in the German Society of New York, 295–96
godfathers of, 1–2, 4
goes to America, 20–21, 50–52
Alexander Hamilton and, 77–79, 99, 133, 139, 166, 172–76, 277, 285–87, 288, 291, 293
headquarters at Bound Brook, 204–5
headquarters at Fishkill, New York, 232–33, 282
headquarters at Fredericksburg, New York, 180–81
headquarters at Valley Forge, 76, 95–96
health problems of, 267–68, 283, 286–87
homosexuality rumors and, 42, 203–4
as inspector general of the Continental Army, 81–85, 96, 105, 106, 107–8, 113–14, 116, 136–40, 169, 171, 172–74, 186–99, 204–27, 275
intelligence collection and analysis by, 148, 153–55, 166–67
interest in America, 31–36
joins the Continental Army, 65–68
Henry Laurens and, 72, 75–76, 79–80, 86, 124, 125, 128–29, 139, 170, 171, 174, 175, 183, 184, 186, 198–99, 201
John Laurens and, 76–79, 81, 82–83, 85, 86, 99, 112, 115, 136, 139, 155, 171, 175–76
leaves Prussian Army, 20–21, 23–24
as major general in the Continental Army, 116, 171
military education in the Prussian army, 9–20
in Morristown, New Jersey, 213–21
as mustermaster general, 218
need for recognition, 290–91
in New York City, 289, 295, 299
noble status of, 6, 27, 29–30, 203
Order of Fidelity and, 27, 28–29, 30n
orders to leave Virginia, 261–62, 265
in Paris, 32–36, 43–46
permanent army for U.S. and, 287–94
personality of, 101, 103–4, 161, 199–204, 242–43, 246–47, 259–60
in Philadelphia, 145–46, 173–79, 186–99, 217–21, 234–35, 273–74, 277–79, 284
plans for military academy, 290, 301
Point of Fork retreat and, 262–68, 275
portraits of, 26–28, 225, 272
in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 51–52
in the Prussian Army, 9–20, 71, 86–87, 110–11, 130, 191–92, 203
Prussian background of, 2–5
recruitment into Continental Army, 38–41, 43–46
relationship with soldiers, 87–89, 136, 229–30
resignation from Continental Army, 289
resignation threats, 218–20
Russian language and, 18
as second-in-command to Nathanael Greene, 234–71
in the Seven Years’ War, 12–20, 110–11, 130, 191–92
social scene at Valley Forge and, 84–85
in the Society of the Cincinnati, 281–82, 292
in the Spezialklasse der Kriegskunst (Special Class on the Art of War), 19–21
staff of, 47–53, 61–63, 65, 67, 72–73, 88, 98–99, 106–7, 162, 177, 186–88, 198–99, 201–3, 207–9, 215, 218, 268–69, 278, 299–300
summons from Lafayette, 268–71
testimonials for, 24, 45, 47, 63
training of Continental Army and. see Blue Book; training at Valley Forge
at Valley Forge, 72–93
in Virginia with Southern Army, 237–71
George Washington and, 63–64, 66, 79–80, 113–14, 215–18, 244, 246, 269–70, 284
at West Point, New York, 229–30, 232–33
women and, 84, 146, 199–200, 203, 204
written regulations for Continental Army and, 108, 186–96
in York, Pennsylvania, 55, 61–68
Steuben, Jonathan Arnold, 230, 297
Steuben, Maria Justina Dorothea von Jagow (mother), 5
Steuben, Wilhelm August von (father)
in the Prussian army, 4, 5, 7–12
ties with Friedrich Wilhelm I, 2, 4, 6–7
Stewart, Walter, 273, 275, 276
Stirling, William Alexander, Lord, 84–85
Blue Book and, 196, 200
British march on Morristown and, 225
British retreat from Philadelphia and, 142, 143, 163, 184
war councils and, 142
Stony Point, battle of, 210–12
Strasbourg, 25–26, 30, 31, 32–33
strength reports, 134, 136
sub-inspectors, 108, 215
Sullivan, John, 69–70, 179
Swabian Circle, 86, 87n
Swede’s Ford, Pennsylvania, 121, 122–24
Switzerland, 287–88
tactics and drill
bayonet drills, 108, 109, 211–12
columns closed in mass, 193–94
common step, 100–101, 110
direct step, 110
dressing ranks, 100
drill manual, 191–94
drill-sergeants, 112–13
feu de joie, 115, 118–19, 204
field music, 110, 223
fire discipline, 15, 128, 192
Grand Review of May 6, 1778, 114–16, 117–19
length of stride, 100, 100n, 110
linear tactics, 15, 90–92
Manual Exercise, 99, 109, 112, 129
marching step, 100, 109
model company at Valley Forge, 97–105
moving fire, 128
oblique marching step, 110, 196
Prussian exercise, 191–92
quick step, 101, 102, 110, 128
sham battles, 110, 204–5, 222–23
Tarleton, Banastre, 263, 264
Tennent (Freehold) Meetinghouse, 155, 156, 157–58
Ternant, Jean-Baptiste, as FvS staff member, 98–99, 107, 162, 177, 186
