New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-23

mo,t A.ttering way. M. LsOgdos took US 70 hIs
house TO dire. IL the meantime, all the iphAbit-
ants of the plsce crowded together to 500 tbs
elephant Although exhausted BY the hsrdships
of the voyage, / went the Dext day to examine the
Qualifications; on the following Day reTiewed the
troops Of the garrison"
While at Portsmouth,, StegScD vrots to Geo.
eres and TO Gen. Washington, lncOsng his letters
Of introduction, and offering his sefVio's A. vol
spfeer IN the A nefcsn cause. he lelt Portsmouth
for Boston on tie l2th % December where DO mss
Mr. John Hancock, and reserved the reply Of Gen.
Washington to his letter, requesting him 70 repair
at once TO York, Pa, where Congress Vas theo
sitting. cat the sane time, Hancock cOnnubi-
Gated TO Steuben en- order Of Congress that every
preparation should be made 10 make hun and his
suite comfortable on their journey to York, and
Mr.. Hancock himself, with great care, made al the
necessary arrangements. Carriages, sleigbs and
signed TO them as groons and drivers and an agent
to prepare quarters and procure provisions
He left Boston Jan. Ia, 1773, for the journey 30
York Of which Duponcesu gives rather lively
description:
"Our party" SAYS he, "consisted Of Baron Stsuben
and bis servant Csrl Vogel, young lad whom he had
brought from Germany Mr.. De Francy, an agent OF
Besumsrchas, and myself. Wetrayeled 90 horseback
Notwithstanding the recent capture OF Gen. Bur
goype the situation Of the United States as tina. time
Was extremely critical. The enemy was 10 possession
OF Rhode Island, New.York, and Philadelphia, with
wel.oTganized and disciplined troops, Tar superior IN
number to our OVID. Our army If army 1t might be
called were encsmped at Valley Forge, IN the depth
Of severe Winter, without provisions, without
clothes without regusr discipline, destitute, IN short
Of every thiDg but courage and patrOnsmi and What
was worse than all GisafectOn Was spreading through
the laid Ip this dismal state OF things the baron was
advised TO keep fer from the COST as possible lest
he should be surprised by parties OF the enemy or oy
the Tories who made frequent incurSons INTO the
country between New-YOrk ana Philadelphia. We,
therefore shaped our westward, and crossing
the States Of Massachusetts Connecticut, New York
and Pennsylvania, employed about three weeks IN
journey of 4lO miles in all which al present (lo1ol
would hardly require as many days"
"In the course OF that journey" remarks Dupon-
cesu we met with few adventures. L shau relate
one OF two to show the spirit OF the times.
1--WE had been cautioned against putting up at
certain tavern IN Worcester County, Massachusetts,
not far from the frontier Of Connecticut. We were
told that the landlord was bitter Tory, and that he
would refuse 10 receive us or at least tres us very
i'll. We determined to avoid thai place II 1t were pos
sble. Unfortunately, when we we're AZ some distance
from IT, we were surprised by violent enOv storm; it
was in tie evening. and we were compellei to take
shelter iD the very house we wished 10 AVOID. We
had not been misinformed. The Landlord at once said
be could not accommodate us. lie had no beds, no
bread no meat, no drink, no milk, egg; all that
be could Cfier Us was the bare walls. Il VAN we re-
moDstTated and prayed he remained t4ileIlble. Az
last Baron Steuben grew impatient and wnto vio-
lent passion. After eIhausting al his store OF Ger
man oaths he called in that language 20 his servant to
bring his pistols which he did Then the Baron, pre-
sentrg the deadly weapons at the trghte1ed landlord,
repeated the questions that he had IN vain asked be-
r. ~xoI Dr. had ata
The answers were now such as we desired; we were
accommodated with good beds and good supper, and
our horses properly taken care Of In the morn
ing after cur breakfast we politely took leave OF our
host who, though Tory did not refuse the CONT
mental money In which We literally paid him.
Another snecdote which l now recoect is
stricty characteristic of the pariarchal manner OF
those times. As passed through the State OF Con-
nectiout, we put up one night at house where, for
some reason that | do not remember, We were all
obliged to sleep the floor in the same room with the
family some on feather beds, and rome on blankets;
men, women and children, had all to bundle together,
az IL vss called. The bedding was spread all around
the room and every took his place and went very
cOmpoaedly to sleep. The utmost decency was oD-
served though no fuss was made about II. Ihere was
60 much innocence and simplicity IN the manner IN
which these arrangements were prepared and made,
that the idea Of ndeicscy did not even occur TO Us,
and il in the morning INDUCED in emile at man
pers 10 which we were little accustomed, nothing
was said or thought TO the prejudice OF the morality OF
the good people who had entertained Us IN the best
manner that they were able
The fame of Steuben had preceded him to York.
He was welcomed and courted by all General
Gates in particular paid him the most assiduous
attention. The Committee of Congress, Of which
Witherspoon was chairman, waited upon hun the
day after his arrival and, having reported to Con-
eIess, his services were cordially accepted. He
set out for Valley Forge Feb. 19, l775, and arrived
there on the 23d. "On our journey" says Du-
ponceau, 1--WE passed through Lancaster, then con-
sidered the largest inland town in the United States.
Having arrived there early in the afternoon, the
baron was waited upon by Colonel Gibson and
other gentlemen, who invited him and his family to
subscription ball to take place that evening, in
honor of hi, arrival The baron accepted, and we
accordingly went. There We saw assembled all
the fashion and beauty Of Lancaster and its vcini-
~. The baron WAS delighted to converse with
the German girls in his native tongue. There was
handsome supper, and the company did not sep
arate until two o'clock the next morning."
The deplorsb'e condition of the army .. Valley
Forge 10 well known. Everything was in con-
fusion. The soldiers were scattered about In
every direction. The arms were covered with
ruSt-balf of them without bayonets; many from
which not q shot could BIO fired. The pouches
were as bad a. the arms. Many OF the men had
tn.boxes instead Of pouches, others had cowhOrns;
and musksts, carsines foWliDg pieces and rifles
were to be seen in the same company. The men
were almost destitute of clothing in that terrible
Winter. Many of them were literally naked.