Depontière; and the rank of captain for his secretary, Mr. Duponceau. If these terms were agreeable to Congress he would join the army without delay.

The committee were greatly pleased at his modest request, and the following day Congress gave an entertainment in his honor, at which Mr. Laurens, the president, informed him it was the desire of Congress that he should join the army immediately, in conformity with the following resolutions :

"Whereas, Baron Steuben, a lieutenant-general in foreigo service, has, in a most disinterested and heroic manner, offered his services to these States as a volunteer,

"Resolved, That the president present the thanks of Congress, in behalf of these United States, to Baron Steuben, for the zeal ho has showa for the cause of America, and the disinterested tender he has been pleased to make of his military talents; and inform him that Congress cheerfully accepts of his servives as a voluoteer in the army of these States, and wish him to repair to General Washington's quarters as soon as convenicat."

He was received with every mark of distinction by Con- gress and the prominent men of the nation, General Gates in particular paying him great attention. He arrived at Valley Forge on the 23d of February. Washington rode out several miles to meet him, and he was received with the most distinguished honors. When he remonstrated with Washington for detailing a guard of honor at his quarters, the commander-in-chief playfully replied that the whole army would gladly stand sentinel for such volun- teers. His name was given out as the watchword on the same day, and on the next day he accompanied Washing- ton in a review of the army. In closing a letter written shortly after to a friend, he says,-

"To be brief, if Prioce Ferdinand of Brunswick, or the greatest field-marshal of Europe, had been in my place he could not have been received with greater marks of honor."

In March, 1778, Steuben accepted the position of in- spector of the army, tendered him by Washington, and commenced that remarkable series of instruction and disci- pline which eventually made of the raw and undisciplined American troops an army able to cope with the veterans of European armies; for of this renovated and crystallized ma- terial was the detachment of New England troops which, under Wayne, carried the strong fortress of Stony Point at the bayonet's point ; which charged unhesitatingly, under the same commander, upon the veterans of Cornwallis, in Virginia; and which competed nobly with the white-coated chivalry of France in the smoking trenches of Yorktown.

At the time of Steuben's temporary appointment by Washington the position of chief-inspector was held by General Conway, whose cabal against the commander-in- chief, soon after, forced him to leave the army in disgrace, leaving the position to be filled by Steuben, who was appointed by a resolution of Congress, at the urgent solici- tation of Washington, on the 5th of May, 1778, inspector- general, with the rank of major-general.

In Frost's " American Generals" the following worthy tribute is paid the baron :

" The great services rendered by the Baron, as exhibited in the rapid improvement of the army, did not escaps ths notice of either Washington or Congress, and at the recommendation of the former he was appointed inspector-general with the rank of major-general. By his great exertions he made this office respectahle, establishing frugality and economy among the soldiers. In the discipline of both

the men and officers he was entirely impartial, and never omitted an opportunity to praise merit or censure a fault.

" Washington speaks of him in the following manoer : ‘Justics concurring with inclination constrain me to testify that the baron has in every instance discharged the several trusts reposcd in him with great zeal and ability, so as to give him the fullest title to my esteem as a brave, indefatigable, judicious, and experienced officer.'"

When it is recollected that Washington never acted or spoke except with due deliberation, and upon the most thorough conviction, and that, above all men, he abstained from fulsome flattery, the value of his opinion and the merit of Steuben will be understood.

In speaking of the great difficulties of his position, and the obstacles to be overcome, Col. William North, the baron's aid-de-camp and intimate friend, uses the following language :

"Certainly it was a brave attempt. Without understanding a word of English, to think of bringing men, hora free, and joined to- gether to preserve their freedom, iato strict subjection ; to obey with- out a word, a look, the mandates of a master,-that master once their equal, or possibly beneath them, in whatever might become a man ! It was a brave attempt, which nothing but virtue or high-raised hopes of glory could have supported. At the first parade the troops, neither understanding the command gor how to follow in a change- ment to which they had not been accustomed, even with the instructor at their head, were getting fust into confusion. At this momeot Capt. B. Walker, then of the 2d New York Regiment, advanced from his platoon, and offered his assistance to translate the orders and inter- pret to the troops. ' If,' said the baron, ' I had seeo an angel from heaven I should not have more rejoiced.' The officers in the army who spoke English aod French fluently were indeed very few in anm- her,-how few were so capable of giving assistance to the Baron in the formation of his systein ! Walker became from that moment his aid-de-camp, and remained to the end of the baron's life his dear aod most worthy friend.

" From the commencement of instruction ao time, no pains, no fatigue were thought too great in pursuit of this great object. Through the whole uf each campaign, wheo troops were to manœuvre, aod that was almost every day, the haren rose at three o'clock ; whils his servant dressed his hair he smoked a single pipe, and drank one cup of coffee, was on horseback at sunrise, nnd, with or without his suite, galloped to the parade. There was oo waiting for a tardy aid- de-camp, and those who followed wished they had not slept. Nor was there need of chiding; when duty was neglected or military eti- quette infringed, the baron's look was sufficient. It was a question why, in the first instance, our troops had been put to the performance of the great manœuvres. I beg pardon for calling them great, but they were great to us, for we were ignoraot. Bland's exercises and Symmes' military guide were almost the only poor and seanty sources from which we drew. To the question it was answered that in fact there was no time to spare in learoing the minutiæ; the troops must he prepared for instant combat; that on a field of battle how to dis- play or fold a column or to change a front was of the first conse- quence; that the business was to give the troops a relish for their trade, a confidence io their skill in the performance of complicated evalutions ; that, erea if time permitted, the officers, copying the bad example set them by the British of referring all instructivos to the sergeants, would feel themselves degraded in atteodiog to ao awk- ward squad. ' But the time will come,' said he, ' when a better mode of thinking will prevail ; then we will attend to the A, B, C of the profession.' This prophecy was amply fulfilled. A year or two after- wards the baron said to me, 'Do you see there, sir, your colonsl instructiog that recruit ? I thank God for that !'"

