The Drillmaster of Valley Forge (44 page)

Ogden, Matthias, 159

“Old Fritz.”
see
Friedrich II, King of Prussia

Old Point Comfort, Virginia, 239

Old Tappan, New Jersey, 181–83

Oneida nation, 120–24

Order of Fidelity, 27, 28–29, 30n

Overkill, New Jersey, 182–83, 186, 212

 

Paoli, Pennsylvania, 181

Paris

 

Silas Deane recalled from post in, 60

 

FvS in, 32–36, 43–46

 

recruitment for Continental Army in, 32–41, 43–46, 59, 69

Paterson, John, 163

Paulus Hook, New Jersey, 211–12

Peale, Charles Wilson, 28

pederasty, 42, 203–4

Pennsylvania.
see
Philadelphia; York, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Line, 256

Peter III, Tsar of Russia, 19

Peters, Ralph, 176, 187

Peters, Richard, 68, 128–29, 176–77, 181, 187, 285

 

Blue Book and, 205–7

 

finances of FvS and, 190, 199, 273, 291

 

support for FvS, 201, 267–68, 291

Peters, Sarah, 176, 273

Petersburg, Virginia, 240–41, 252–57, 261

Philadelphia

 

battles of 1777 around, 119

 

British retreat from, 116, 120–24, 141–68, 182–86

 

falls to British, 52, 56–57, 59, 81

 

French resident ambassador in, 180

 

FvS in, 145–46, 173–79, 186–99, 217–21, 234–35, 273–74, 277–79, 284

 

Howe's assault on, 56–57

Philip, Henry Leonard, 174

Phillips, William

 

illness of, 261

 

James River attack and, 251–57

 

in Virginia campaign, 247–48, 250–57

Pickering, Timothy

 

Blue Book and, 205–7

 

on the Board of War, 58, 113, 128–29, 191, 205–7, 237–38

 

Platen, J. von, 18

platoons

 

formation of, 127–28

 

forming column of, 110, 193

 

moving fire and, 128

Pocahontas Bridge, Virginia, 253–55

Point of Fork, Virginia, 262–68, 275

Ponthière, Louis de

 

as captain in the Continental Army, 67

 

as FvS staff member, 48, 61, 65, 98–99, 106

Poor's Creek, Virginia, 254–55

Popham, William, 275, 276

Portsmouth, New Hampshire, FvS in, 51–52, 73–74

Portsmouth, Virginia, in Virginia campaign, 235–37, 240–41, 244–48, 250–51, 254, 256

Potts, Isaac, 76, 142

Prague, 13–14, 167

Princeton, New Jersey, 55, 56, 150, 165

Prussia

 

in background of FvS, 2–5

 

Junker class, 4–6, 30n

 

as major military power, 4, 5

 

see also
Prussian Army

Prussian Army

 

divisions of, 15–17

 

First Silesian War, 8

 

under Frederick the Great, 7–8, 10–20, 86–87

 

FvS leaves, 20–21, 23–24

 

FvS positions in, 9–20, 71, 86–87, 110–11, 130, 191–92, 203

 

inspector generals in, 177–81

 

military education of FvS in, 9–20

 

promotions in, 10–12

 

regulations for Continental Army and, 186–96

 

Second Silesian War, 9

 

Seven Years' War, 12–20

 

shortcomings of, 14

Spezialklasse der Kriegskunst
(Special Class on the Art of War), 19–21

 

Queen's Rangers, 254

 

Raynal, Abbé, 51

Read, Jacob, 285

Redcoats.
see
British Army (Redcoats)

Reed, Joseph, 178

regiments

 

as basic tactical unit, 126

 

battalions in, 127

 

inspections of, 213–15

 

restructuring, 133–34

 

size of, 126, 213–15, 220

Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States
(Blue Book)

 

development of, 186–96, 200

 

as official regulations of U.S. Army, 301

 

payment for, 198–99

 

permanent army and, 288–89

 

printing of, 201, 205–7

Rhode Island

 

Continental Army in, 209–10

 

Newport, 179

Richmond, Virginia, British Army and, 239–41, 243, 251–52, 262

Rochambeau, Comte de, 223, 232–33, 268, 275–76

Roderigue Hortalez et Compagnie, 37–38, 43, 48, 50

Romanet, François Adrien de

 

as FvS staff member, 67

 

as major in the Continental Army, 67

Rossbach, battle of, 17, 36

Rush, Benjamin, 58

 

criticism of Washington, 70, 74

Russia

 

