Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Arrives at Valley Forge (1778)

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben reached Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on February 23, 1778, reporting for duty as a volunteer. His arrival followed a journey through Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and York, Pennsylvania, and began the training program that soon bore battlefield results and led to his appointment as inspector general.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Steuben had lost his post as Hofmarschall to Hohenzollern-Hechingen in 1777 and, unable to find peacetime employment in Europe, sought military work as the American Revolution began. Through French contacts including diplomats Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, he joined the American war effort.

Journey to America. Steuben traveled with his Italian Greyhound Azor, aide-de-camp Louis de Pontière, military secretary Pierre-Étienne du Ponceau, and two other companions. The party landed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on December 1, 1777, then arrived in York, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1778, where the Continental Congress had relocated after the British advance from Philadelphia.

Arrival and Training. On February 23, 1778, Steuben arrived at Valley Forge and reported for duty as a volunteer. His training of the Continental Army produced its first visible results at the Battle of Barren Hill on May 20, 1778, and again at Monmouth in June 1778. On Washington's recommendation, Congress appointed him inspector general with the rank and pay of major general on May 5, 1778.

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Sources

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