BARON VON, Prussian soldier and American gen eral: b. Magdburg, Prussia, 15 Nov. 1730; d. Steuben, Oneida County, N. Y., 28 Nov. 1794. Before coming to America he had attained the rank of lieutenant-general in the Prussian army, and had won distinction in the .Seven Years' War. At its close he retired from military life, but was persuaded by colonial representatives in France to come to the assistance of the American people. He at once became an en thusiastic supporter of the American cause, and, tendering his services to Congress in 1777, was assigned to the main army under k rashington at Valley Forge. His splendid discipline and ability as an organizer were at once ilcognized by Washington, who recommended his appoint ment as inspector-general of the entire army. Unable to attain a separate command in the cpcn field, he spent most of his time recruiting the forces sent to those who took a more promi nent part in the war; but it was undoubtedly •due to his almost unrecognized efforts that the American troops were from the first so well organized and disciplined a body. He attained
at last his coveted place as an officer in the line, and as major-general of the forces at Yorktown received the first offer of capitulation from Lord Cornwallis. Refusing to be re lieved by Lafayette, he was allowed to remain with his command until the complete surrender of the enemy. At the close of the war he was refused pecuniary remuneration which he had asked of the colonies in the event of their suc cess, hut to recuperate his fortunes, abandoned for their cause, was subsequently awarded sev eral grants of land, among them a township in northern New York, where he spent the re mainder of his life in a log-cabin, within the present limits of Utica, N. Y., and where a monument to his memory was unveiled 3 Aug. 1914. Consult Sparks, 'American Biography' ; Kapp, 'Life of Steuben' (1860).