Washington Journal., 1942-09-18
VIII.

WILL.
While Steuben was at York he learned of
the British evacuation Of Philadelphia, forced
by the threat of Admiral d'Estaing's fleet
approaching New York. Instantly he and
Duponceau saddled up and rode hot-haste to
Philadelphia, now re-occupied by an Ameri-
can garrison under Benedict Arnold. They
found the Quaker city filthy and infested by
flies. Duponceau described it thus:
Some said they were Hessian flies and various other
Jokes were cracked. We were lodged on New Street. That
quarter of the city was then inhabited almost entirely by
Germans. Hardly any other language but German was
heard in the streets or seen on the signs i'll front Of the
shops, sothat Baron Steuben fancied himself again in his
native country. A great number of the inns in town and
country bore the sign of the King of Prussia, who was
very popular, particularly among the Germans. We were,
however, not captfvated with the delights of Capua; we babe
adieu to Philadelphia and all its German attractions and
rode after General Washington's army in New jersey.
The American forces, now swelled to some
1000 by the accession of Sunshine pa
I~triots", Immediately after Sir Henry Gin
up it's camp at Valley Forge and crossed the
Delaware at Corryel's ferry about Is miles
above Philadelphia. Thence they went in
pursuit of Clinton's long drawn out column
of $4,000 men marching in sitting hot weather
through New Jersey toward New York. At
its tail the British Wagon train, conveyed
by Knyphausen's Hessians, stretched over
eight miles of dusty road, slowly numbering
from Gloucester Point on the Delaware east
ward by Haddonfeld, Mount Holly and Cross
wicks.
Into the Fray
The American army, less encountered by
Wagons and marching better than ever be-
fore along a parallel road farther north,
strove to overtake the British near Allen
town, whence two roads forked toward Port
Monmouth or South Amboy near the coast.
By riding hard, Steuben and his companion
overlook the American r~earguard along its
way and caught up with Washington's head
quarters detachment at Hopewell. The Baron
arrived just in time to take part in a final
council of war, attended by II major generals,
including him.
The strategic problem was simple. The
obvious thing, given the shorter route of the
Americans and their greater freedom from
encumbrance, was: to overtake the long
drawn-out column of the enemy and with
superior force at that point to strike him in
flank before he could gather his forces, there
by to cut his line in two and capture his
Wagon train.
General Washington was strong for snatch
ing this chance for a signal victory; but he
was opposed in the council by Charles Lee,
the senior major general, who lately had been
released from more or less voluntary British
captivity in exchange for the captured Brit
lsh General Prescott. Lee said it would be
better Ito build a golden bridge for the re-
treating enemy than to attack such disciplined
troops as the British and Hessians." AS so
often in councils of war, Washington's gen
erals were evenly devided in opinion, all the
older men but Steuben siding with Lee. To
Steuben, with his memories Of a similar stu
alton at Rossbach, where King Frederick had
driven through Prince Soubise's exposed
flank with such telling effect, it appeared a
wonderful chance for repeating his old mast
er's maneuver. Washington dismissed the
council without arriving at a decision.
That night Lafayette sent him an urgent
note, saying: Du Portal and lie baron de
Steuben have begged me, if the matter were
yet to be spoken OF, to explain to you in Eng
llsh, how sorry, how distressed we are to see
us losing such a chance, the finest ever
offered Washington determined to strike.
10 smoothe Lees rufled feelings, he offered
him, as the senior general, to lead the adj
vance, but Lee declined, considering it be-
meath his dignity as "second in command" to
lead so small a detachment. SO Lafayette
was chosen, but then Lee repented and in
duced Lafayette, with Washington's consent,
to yield that command to him. Steuben was
not to command troops, but as chief of staff
to be Washington's right hand man. Until
the Forthcoming general engagement he was
sent forth on strategic reconnaissance, a high
mark Of W~ashington's trust in his military
dlscernment, energy and valor.
Accompanied by three aides, one of them
Col Laurens of General Washington's staff,
and by several mounted orderlies to employ
as c%ouriers, General Won Steuben rode forth
from Hopewell early in the morning of June
24th to learn what he could about Clinton's
designs. He rode so hard and pushed for
ward so boldly that his small party presently
i oxrortonE- cnnolorn- of 4ho- eAl