The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-05
vs,CEs OF the ssyeLurIes o. rzys.

sisceaoss-steubes's Patrissss..-Ar-
usld's Trsachefy.
[Gilroy, Cal. June ~ correspondence Of the Alta
nav. ,.,or. me California Capl q the Utica M v,
Herald or June 2, which do otes several columns to
an account Of the laying OF the corner stone OF
luionary fame, OH which occasion the assembled
thousands listened 10 eloquent and weil-timed
ana others This act OF tardy justice to VINO for
SOCK the c0mpanonship OF kings. prices ana rulers
sna ash MS In the scale Hs s az 81
twell authentcated) OF unusual interet Vist
now Hspplly Through the s,nd n.s,, Of Mr.;
respected merchants, VINO has allowed me the use
OF ancient manuscripts ana correspondence Of VA
rious kinds, Kept by him as sacred heislooms, am
in position 70 give true history OF an occurrence
which will be reconnted long after the monument
Ham Baros Dc steuSen shall have crumeisl 70 dust.
! aude to the incident, of which bIief mention as
been recently noating ahont 10 the shape Of !: news
conferrlng HIS distinguished name on one Of mis-
soldiers who mad the misfortune 10 have NO better
treason OF Arnold. When read that paragraph ike,
doubtless, thousands or Others it struck me as an
would be to DOUBT that the duly atested evidence Of
the fact Is before me. The manuscripts to which
dates, .Hartord, Conn, January 5, l1s3,n West
Point, July 10, 17sS" and plymouth, Mass, April
rs, 1885," An extract from the latter hoash latest
In date Is necessary rs KEY % the former. lt IS
written by James Thatcher n. d., VINO Was q sur
geon III the Revolutionary ary, aad relating 70 5le
omen recently deceased) Joanathan S;eu6en VINO
died ut the ase OF egh y-two, At steuben, n. Y.
Upon receiving that news Dr.. rhatch q says
THE deep sympathles OF my heart were fofeioiy
awakened by TINS incident, and nastencd 10 open
the pages OF my Revolutionary journal, ina. mlfiJ
retrace the character OF tue great and good steuben
and Indulge in all The aDimang Associations OF the
following anecdOte:-Arter General Arnold treaci-
erously des1 rted his pest al West Point she Ba Oh
never acd to manifest his md snaaGun and abaor-
renee vi his name ana character; and while inspect
Ing Colonel Shedon's regiment OF iignt horse tne
name OF Arnold struck MS ear. me soldier was or
dered to the 'front.'. He was fine loohiug ieiiow;
his horse and equipments In excellent orier.
Change your name, Ielioweodier,' said the Baron,
what name shall | take, GeneraiP Take any
other-mine Is at your service Most cnesriaIy
was the o7er accepted. and his name entered Oh me
rolls as Steuben."
This brings me back to the manuscript first in
date, which Is parchment copy vcriaed AMI WITH
the seal OF Connecticut attached or the memorial
Sergeant Jonathan Arnold, OF Hartford, praying TO
have MS name changed 70 "stenpen, anu aee.ting
then bore by the treason OF Benedict Arnold; also
setting forth that Baron Stenben mad granted per
mis-, ion to adopt his nane On the Sth day OF Jau-
uary, 1888, this memorial was acted upoa III the o-
lowing language
Be il enacted by the Governor, Council and Repre-
senatves, In General Court assembled, aud By me
authority OF the same, that the SAID meinorlalist
have liberty, and liberty IL hereby granted to him.
to take upon himself the Slr1ane OF 'Steuuen'
instead OF That Of Arnold and GhaC the memorial.
ISIS srname be Seuben, and that by That name In
called.
The next manuscript turn to ia one calculated to
make me ieeI as II IN the Immediate presence OF MN
pendeuce-whO was to Washington as Jonathan TO
David--and whose name Is enshrined In every true
American heart This letter Is penned by Baron
S.eupen himself. and accompanied sword which
he presented to Sergeant Jonathan Steuben The
following ID an exact transcript Of tiis precious
WEST POINT, July 10, l7sa
sop You 20 SSce not e. az occasion o. % d Il in
20 nsoossaiy You WI then Halter myself use 4 WIN
be happy al al times 10 render ya every assancs In my
sTEuBEN, asJor General
At the close OF the Revolutionary War, Sergaa
jonathan Stelben returned to his no ne in Connect
cut and soon thereafter was married TO Miss Lucy
Porter, and settled IN Hartford. On the b.rta OF
their first son Mr.. Steuben reqicseJ name from
SCa the ' bow Frederick William, after nv own
name, and wiil ellcate the Lad ami give hun one
third oIthe land that Congress gives me.'
To correct q III Stahen idea that the descendants
OF Scrg eant Jonathan Steuben inherited largely OF
the Baron's estate, copy the following, which Is
sa.heatlc, from the Philadelphia saturday Courier
"The Baron, who at this time uhe time OF birth Of
child above allntsd toy was endelvoring TO form
settlement on II tr.,.t OF 1900 res OF land given
him ~ the State OF New York, now known as the
town OF steuben, lying in ~, county Of Oneida,
gress land or before MS nalnssaSes Was old enough
TO enjoy the ben fit Of his liberal promise
Some time asT The Barons aes,H & sisaoen
son Frederick, elngrated with ht5 family TO
the town OF Steuben, and presented the letter CON.
tanning the Baron'S promise, TO Colonel b. Walker
(who an intimate friend OF the Barons, and had
accompanied hn to his retreat and after his death
became the possesaor OF his property; but as the
Baron died suddenly without making arrangements
according 10 promise, nothing could he done legally
TO OBTAIN possession or the land designed for MN.
Colonel WALKER. however, gave Frederick nearly
5000 on cond tion o: his making an assignment OF
his supposed claim"
Frederick WI liam Steuben although falling TO &C.
the intended beqGes OF his illu ,tIiouS benefac
tor nevertheless. in emulation Of his sterling patriot
ISM answered his country's call TO arms, and died
In the country's seryice, at Sacketts HarbOr, in
A. ID. 1872. Sergeant Jonathan SteubeD, whose name
became so Intimately linked with the immortal fame
Of Frederick William Baron de Steuben reared a
family OF eleven children, OF whom only TWO are now
lving-BcD amin Walker now a resident VI Illinois,
and William North Steuben, the youngest son now
aged sxsy-twOl, resident or this city. The latter
has two children. The former, during the recent re-
beon, gave three sons to battle in defence of the
government which The sword of Baron Steuben
hoped to found. They passed through The fiery
ordeal unscathed aud lived to perpeiuate their
adopted name OF the heroic dead. Yours rcsnect-
fully, s. CASSIDAY.