National Republican., 1881-10-29
BARON Won STEUBEN.
HIS AMERICAN AND GERMAN KIN.
An Action TO BE Begun by Grand Nephew TO Re.
cover the Property in Amerlea-IIis
Visit TO YorktOwn--A
Curious VIII,

There appears to be some probability
that the name Of Baron Won steuben will become
familiar to American ears through an important
suit which one OF his descendants who is citizen
OF the United States, proposes TO institute IN the
courts A. l.. Won steubon, jr, Of Allentown, Pa,
a granddaughter of Baron Won Steuben, stopped
in this city few days from the Yorktown Cen
tennial, whittier he went as one of the Nations
guests. It appears that somo time ago Mr. Won
Bteuben became impressed with the belief that
the natural heirs of the Baron were
wronged In the disposition OF his property
after death, and he began TO invcsti-
gate the subject His first step was TO write 10 the
surrogate of the County of New York, to ascertain
whether the original will of Baron Won steubcn
could be found. The surrogate amer long search
replied about month ago that neither the will
nor any record of II could be found In that office.
An application to the secretary Of State Mt Albany,
was more successful; for, although the original
will could not be found, an exemplincation Of II
recorded at the time Of probate wns discovered.
The will, according to the record, is a remarkable
document, reading as follows:
THE PEOPLE THE STATE or NEW YORK,
THE GRACE or Con
FREE AND IsDEPENpEHrs,
To oil whom these presents shall come may CON
Know ye that in thc registry Of our Court of Pro-
bate there arc registered certain iette eslamenlary
In the words following, TO wit:
and State OF New York do make his, my last wifi
and testament, suncient reasons having determined
tcipaiou IN my estate In America. and to adopt my
friends and former aldesdecanp, Benjamin Walker
and William North, rs my children, aud make them
sole devisees OF all my estate therein, except us
In consequence thereof beSucaiR to the said Ben;
lania1 Walker m he sum of tssg and the gold 1illsd
Ibequcath the slyer.hilted sword and the gold box
TO John j. Muillgan bequeath the whole Of my
library maps and charts and the sum e. s2So 70
me ut the time of my deceasc one years wages; and
besides this to my valet de chembfe all my wearing
@ my servants are on the following conditions
pns5 on my ,yyr decease they do To-, not permit any
The shirt in which / die but that they wrap me
hours alter my deccase bury me in such spot IS
shall before my decease point out 20 them and they
se
OIL the res, and residue OF my estate real and per,
ssloresaid, to said bcnlamin Walker and William
minstraiors 10 share and share alike, hereby APP
pointing the said Benjamn Walker and William
and revokng all former wills by me heretofore made
New YoRIS. February I2, i7ei.
SIGNED, sealed published, aud declared as the last
ence. CITXRLES WiLLiAMsdN.
w. ii. ROBINSON.
The real estate possessed by Baron Won Steuben
consisted Of q large grant of land made TO him by
the State of New York reward for his services
curing tue heVolutlOnury war; oil Il similar grant
of200O acres by Pennsylvania, and of grant OF
1900 acres by Virginia. The original States car
ried with them as sovereign States the right to
dispose Of tleir unsettled land; hence the real
ownership of the grants tn those States will have
TO be decided there. But on the readjustment OF
the boundary line Of Virginia $4,000 acres Of the
grant TO Baron Steuben were found to belong
to Kentucky, while 10000 acres of the land
were len by the survey within the State oi
Ohio, which contains public land Of which the
Commissioner of the General Land Office
is ex-flcio register and receiver These
10000 acres in Ohio were settled by land warrant.
issued from the General Land Office under au
thority of the will-or rather the authenticated
copy Of the Whitfield there. Tho proceeding
when begun promise TO be of unusual interest. II
regard to that portion of Baron steubcn's viii
directing what disposition should be made of hi
body amer death, Mr.. Won stcuben says that, as
matter OF fact, the Barons remaiR were publcl!
buried about a mile from the log house in whicl
he died. and which stood within the boundarie
OF the grant of 49, 900 made to him in Oneidf
County by the State of New York. Mr.. Won Steu
ben further says that the funeral was attended b.
a largo concourse Of people, and that the place o
burial was marked by monument.