The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-07-21
From Tho Utica Gnzeite J

gratified In examining, day or two since,
the last will and testament Of F. w. Baron
De Steuben,.
Thetenowned military man was extremely
leccentric In his prlgatellfe, and his will con
tains some singular proYisos. His proper
ty at the time Of his death could not have
Ibeen equal to whnt he possessed in g Germany
before he came to America. Having been
lnid-de-camp to Frederick the Great and
Lieut.. General 10 the Prussian army, bis
knowledge Of military tactics was extensive, },
and Of immense benefit to the American ar
my at the time he made tender Of bis SER
vices. @ e.
He emigrated to this country under an as
sumed name, having been persuaded to the
step by his friends in France at the time the
French were secretly aiding the Americans,
bringing letters of introduction from DR..
Franklin to, Gen. Washington andthe Pres.
] lidept Of Congress, He frat addressed him
self to Washington, requesting admission
into the service. A portion of this letter
which we6nd in Frost's American Gener-
ais is highly complimentary.
81 could say moreover were II not for fear
olofending your modesty, that your Excel
lency isthe only person under whom, after
serving under the King Of Prussia, could
wish to pursue an art to which have wholly
given up myself" Washington referred
Elm to Congress, and in laying his papers
before that body, he had left, to engage in
the American services, and made an offer Of
his services without any other remuneration
than his expenses, except that in case the
Americans should gain their independence,
he would expect an indemnity for the Office
| koL In nd
ate reward for his services.
Notwithstanding his great exertions dur
ing the whole war, and the immense value of
his services to the American army, it was
seven years after peacewas declared before
Congress took any notice of his claims. He
had left affluence and -baronial dignity a.
mong the monarchs Of Europe to waste his
life in our struggle and now when the great
object had been reached, he was poor, home
less and unprovided for. ,a.t
Through the exertions Of Washington and
Hamilton, Congress acknowledged his claims
and made him grant Of So 800 annually.
And the New York Assembly voted him
5000 acres Of land; upon this land he built
him log house and lived there until his
death, with few male domestics, with no
companion but his aids Walker and North
to whom he left most Of his property. His
will reads:
"Sufficient reasons having determined me
to exclude my relatives in Europe from any
participation in my estate in merica and to
adopt my friends and aid-de-camps Benja-
min Walker and William North as my chill
dren, and make them sole devisers of my
estate therein, except such as shall be here
inufterward otherwise disposed of;
81 bequeath to Benjamin Walker the sum
Of three thousand dollars, and my god-hilted
sword given me by Congress. To VIM.
North my silver-hilted sword, aud the gold
box given me by the city Of New York. TO
John J. MulIigan giys and bequeath the
whole ofmy library, maps and charts, and %
hundred dollars to complete it. 20 each OF
my servants living with me at the time OF
my dccease, one years Wages, and to my
valet de chambre all my wearing apparel.
"ButI do hereby declare that these lega-
cies to my servants are on the following
conditions, that on my decease they do not
permit any person to touch my body or even
to change the shirt in which die. but that
they wrap me in my military cloak, and in
twenty-four hours alter my decease bury me
lin such spot, as shall before my decease
point out to them, and that they never ac-
quaint any person with the place where |
shall be buried.
81 give and bequeath the rest of my es-
tate, real and personal, to Benjamin Walk
er aud VIM. North, and do hereby make
them my executors. Signed New York,
4 Feb. l2, l794.
ale died, Nov. "a of the same year, and
we copy from Judge Jones' history Of On
eida Co., description Of his burial place.
In his will, the Baron provided that his
body be buried in the place designated, but
after his death it could not be ascertain
ed, that he had to any friend designated
the place. The only remark that could be
lrecollected that had any bearing upon the
subject was, that he was once heard to say
that under a certain hemlock North of his
residence, would be a good place obe bur.
led without however expressing any wish tC
: his own remains. -5't
+. In the absence Of any other expressed
wish, that place was selected, and his re
mains there inferred. A few years after Q
road was laid out so that the grave was in
cluded within its limits. The improperly
Of sucha state OF thing induced Col. Walk
er, Of Utica, who was one OF The, baron's
. aids in the revolution, and whoaswas one
!. of his executors and principal iegatees, t
/ remove the remains to more suitable
resting place.
. Tue place selected was in the centre o
n five acres ofheavy timbered wood land, ant
. Col. Walker gave one Of the Welsh Bap
n tist societies in the vicinity lease Of iftl
y acres of land, Of which the Ave acres o
woodland was part. The only rent ant
!. consideration to be paid is the keeping sal
Eve acres substantially fenced forever, ant
no cattle or other animals. suffered to 6
!: within its bounds, andth title to fail when
5 ever the iessees shall fail in the perform
ance Of the stipulations. 5g s,,s.s
Up to the present time, the society ha
a sacredly keptits trust, the forest havingth
+ most primevaj appearance, and the littl
!, tiny saplings as we'll as the largest beec
and naples bear the impress, that here, mel
}. ther man nor beas I has trespassed..ssa
0. The monument erected by subscription
), when the "nation's guest" La Fayett
Y visited this country is becoming dilapidate'
and for the honor Of the town and country
tits hoped will shortly repaired. The tat
s. let is about seven feet by four, and nearl
!, foot in thickness, the purest limestone
y and kept in place, will withstand the RI
wages Of centuries. ~ $50
Il OTThe late negro effervesence at Ne
!. Orleans, though ridiculous enough in itsel
: the Picayune says, has established the fat
q that white men have been tamperlpg wit