| Show BARON VON STEUBEN A german soldier m mho lie nen Bendert dered tt great ecat service to the army frederick william augustus ben bell baron eminent in the service to the american c cause ause at a tinie time when it i needed help hell from such as he died near utica N Y at the age of sixty four years deep affection aal action from every true american is his due for the order and skill in which lie he brou brought 0 I 1 it th the e american forces in their el great exi exigency gency like many other foreigners he left homo home find and wealth for tac the privilege of fighting for the american cause he was born at mad Madg I 1 C eburg ry prussia november 15 1730 and received a good education lie ile entered the military service and soon rose to it a position n near car the king 0 the frederick erick william he ranked high in the military and court circles of europe because of the reputation lie had made in the seven years war ile he was not obliged t to 1 leave eave 1 his country but cattle camo voluntarily iiii and d upon arrival offered his services to congress he was placed with tile tha ai army my at valley for forgo e and it at once introduced inai trod the prussian d drill rill by adapting it to tho the Anic rican troops in ill tile tha brilliant campaign which followed liia his influence was fril fell he wrote a book on military science in french at the solicits solicitation tion of washinton washington ton and congress he could not use the ille english 0 language e it was translated an and d was w as the only book of the kind accessible to the american soldiers during the revolution he ultimately bee became me a ma isia jor general and his services can never be overestimated over estimated ile he was a fervent christian but was possessed of a quick temper which would manifest itself when he undertook to deal with raw troops ho he however k gained the good will of the soldier and would often reward the apt scholar out of his own pocket his life was full of noble and generous acts and his fortune dwindled away through kindness of heart lit in 1790 lie was voted y congress 0 in an annuity of 2500 for life and land from several states including acres from new york he retired to a lot log 0 house on the latter and freely settled some of his old army acquaintances upon the land which lie he presented to them his last years were spent in comparative quiet toledo elude blade |
