General Von Steuben - Monmouth Battlefield State Park, NJ - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

The Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778 was a turning point in our fight for independence from the English. Under the command of General George Washington, the Continental Army forced the retreat of British soldiers, here at the battleground in Freehold and Manalapan Townships.

The monument has a life size casting of the general, standing upright and proud with a sabre in one hand and a looking glass in the other. Von Steuben's training of the troops has been attributed to the victory of the Continental Army at the Battle of Monmouth and other victories.

The plaque under the statue reads:

"September 17, 1730 - November 28,1794

Friedrich Wilheim August Heinrich Ferdinand Baron von Steuben was born September 17, 1730 in Magdeburg, Prussia (Germany) to a military family. Reared in the rigorous military school of Frederick the Great, von Steuben served with distinction in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and as an Aide-de-Camp to the Prussian King.

In the fledgling US, after the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress sought foreign assistance in the strugle against the British. In 1777, Benjamin Franklin met von Steuben, who then came to America that December, offering his service without rank or pay, to aid the Revolution. In January 1778, the Continental Congress accepted von Steuben's service as a volunteer in the Continental Army and ordered him to report to General Washington's quarters at Valley Forge as soon as possible.

Even in the face of depserate conditions, including frost, disease, inadequate shelter and lack of supplies, von Steuben gave military training and discipline to the citizen soldiers fighting for American Independence. In May 1778, Congress approved General Washington's recommedation to appoint von Steuben as Inspector General of the Continental Army.

On June 28, 1778, at the BAttle of Monmouth, the benefits of von Steuben's training were evidenced by the American troops opposing the ritish Army. The heroic American performance, a turn in the tide of the war, is attributed in large part to the work of von Steuben. Colonel Alexander Hamilton, an eyewitness, declared that von Steuben's system of drilling, reviews and inspection moved the officers and soldiers with the confidence that from now on, they were on equal ground with the armies of the enemy.

Von Steuben was instrumental in further American victories, including the defeat of te British at Yorktown in 1781, where the Baron received the overture of capitulation from the British General Cornwalls. During 1778-1779, von Steuben prepared a complete set of regulations for Continental troops, the "Blue Book", which became the United States Army training manual. In 1783, von Steuben became an American citizen. In 1784, von Steuben was discharged from the military with honor and turned his energies to preparing for the defense of New York Harbor and designing the plans for a military academy that were later realized at West Point. In 1788, the State of New York, wishing to express its gratitude for his service, granted him 16,000 acres north of the Mohawk River. Von Steuben was lso the President of the German Society of New York and a Regent of the State University of New York. Von Steuben died on November 28, 1794, and was laid to rest in a hero's grave in Ramsen, New York, where we read the following inscription:
"Indispensable to the Achievement of American Independence"

Erected 2004 by the Steuben Society of America and the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield in gratful recognition of his valiant service to America in her struggle for liberty"

URL of the statue: [Web Link]

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