Baron von Steuben's Training Methods
Professor Daniel Crosswell, Colonel Richard R. Hallock Distinguished University Chair in Military History, Columbus State University
talks about Steuben's training methods.
talks about Steuben's training methods.
At first Steuben was frustrated by the troops: "You say to your [European] soldier, 'Do this,' and he doeth it, but [here] I am
obliged to say, 'This is the reason why you ought to do that,' and he
does it.”
(http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-makes-america-american.html)
(http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-makes-america-american.html)
"Steuben's good humor and rapid mastery of
American profanity swiftly won the goodwill of the troops," however. He improved three essential skills. "First, he taught the troops to maneuver in formation. Hitherto, American soldiers had marched in single file, which made it difficult to quickly form a battle line or move a unit."
(http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/a-war-of-attrition/baron-von-steubens-drill.htm)
(http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/a-war-of-attrition/baron-von-steubens-drill.htm)
"Steuben also taught Washington's men how to fight with the bayonet. Facing an advancing line of British or Hessian bayonets had been unnerving to American troops in the first years of the war. Now Continental troops were more than ready to engage with cold steel."
(http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/a-war-of-attrition/baron-von-steubens-drill.htm)
(http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/a-war-of-attrition/baron-von-steubens-drill.htm)
Thirdly Steuben made the firing of the musket quicker. In the American revolution "[t]he winning side was the one that could get in a good first volley, take a return fire and re-load faster than its foes. Once the individual could handle himself and his musket he was placed in groups of three, then in groups of twelve, and taught to wheel, to dress to the right and to the left."
(http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/steuben.html)
(http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/steuben.html)
Drill/Demonstration, part of Valley Forge's General George Washington Birthday Celebration. King Of Prussia, PA, (February 21,
2011). The Drill, which allows faster musket loading, was created by Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGH2kFimRM)
2011). The Drill, which allows faster musket loading, was created by Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGH2kFimRM)
This maneuver requires all three elements of Steuben's training:
"The maneuver illustrated above shows the successive adaptations of the two ranks of a company (#8) as they proceed through a defile between two roads where they might be ambushed by a hostile army. The objective was to keep the company at maximum battle-readiness at all times, prepared to discharge successive volleys of musket fire followed by frontal, slow-step bayonet charges." The soldiers are moving in columns, not lines.
(http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2654)
Steuben's drill was readily adopted: "Our Army is at present very busy and intent upon a New mode of Exercise Pointed by Major General Baron Stuben from Poland [sic]. His knowledge in Discipline is very great, his method of maneuvering is very Difficult; but mostly satisfactory. . . ."
(Ezra Selden, Letter from Valley Forge, http://www.americanrevolution.org/vlyfrgeltrs.html)
(Ezra Selden, Letter from Valley Forge, http://www.americanrevolution.org/vlyfrgeltrs.html)
Professor Daniel Crosswell, Colonel Richard R. Hallock Distinguished University Chair in Military History, Columbus State University
talks about how Steuben's training went down the ranks of the army.
talks about how Steuben's training went down the ranks of the army.
After Steuben's training, the soldiers could challenge the British.
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