The first result of the French alliance was the evacuation of Philadelphia by Sir Henry Clinton, which occurred on the 18th of June, 1778. The British commander evidently feared a blockade of the Delaware by a French squadron, which, with the co-operation of Washington's army, might place his army in a state of siege. The British army took

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the road to New York, and Washington upon hearing of the movement broke camp at Valley Forge and followed the British commander with his whole available force, de- termined, if a favorable opportunity presented, to give him battle.

Steuben, who was on a visit to Congress at York, Pa., immediately set out and joined the army in New Jersey. Washington sent him in advance to watch the movements of the enemy, and when the battle of Monmonth was brought on, June 28, he was on Washington's staff without any command in the field. Upon the retreat of General Lee, Washington assigned Steuben and Wayne to the difficult duty of checking the retreat and re-forming Lee's corps under the enemy's fire, a most hazardous and difficult operation with the best disciplined troops. Wayne was assigned to the right and Steuben to the left wing, and the simple fact that both commanders accomplished their object, and checked the British advance, shows how thorough had been Steuben's instructions in the camp at Valley Forge. Colonel Hamilton, who witnessed Steuben's opera- tion on that field, was struck with admiration at the cool- ness and precision with which the troops manœuvered under a heavy fire of infantry and artillery, and said that " he had never known or conceived the value of military discipline until that day."

While reconnoitering on the 27th, the baron narrowly escaped being made a prisoner. He and his two aids were alone, and, while looking for the enemy,

"Steuben heard a rustling near, and looking towards it he saw two of the enemy's light horse emerging. He had just time to discharge his pistols before he turned his horse and leaped a fence, his hat falling off as he rode. The horsemen did not fire at him, but hallooed to him to stop. He supposed his two aids were captured, but while making his report at headquarters he was surprised at the entrance of Walker and his companion, and exclaimed, ' How is this ! I thought you were taken prisoners !' ' Oh, no,' said Walker, ' they were intent on the bigh prize and overlooked us.' ' Have you brought my hat?' ' Oh, no, baron, we had not time.' After the battle some prisoners were brought to head- quarters, and one of them, after being examined, addressing Stenben, said, ' I believe, general, I had the honor of seeing you yesterday, and thought to get a more splendid prize than your hat.' 'Why did you not fire?' 'You were recognized by General Kniphausen, and our orders were rather to take you if we could do it without harming you.' "#

The baron constituted one of the court-martial which tried General Lee, and liis statements called out a personal allusion from Lee, which led to a challenge from Steuben ; but Lee's explanation settled the matter without bloodshed. The baron's command was only temporary, and upon the arrival of the army at White Plains he assumed his old position of inspector-general.

In March, 1779, Steuben's system of regulations and tactics for the American army was adopted by Congress, and ordered printed and distributed. It was the first work of the kind compiled and published in America, and became standard authority in the United States army for many years, probably until superseded by General Scott's tactics subse- quent to the war with Great Britain, 1812-15. During a portion of the winter of 1778-79 the baron was busily en- gaged at Philadelphia upon his work, but he rejoined the

army again. in New Jersey, on the 26th of March. Here he put his new system in practice, and worked assiduously and most successfully in improving and disciplining the army until the enemy opened the campaign of 1779. One of his famous reviews is thus described by Dr. Thatcher :

"On the 28th of May Boron Steuben reviewed and inspected onr brigade. The troops were paraded in a single line with shouldered arms. every officer in his particular station. The baron first reviewed the line in this position, passing in front with a scrutinizing eye ; after whieb he took into bis hands the musket and accoutrements of every soldier, examining them with particular accuracy and precision, ap- plauding or condemning according to the condition in which he found them. He required that the muskets and bayonets should exhibit the brightest polish ; not a spot of rust, or defeet in any part, could elnde his vigilance. He inquired, also, into the conduct of the officers to- wards the men, eensuring every fault and applauding every meritorions action. Next he required of me, as surgeon, a list of the siek, with a particular statement of their accommodations and mode of treatment, and even visited some of the sick in their cabins. The baron is held in universal respect, and considered as a valuable acquisition to our country. He is distinguished for his profound knowledge of tacties, his ability to reform and discipline an army, for his affectionate attach- ment to a good and faithful soldier, and his utter aversion to every appearanec of insubordination and neglect of duty. The Continental army has improved with great rapidity under his inspiration and review."

When the French minister, Chevalier M. de la Luzerne, was to be received in camp, no one but the baron was familiar with the etiquette necessary on the occasion, and he was made master of ceremonies. He experienced, in common with all the army officers, an immense amount of trouble in obtaining money for his expenses, and it took Congress a long time to remedy the evils of the pay de- partment. So desperate did the situation finally become that Steuben thought seriously of resigning his commissions and returning to Europe; but better counsels prevailed, Congress succeeded in relieving his immediate wants, and his services were saved to the country. Steuben served with distinction in the Jerseys, and on the Hudson, at West Point, during the year 1780, perfecting and introducing his new system of organization into the American army, and with such success as to win the admiration and cause the astonishment of the veteran officers of the French army. He was one of the board of fourteen general officers who examined and reported upon the case of Major John Andre, the British spy, and confrere of the traitor Arnold. His feelings and sympathies concerning that most remark- able episode of the war are best illustrated by an anecdote related by Jonathan Steuben, and published in Jones' " Annals of Oneida County" :

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 171

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920