Jun 29

Jun 29 Steuben's Valley - Forging an Army

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben’s participation in the training of Continental Soldiers during the encampment at Valley Forge is hard to understate.

Common known as Baron von Steuben, this Prussian Officer was known for his vast experience in European wars and he turned the rebellious Americans into a true army.

This article specifically focuses on Steuben’s training of the army.

This is the second time I’ve written about von Steuben. If you’d like to know more about his life at large, check out a previous article on him here.

Camp

Valley Forge is famous for the hard times suffered by the Continental soldiers. In addition to food and clothing shortages, disease became a common issue.

This is when Baron von Steuben was appointed Inspector General.

Baron von Steuben’s first act when he was put in charge of the camp was to rearrange things to reflect quartering methods used by European armies.

At the time, the American tents were set up randomly. Von Steuben made the decision to place the kitchens at one side of camp (uphill) and the latrines on the other side (downhill). This strategy dramatically reduced the spread of disease.

Though this seems obvious to us now, germ theory had yet to be developed and only someone with decades of experience would have known to make a decision of this nature.

Order

Baron von Steuben’s rearranging of the camp had the further camp of establishing order among the men.

He placed the generals on one end of camp, mid-level officers at the center, and the rank and file soldiers after that. This gave a distinct demonstration of superiority toward the officers.

Though the move may seem minor (and, again, obvious today) it increased discipline and boosted communication.

Training

Von Steuben began his training of the Continental Army by selecting a group of the very best men in the force.

He turned them into an elite troop of fighters, teaching them the most important drills and exceptional fighting methods. Notably, he instructed them on the proper use of a bayonet, which would come in handy at the Battle of Yorktown.

Interestingly, von Steuben then had these men separate and train their own group of soldiers. This trend was paid forward like a violent pyramid scheme until the entire army was truly prepared to take on the world's most powerful military.

Here are some other Founders who also wintered at Valley Forge.

Salem Poor Rejoins a Desegregated Continental Army

John Patten Has His Election Overturned

Enoch Poor Dies Under Suspicious Circumstances

Baron von Steuben is one of the most interesting characters of the Revolutionary War.

‘The Drillmaster of Valley Forge’ goes into depth on the man’s life. I strongly suggest every student of the Revolution get familiar with this Patriot.

If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).