New Britain herald., 1915-06-15


 the great thing lacking in the Amer
 ican army was discipline and organ
 ization. In Steuben he saw the man
 able to undertake and accomplish the
 task of converting the untrained and
 undisclipined gathering of farmers
 and mechanics into an effective army.
 and upon him he exercised all his we'll
 known powers of persuasion, until
 at last he brought about a meeting
 with Franklin and Dean. but the
 formers manner, and some things
 he said, so offended Steuben, that
 the interview was soon terminated.
 Dean however, in his more diplomatic
 way, soon patched up a peace, and
 and negotiations were resumed but
 Steuben never entirely got over his antipathy to Franklin, although he at
 last consented to come to America. and undertake the task of reorganiza-
 ton so much needed. Having con-
 scented, he sailed from Marsailles
 under an assumed name, and after tempetuous voyage of ifty-five days, during which there was a mutiny among the crew, and the ship was three times on fire, they landed st Portsmouth, N. H., 4on the eleventh of December, HIT. Steuben at once offered his services to congress. say ing that the motive which brought him here, and added a people engaged in defending their rights and fiber ties, and added that though he had given up lucrative rank and hon. orable position, he asked neither riches nor honor in return.
 OfIers Services as Volunteer.
 .'He expressed himself as willing to serve as volunteer in any ca. pacity where he could be of greatest use, with the understanding that if his services were not satisfactory, or the colonies failed to gain their in- he was to receive nothing. but if they were successful he was to be refunded the income he had given up. and receive such other remunera- ation as might be agreed upon, and as seemed just and right. Upon the acceptance of his offer he departed at once for Valley Forge. When he arrived at this desolate and famine stricken place he was so astonished and disheartened at conditions as he found them, that he said no army VI ' 4 a week in such a state.
 "A man of different caliber would have given up the task of trying to create an efficient army from such materials, but his immediate and energetic work soon began to be apparent, and almost from he first the whole military system be- yan to take on new life and shape.
 He was greatly handicapped by his ack of the knowledge of English, and he awkwardness of the men at drill would sometimes throw him into a age so great that he would call on ome of the officers who spoke Ge, 7. nan, to translate the damnings which le gave them into language which hey could understand. But the men oon learned to know the greatness f his warm heart, and his liberality nd parental care soon made them in- ulgent to his warm curses
 "On the advise of Washington he ,as made inspector with the rank cf lajor general in May. 177s, and at l nee began system of drill; and the l ppointment of Sub-inspectors the army.
 "This is not the time nor place to the great work which he | ccomplished. Numerous historians l ave handed that down to us. The l york was so unostentatiously, so l ,ithout fuss or feathers, so gen. rally unknown and unseen by the ountry at large, that it's importance ,as not realized then, and has never i lnce been fully appreciated. It was 0 effective. however, that from that lme on, the regular. or Continental orces were never defeated in any and it is now generally dmitted that no general in the field, ot even Washington himself. did aore for the American cause than 'aron Steuben.
 A Strict Discplinarian.
 His army services at this time be- IS a matter of official record, we hall call attention rather to his per- onal characteristics, than to his mili- lry achievements. His grea. ability s disciplinarian and his skill as a Till master and teacher of military actics gave to him the external markings of a harsh, impsrious and