Washington Journal., 1942-09-11

~ington's request, the following instructions
stand forth to the everlasting credit of its
author;
Steuben's instructions to Officers
For the Captain: A captain cannot be too careful of the
company the State has committed to his charge. He must
pay the greatest attention to the health Of his men,
their discipline, arms, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ammunitions, clothes
His first object should be to gain the love Of his men
by treating them with every possible kindness and humanity,
inquiring into their complaints, and, when well founded,
seeing them redressed. He should know every man OF his
company by name and character. He should often visit
those who are sick, speak tenderty to them, see that the
public provision, whether Of medicine or diet, IS duly al,
ministered, and procure them besides such comforts and
conveniences as are in his power.
The attachment that arises from this KIND OF attention
to the sick and wounded is almost inconceivable; it will,
moreover, be the means Of preserving the lives of many
For the Lieutenant: He should endeavor to gain the
love of his men, by his attention to everything, which may
contribute to their health and welfare. He should often
visit them at different hours; inspect into their manner
of living; see that their provisions are good and well cooked,
and as far as possible obIige them to take their meals
at regulated hours. He should pay attention to their com
plants and, when well founded, endeavor to get them
redressed; but discourage men from complaining on every
frivolous occasion.
On those instructions Colonel Canoe, the
historian Of our Army, comments thus
''Here is the golden text Of all leadership
to gain the lo0e of the men. Gould any set
of instructions more grippingly embrace the
CSS01Gld1S " OloClDlluC ! Law 0O INV WVAOo
ever more perfectly tempered kindness with
justice and balanced rule and appealg BY
following these simple principles, could not
any body Of men be directed without frlctlonY
Why, then, we're those doctrines omitted from
our later regulationsg"
Washington's Appreciation of Steuben
General Washington, with all his aristo-
cratic traditions of slave-holding and dealing
sternly with indentured bondsmen, encour-
aged Steuben's humane reforms. From the
first, so soon as he had appraised the Baron's
military worth, he gave him all needful sup
port in appropriate orders of the day. While
the Baron was serving as a volunteer with
out pay, the Commander in Chief showed his
esteem by having him and his aides as guests
at his table two or three times a week and by
inviting them to all social gatherings at head
quarters, presided by Mistress Washington.
There they were at ease among their hosts
French-speaking aides and others who had
been in France, among them the accomplished
wife Of General Nathaniel Greene.
A few months before Steuben's arrival at
Valley Forge the Continental Congress, in
huenced by the vainglorious Horatio Gates,
had made the mistake Of appointing Thomas
Conway, a French-Irish military adventurer
without proven capacity, inspector general OF
the Army. The mistake was rendered worse
by making Conway independent Of the Com
mander in Chief, against whom he was intri-
gueing together with Gates. AS an inspector
general Conway failed miserably by c~ontinu-
Gus absence from the troops and his general
ineficiency.
General Washington got around this incu-
bus by letting Steuben at Valley Forge func-
ton as an acting inspector general on the
spot without rank or pay, but supported fully
by the Commander in Chiefs approval. Of
course this aroused Conway's jealousy even
farther than before.
On March "a, 1778, the Baron having pro-
crossed sufficiently with his drill Of indivi-
duals, squads, platoons and companies, a
more general program was opened at Valley
Forge pursuant to an order OF the day. 1t
read: cat 9 O'Clock precisely all the brigades
will begin their exercises, each regiment on
it's parade. An inspector general will attend
the exercise" So, a few minutes after the
set hour, the camp was. a busy place with all
the army at drill and a red-faced foreign
baron with a star on his breast galloping
from brigade to brigade as inspector, shout
ing himself hoarse. That night John Laurens
wrote to his father:
The Baron steuben has commenced the functions Of
inspector general The Baron discovers the greatest
years. The officers in general seem to entertain a high
opinion of him, and he sets them an excellent example in
descending to the functions of a drill sergeant.
A raw recruit there, who later became a
bishop, related late in life how he was exalted
by beholding the martial figure Of the old
general, curbing his mettlesome horse, while
he took in everything with flashing eyes.
General Washington four days later pub
lished this general order:
The Baron Steuben, a lieutenant general in foreign
service. and a gentleman Of great military experience, having
OblQlQQlV undertaken the exercise OF inspector general