FvS captivity in St. Petersburg, 18–19

 

FvS father stationed in, 7

 

St. Clair, Arthur, 196, 200, 298

St. Germain, Claude-Louise de, 36–37, 40, 43–44, 230–31

St. Petersburg, FvS captivity in, 18–19

Sandy Hook, New Jersey, 148, 150–52, 164

sanitation measures, 194

Sansculottes
, 85, 175

Saratoga, battle of, 52, 56, 145, 164

Saxe, Marshall, 290

Saxony, 12

scabies, 119–20

Scammell, Alexander, 112–13

Schuyler, Philip, 80

Scott, Charles, 150, 158, 160, 162

Second Silesian War, 9

Senf, John Christian, 238

Seven Years' War, 12–21, 36–37, 130

 

France in, 16–17

 

FvS in, 12–20, 110–11, 191–92

 

peace settlement, 19, 20

Shays, Daniel, 293

Shay's Rebellion, 293–94

Silesia, 12

 

First Silesian War, 8

 

Second Silesian War, 9

Simcoe, John Graves, 254, 263, 264, 269

Simcoe's Rangers, 255

smallpox, 120, 194

Society of the Cincinnati, 281–82, 292

soldier's books (
livre du soldat
), 208–9

South Carolina

 

Camden, 233–34

 

Charleston siege of, 222–23, 226–27.233

Southern Army

 

in Charleston, 222–23, 226–27, 233

 

recruiting and supply needs, 237–38, 241–42

 

retreat through North Carolina, 244

 

in Virginia, 237–71

Spezialklasse der Kriegskunst
(Special Class on the Art of War), 19–21

Springfield, New Jersey, 224, 225, 227

Staats, Abraham, 204–5

Stark, John, 225

Star of Fidelity, 87–88

Staunton, Virginia, 265–66

Steuben, Augustin von (paternal grandfather), 2, 5, 6

Steuben, Charlotte Dorothea von Effern (paternal grandmother), 5

Steuben, Friedrich von

 

Samuel Adams and, 53, 54, 58, 64, 68, 80, 212

 

ambitions of, 85–87, 113–14, 116, 136–40, 167–68, 170–72, 177–81, 227

 

appearance of, 26–28, 38, 48, 87–88, 95–96, 98, 225, 272

 

appreciation for American character, 82–83, 104–5

 

in army of Frederick the Great, 19–21, 188

 

attitude toward America, 285–87, 294

 

birth of, 1–2, 5

 

Blue Book (
Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States
), 186–96, 198–201, 205–7

 

Board of War and, 64, 68, 176, 186–96

 

in Boston, 52–55

 

British retreat from Philadelphia and, 142, 145–46, 148, 153–57, 161–64, 184–86

 

captivity in St. Petersburg, 18–19

 

childhood of, 5–6

 

commemoration of, 300–301

 

communication with George Washington, 63–64, 66, 79–80, 113–14, 215–18, 244, 246, 269–70, 284

 

as consultant to Washington, 79–83, 96–98, 132–33, 184–86

 

as court chamberlain to prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, 24–30

 

at the court of the Margrave of Baden, 41–42, 86n

 

critics of, 74–75, 129–35, 170–72, 188–89, 203–4, 265–67

 

death of, 299–300

 

demanding pace set by, 95–96, 112–13, 153–55, 207, 222, 242

 

demobilization of Continental Army, 279–81, 283–84

 

diplomatic mission to British military commander in Canada, 282–83

 

on discipline, 191, 212–21

 

education of, 9, 11–12, 51

 

English language and, 48, 51, 53, 61, 88, 89, 101

 

Enlightenment thought and, 11–12, 76, 77, 231–32

 

family background of, 5–7

 

field command duties, 170–72, 227

 

financial affairs of, 12, 25, 26, 31, 41, 53–54, 55, 176–77, 179, 189–90, 198–99, 201, 218–21, 271–74, 277–79, 291, 294–97, 298

 

as
Freiherr
(Baron), 27, 29–30, 30n

 

French Army and, 230–31, 285–87

 

French language and, 11, 65–68, 76–77, 84

 

friends of, 198–204, 211–12, 291

 

Horatio Gates and, 65, 75, 106, 109–10, 171, 178–79

 

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