Baron von steuben biography
•
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
German-born American army officer (–)
For ships named after General von Steuben, see Von Steuben (disambiguation).
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Charles Willson Peale, | |
| Birth name | Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben |
| Nickname(s) | Baron von Steuben |
| Born | ()September 17, Magdeburg, Duchy of Magdeburg, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | November 28, () (aged&#;64) Steuben, New York, U.S. |
| Buried | Steuben Memorial State Historic Site, Remsen, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service / branch | |
| Years&#;of service | |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Cross of the beställning of De la Fidelite |
| Signature | |
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (STEW-bənorstew-BEN,[1]German:[ˈfʁiːdʁɪçˈvɪlhɛlmfɔnˈʃtɔʏbn̩]; born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, – November 28, ), als
•
Baron von Steuben
Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben was born on September 17, , in the fortress town of Magdeburg in Prussia but spent most of the first decade of his life in Russia with his father. At age 10 he returned to Germany and attended more formal schooling. In , at 17, von Steuben enlisted in the Prussian army as a lance-corporal. Von Steuben was a second lieutenant in when The Seven Years War began, and he served throughout the conflict with distinction. Von Steuben was discharged from the Prussian army at the rank of captain on April 29, , shortly after the Treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg ended the war.
That same year, , von Steuben met the Frenchman Louis de St. Germain in the northern German town of Hamburg. Fourteen years later, St. Germain was serving as France’s Minister of War and helped pave the way for von Steuben’s trip across the Atlantic to serve the American cause. In those intervening years, von Steuben served as Grand Marshall, a lofty title
•
Early Life and Military Training
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Baron de Steuben was born on September 17, in the fortress town of Magdeburg in the Kingdom of Prussia. Following in his father's footsteps, Steuben joined the Prussian Army in , when he was 17 years old.
In May , the Seven Years War began in Europe, and Prussia and Britain were pitted against France, Austria, and Russia. At this time, Steuben was a second lieutenant. He was wounded at the Battle of Prague, where the Prussian army was victorious, despite facing twice as many Austrian troops. In , he served as General Johann von Mayer's adjutant and principle staff officer in a special detached corps.
Steuben was promoted to first lieutenant in , and he was wounded at the Battle of Kunersdorf that summer. On June 26, , he was transferred to general headquarters, where he served as a staff officer in the position of a deputy quartermaster. Later in , he was taken prisoner when Major General von Knoblock su