Steuben Memorial State Historic Site: Honoring a forgotten Revolutionary War Hero
Steuben Memorial State Historic Site is located in upstate New York, about an hour northeast of Syracuse. It celebrates and memorializes the legacy of Baron von Steuben, the “Drillmaster of the American Revolution.”
We visited in the middle of the day on a sweltering August afternoon. My wife and I were road-tripping through New York and decided to stop at the historic site on a whim. We just saw it on the map and knew we would drive by. We were not sure what it was about, and it certainly was not on our itinerary. That said, I am delighted we stopped. We learned a tremendous amount about Baron von Steuben, who was instrumental in the fight for freedom during the Revolutionary War.
We nearly drove by and missed the site along the way. The small brown sign marking the turn into the site is unassuming. Once you pull onto the dirt road to the site, it’s a short drive to a parking lot.
When I pulled in, a couple of cars were in the parking lot, but it was only slightly full. Getting out we read a couple of nearby signs.
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben, or simply Baron von Steuben is a figure in American History that is often forgotten on pages of textbooks.
A veteran of the Prussian Army, Baron Von Steuben happened to be in France in 1777. There, he met Benjamin Franklin and volunteered his services to advise the American Army. In early February 1778, he would meet Congress and make a favorable impression on them, partly due to his willingness to temporarily forgo compensation.
The Drillmaster of the American Revolution
He was dispatched to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where the Continental Army was wintering with General Washington. As he rode into camp, one soldier’s first impression of him was “of the ancient fabled God of War … he seemed to me a perfect personification of Mars. The trappings of his horse, the enormous holsters of his pistols, his large size, and his strikingly martial aspect all seemed to favor the idea.”
Washington appointed Steuben Inspector General
Steuben also impressed Washington, who appointed him temporary Inspector General. He was tasked with creating standards for training the entire Continental Army. As he started, he found an Army with little rhyme or reason. Each state’s soldiers had different drills and maneuvers. As the “Drillmaster of the American Revolution,” he would transform the army into a cohesive fighting force. At the time, it was seen as unbecoming of Officers to drill regular soldiers. Steuben’s willingness and enthusiasm to work directly with the men and his cursing in several different languages made him popular among the soldiers.
Served under General Nathanael Greene
He later served as an instructor and supply officer for General Nathanael Greene‘s southern army during the Revolutionary War. Baron Von Steuben even commanded one of the three divisions in the Continental Army at Yorktown, where British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered, ending the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Congress would eventually compensate Steuben, but never fully. After the war, the American Government was money-poor but land-rich. So, in appreciation for his wartime contributions, he was given 16,000 acres of land in the lower Adirondacks. Baron von Steuben owned the property we were standing upon. He died on this Oneida County estate on November 28, 1794.
Today, you can visit a replica of the two-room log house that he lived in. Baron von Steuben also is buried on the property. We visited both the cabin and his grave. Steuben had requested a simple soldier’s burial, but in the end, was laid to rest under a large and beautiful monument in the “Sacred Grove” at the historic site. It’s a great way to pay your respects to a man who helped make America.
We spent about 45 minutes at the Steuben Memorial State Historic Site. We could have easily spent longer. Several places would make for a great picnic spot or somewhere to relax and read a book under a shady tree.
