The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-08

Washington met him aeveral miles
from the camp and conducted him to
his quarters, where a guard of twenty
five men had been placed. Steuben
protested against such an honor. sag
Ing lie merely was a volunteer
THE whole army would gladly stand
sentinel for such volunteers" was the
commanders reply.
The next day the troops were mus
tered, and Washington and Steuben re-
viewed them. The army was in les-
perate shape Out of a force of 1900
that had gone into camp early In the
winter only 5ol2 could be called to
duty There were $3.50 so scantily cloth
ed that they could not mount guard
or appear on parade. 1t had been
! daily struggle for bread. The Inue
and log huts offered scant protection
and the winter had been the most
severe in generation. Their suffer
ings had been so terrible that tho men
/ were mutinous. and many of the Of
/ ficers. feeling that Congress had given
more attention to designing men of the
| Gates Conwa;, stamp than to the ques-
tion of furnishing supplies TO the army,
| were utterly discouraged Stcubcn,
! accustomed 10 the faultless equipment
/ and the precision of movement OF
! the army of Frederick. looked this body
of men over. Their rags, their
awkwardness and their wretched
| epuipmen, did not hide from him their
capacity as soldiers.
The School In Camp.
Without knowing a word of English
! he began his work. He started by draft
| ing from the line 100 men as a guard
for the commander in-chief and mill
tary school for himself. These men he
drilled twice a day, and striking at
| once at the prejudice which had come
| from the English, which led officers
to regard drilling recruits as the work
I of a sergeant and not an officers busl-
ness, he took i nuskct in hand and
showed them how to use II. AT every
drill his division inspectors were OBJ
/ liged TO be present In two weeks he
/ guard knew perfectly how TO nafch'
bear arms, form columns, deploy and
manoeuvre with precision. The sight
of men advancing, retreating. wheel
ing. deploying, attacking with the
bayonet. changing front. oheyinG every
order with machinclike regularity,
made an impression which the nero
handling OF the nusket, no matter
| how perfect, never could have produc-
ed.
Steuben had Instituted his first great
| reform. He had begun with manoeu-
vres instead of the manual. The men,
moved by a common impulse felt the
confidence in themselves that comes
from harmony of action. and so feel
Ing, looked with double confidence up-
on the man who had corrected their
shortcomings The army that looked
on at the lessons longed to share in
them Battaliors came next, then bril-
gades and then divisions. II was on
March "a that the elementary work be-
gan BY April 90 the troops for the
first time were able to execute the
grand .nanoeuvres of regular army.
Drill, Drill, Drill.
Steuben was a glorious figure in
those days. He was up before dawn
One cup Of coffee and one pipe made
his breakfast At the rising OF the
sun he was off to the parade ground
his uniform Immaculate, his hair new
~ dressed, his boots polished, his head
erect. Woe betide the aid who was
late! No part of the work of in
spection or Grill was beneath the gen
eral He took the guns Into his own
hands, examined every piece of equip
ment, and gave orders Not II voice
was heard but his aud that of the Of
ficer who repeated his commands. NO
a mistake passed unreproved NJ
| though he swore great oaths, he had {
(
The men knew he was a thorough
master OF what he was teaching nn'
although he was severe, although h
sometimes gave way to gusts OF pas
sior Mt their hlunders, thev soon GO
to know how Just he was, how kindl,
and generous was the heart heneatl
the stern outline, and how noble wa
the soul Of the great drillmaster, One
S She ordered the arrest of a lieutenant
Later in the day he learned that an
! other officer than the one ARRESTED
REALLY was the offender. 1t was rain
+ ing heavily, but the Baron called on
all the troops that had witnessed tn
arrest Next no summoned the lieute
nant. Then the Baron removed nj
50 and, addressing the lieutenant, y
said:
"sr, the fault which wasmade b
throwing the line into confusion mlGE
in the face Of an enemy, have bee
fatal. I arrested you as the suppose
author. ] have reason to believe 20
, We're blameess and that ] was ms
taken. ask Your pardon Retur
, TO your command I would not dea
nniustly by any man."
No wonder soldiers got to love tn
general.
Congress had made steuben in
. spector- general, with the rank and pa
of major-g general but drilling til
:. men was only a small portion of hi
work. The equipment OF the arm
was horrible, In the same compan
some men had muskets, some fowline
pieces, some rifles, a few had bay.
nets. Guns and bayonets alike WEI
rusty and many unfit for use The III
ternal administration Of . reglplel