Third Continental Light Dragoons, 182
Thirty Years’ War, 3–4
Tilly, Arnaud le Gardeur de, 244–46
Torgau, 17
training at Valley Forge
brigade inspectors and sub-inspectors, 108, 186
expansion to entire army, 105–16
Grand Review of May 6, 1778, 114–16, 117–18, 119
impact in battle, 157–58, 166–68
innovations in, 109–10
intensity of, 111–13
of model company, 97–105
organization of Continental Army, 126–28
practice maneuvers, 126–29
regiment size, 126
sub-inspectors, 108
written program for, 108, 186–96
see also tactics and drill
Trenton, New Jersey, 55, 56, 142, 164, 165
Treptow, 18
Ulrich, Karl Peter, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, 18–19
United States
permanent army of, 287–94
George Washington as first president, 297–99
Valley Forge, 72–93
Committee in Camp, 74–75, 83
FvS as consultant to Washington, 79–83, 96–98, 132–33
FvS quarters in, 76, 95–96
FvS relationship with soldiers, 87–89, 136
FvS travels to, 72–75
Grand Parade, 97–105, 114–16
Grand Review of May 6, 1778, 114–16, 117–18, 119
model company, 97–105
training of Continental Army and. see training at Valley Forge
Washington’s headquarters in, 76, 142
Varnum, James Mitchell, 134–35, 136
Vergennes, Comte de, 34, 39, 40, 44, 285–87
Verplanck’s Point, New York, 275, 276
Versailles, 34
Virginia campaign, 234–71
Alexandria, 251
Blandford, 253–56, 259, 265
British invasion of Virginia, 235–37, 251–57, 260–65, 267–71
Burwell’s Landing, 256
Cape Henry, 247–48
Charlottesville, 262–64
Chesterfield, 238, 250, 252, 255–56, 259–60, 272
City Point, 252, 253
Cole’s Ferry, 264–65
Elk Hill, 264
French Army and, 244–47
Goochland Courthouse, 263
Greene’s ne
ed for soldiers from, 238, 241–42
Hampton Roads, 244–45
Hood’s Landing, 238–39, 243–44, 250–52
James River attack by British, 251–57
Thomas Jefferson and, 236–47, 249, 263, 266
Lafayette and, 245–49, 251, 256, 260–65, 266–71
Lieutenant’s Run, 255
Louisa Courthouse, 263
Manchester, 256
Petersburg, 240–41, 252–57, 261
Pocahontas Bridge, 253–55
Point of Fork, 262–68, 275
Poor’s Creek, 254–55
Portsmouth, 235–37, 240–41, 244–48, 250–51, 254, 256
Richmond and, 239–41, 243, 251–52, 262
Staunton, 265–66
Tilly retreat from Newport, 244–46
Williamsburg, 268
Yorktown, 269–71
Vogel, Carl (FvS servant), 49, 61, 85, 95, 177
Wadsworth, Jeremiah, as commissary general, 119–20
Walker, Benjamin
as FvS staff member, 107, 149, 150, 162, 166, 187, 197, 198, 201–3, 207–8, 218, 268, 269, 275, 278, 279
support for FvS, 295–97, 300
written regulations for Continental Army and, 187, 198
Walker, John, 246, 267
Walrave, Gerhard Cornelius von, 1–2
war of posts (guerrilla war), 89–90, 132
War of the Austrian Succession, 8, 14, 36–37
War of the Polish Succession, 7
Washington, George, 26, 44
ambitions of FvS and, 85–87, 113–14, 116, 136–40, 167–68, 170–72, 177–81, 227, 269–70
assessment of FvS, 298–99
Blue Book and, 196
British retreat from Philadelphia and, 116, 120–24, 141–68, 184–86
condition of army, 207–21
Conway Cabal and, 58–59, 63, 64, 69–72
court-martial of Charles Lee, 154, 165, 169–70, 188–89, 201–3
critics of, 57–59, 63, 69–72, 74–75, 80, 131–32, 178
demobilization of Continental Army, 279–81, 283–84
FvS arrival in America and, 54–55, 73–74
FvS communication with, 63–64, 66, 79–80, 113–14, 215–18, 244, 246, 269–70, 284
headquarters at Valley Forge, 76, 142
Mount Vernon and, 235, 289
permanent army for the U.S., 288–89
as president of the U.S., 297–99
role of inspector general and, 136–40, 197–98
temper of, 159, 161
Virginia campaign, 234–71
war councils of, 119–20, 142–43, 146–47
Washington, Martha, 84, 235, 279–80
Wayne, Anthony, 92–93
British retreat from Philadelphia and, 142, 143, 147, 155–58, 160, 181
Virginia campaign and, 251, 256, 262, 268, 269, 271
war councils and, 142
West Point, New York, and, 210–11
Weedon, George, 243, 249, 268
Wesel, 20
West Morass, at Monmouth, 160, 161, 166–67
Westover, Virginia, 252
West Point, New York, 210–12, 226–27, 280, 283
Benedict Arnold and, 229–30
FvS at, 229–30, 232–33
military academy at, 301
White Plains, New York, 170–73, 179
Wildbad, 24–25, 28
William Henry, Prince, 294
Williamsburg, Virginia, 268
Winfree, Henry, 272
Witherspoon, John, 66–68
