14 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



work with his accustomed energy. He transported the 

 stores to, the south side of the river with such celerity 

 that, when Simcoe appeared on the 3d of June, only thirty 

 of the rear-guard remained, who were captured. The river 

 was deep and unfordable, and as Steuben had taken the 

 precaution to secure all the boats, the main object of the 

 British was defeated. 



The autumn of this year was signalized by the march 

 of the combined French and American armies to Virginia, 

 and the measures which led to the capitulation of Corn- 

 wallis on the 18th of October. In the operations before 

 Yorktown Baron Steuben had a full and honorable share. 

 Washington respected his indefatigable exertions, and 

 soothed him under the disappointments he. had suffered 

 by conferring upon him a command in the regular line. 

 It was during the baron's tour of duty in the trenches that 

 the negotiations for surrender commenced. At the reliev- 

 ing hour next morning Lafayette approached with his 

 division. The baron refused to be relieved, assigning as a 

 reason the etiquette in Europe, where the officer who re- 

 ceives the overtures remains on his post till the capitula- 

 tion is signed or broken. The marquis applied to the com- 

 mander-in-chief, but Steuben with his troops remained in 

 the trenches till the British flag was struck. He returned 

 with the main army to the North, and continued at head- 

 quarters till the close of the war, occupied in the discharge 

 of his duties as inspector-general. 



On the day that Washington resigned his commission as 

 commander-in-chief, he wrote to Steuben the folio win »• 

 letter : 



"Annapolis, 23d December, 1782. 

 " My Dear Baron. 



"Although I have taken frequent opportunities, in public and in 

 private, of acknowledging your great zeal, attention, and abilities in 

 performing the duties of your office, yet I wish to make use of this 

 last moment of my public life to signify, in the strongest terms, my 

 entire approbation of your conduct, and to express my sense of the ob- 

 ligations the public is under to you for your faithful and meritorious 

 services. 



" I beg you will be convinced, my dear sir, that I should rejoice if 

 it should ever be in my power to serve you more essentially than by 

 expressions of regard and affection ; but, in the mean time, I am 

 persuaded you will not be displeased with this farewell token of my 

 sincere friendship and esteem for you. 



" This is the last letter I shall write while I continue in the service 

 of my country. The hour of my resignation is fixed at twelve to-day, 

 after which I shall become a private citizen on the banks of the Poto- 

 mac, where I shall be glad to embrace you, and testify the esteem and 

 consideration with which 



" 1 am, my dear Baron, etc., 



" George Washington." 



PRIVATE LIFE AND LAST DAYS OF STEUBEN. 



Gen. Lincoln having resigned his place at the head of the 

 war department, Baron Steuben and Gren. Knox were the 

 prominent candidates for the office of secretary of war. 

 The objection to the former, and it proved to be a decisive 

 one, rested in the fact that he was a foreigner. Of his 

 qualifications for the office there can be no reasonable doubt. 

 In March, 1784, he submitted to Washington a plan for 

 establishing a Continental legion, and training the militia in 

 time of peace, which the latter returned with his entire 

 approval. 



For seven years after the close of the war Baron Steu- 

 ben was occupied in ineiFectual attempts to obtain from 

 Congress the promised recompense for his services. Con- 

 gress never expressly denied the justice of his claim, but 

 the poverty of the country at first induced delay, and in 

 succeeding sessions the matter was crowded out by a multi- 

 plicity of other duties and responsibilities. He at last col- 

 lected a number of papers and documents bearing upon his 

 claim, and submitted his statements and accompanying 

 proofs to Mr. Jay, Mr. Livingston, Col. Hamilton, and 

 others, all of whom declared the evidence to be satisfactory 

 and the demand just. It was not until after the settlement 

 of the Federal Constitution that the urgent recommendation 

 of the President and the exertions of Hamilton procured for 

 him tardy and imperfect justice. On the 4th of June, 1790, 

 Congress passed an act granting to the veteran a life-annuity 

 of two thousand five hundred dollars. Individual States 

 had already shown their sense of his ill-requited services by 

 complimentary resolutions and gifts of land. Virginia and 

 New Jersey had each given him a small tract, and the As- 

 sembly of New York, by a vote dated May 5, 1786, made 

 over to him one-quarter of a township, equal to sixteen 

 thousand acres, out of the territory recently purchased of 

 the Oneida Indians. The site selected was in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of Utica, where he caused a log house to be 

 erected as the home of his declining years. This was his 

 baronial estate and castle, in the midst of a wilderness 

 stretching far away in unbroken solitude on every hand. 

 He had no kindred in this country, and his family consisted 

 only of dependents and friends, whom his various acts of 

 kindness had caused to cling to him with all the affection 

 of children for an aged parent. He distributed nearly a 

 tenth part of the tract to his aides and servants, and the rest 

 of the land was let on easy terms to twenty or thirty ten- 

 ants. About sixty acres were cleared in front of the house, 

 and afforded him wheat and nourishment for a small stock 

 of cattle. 



As the surrounding country was but thinly settled, the 

 want of society led him to pass a portion of each winter in 

 the city of New York. He was never perfectly a master 

 of the English language, though he made few mistakes in 

 speaking, except as a matter of jest. Once, when dining 

 with the commander-in-chief, Mrs. Washington asked him 

 what amusements he had now that the business of his office 

 was less pressing. " I read and play chess, my lady," said 

 the baron, "and yesterday I was invited to go a-fishing. 

 It was understood to be a very fine amusement. I sat in 

 the boat two hours, though it was very warm, and caught 

 two fish." 



" Of what kind, baron ?" asked the lady. 



" Indeed, I do not recollect perfectly, but one of them 

 was a whale." 



" A whale, baron, in the North Biver !" 



'' Yes, on my word, a very fine whale, as that gentleman 

 informed me," said the baron, turning to the gentleman 

 who had been his companion in fishing. " Did you not tell 

 me it was a whale, major ?" 



" An eel, baron," replied the major, courteously. 



" I beg your pardon, my lady," returned the baron ; 

 " but the gentleman certainly called it a whale. It is, how- 