Woodford, William, 163
Wroclaw (Breslau), 8–12, 104, 195
Württemberg, Friedrich Eugen von, 24
York, Pennsylvania
FvS meets with Board of War, 64, 68, 176
FvS meets with Congress, 63–68, 75–76, 138–39
Charles Lee in, 132
as seat of American government, 55, 56
Yorktown, Virginia, British siege of, 269–71
Acknowledgments
ALTHOUGH MY ACADEMIC CAREER has diverted me from my long-standing interest in military history of the American Revolution, this is a book that I have longed to write for more than two decades. I owe a great deal to my early mentors who encouraged my fascination with the period and especially my curiosity about the intersection of European and American military history: Walter R. Weitzmann, Arthur L. Johnson, and the late Jim Levitt, all of SUNY/Potsdam Col lege; and the late Gunther E. Rothenberg, my Doktorvater at Purdue University, who above all else taught me the valuable lesson that American military history must be studied within a broader European context, and that knowledge of European languages is fundamentally necessary to achieve that end.
From the time I finally decided to tackle this project and over the past three years, a number of individuals helped me in all sorts of ways. Ms. Diana Kaylor, Interlibrary Loan librarian at Wright State University, has been, as always, remarkably resourceful, allowing me to get my hands on all the published works I needed for the book. Many others, including Professor Ed Melton of Wright State, and author-historians Thomas Fleming and David McCullough provided me with sage advice at various points in the writing process. Herr Henning-Hubertus von Steuben, of Natendorf, Germany, provided invaluable assistance in tracking down illustrations of his ancestor the Baron; Mr. Daniel W. Studebaker, a good friend and talented draftsman, composed the maps on very short notice. The staff of the Chicago Historical Society, where the Anton Kalkhorst collection of Steubeniana is deposited, did their best to ensure that my stay in their library was pleasant and productive.
I owe more than I can say to my agent, Will Lippincott, for his kind and patient guidance over the past two years. Will recognized something of interest in the Baron’s story, and taught me a great deal about writing outside the narrow strictures generally imposed by the academic world. Much the same can be said of my equally patient editor, Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Elisabeth’s vision of the book considerably improved my writing of it. Tak skal du ha’, Elisabeth!
I should point out, however, that any errors of fact or substance that might appear in this book are entirely my own. All translations from French or German manuscripts are mine.
My gratitude, also, to friends and family, whose enthusiasm for this project kept me going at every turn: my brother, Keith Lockhart; my parents, Newton and Marilyn Lockhart; and my brother-in-law and mother-in-law, Ralph C. Beach III and Maria Beach. My grown children, Kate, Nicholas, Paige, and Philip, all encouraged me with their expressions of interest in what I’ve been doing for the past three years; my youngest, Alexander, is incapable of articulating that level of interest but has kept me from sinking into despair at difficult moments, as only a baby can.
Finally, I am indebted beyond words to my wife and partner, Jo Anna Lockhart. Sadly, she passed away shortly after the completion of this book. For the past thirteen years, she has been my love, my best friend, and my muse. This book simply could not have been written without her.
Kettering, Ohio
May 2008
About the Author
PAUL LOCKHART is professor of history at Wright State University, Dayton Ohio, where he teaches European and military history.
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Credits
Jacket design by Jonathan Sainsbury
Jacket images by The Granger Collection, New York
Maps © Mr. Daniel W. Studebaker, West Milton, Ohio
Copyright
THE DRILLMASTER OF VALLEY FORGE. Copyright © 2008 by Paul Lockhart. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any
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