Mark Segal


Filed By Mark Segal | October 26, 2012 4:30 PM | comments

Filed in: Gay Icons and History, Living
Tags: Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Benjamin Franklin, Don't Ask Don't Tell, George Washington, Revolutionary War

"There are few historians today who would doubt that Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was gay."

That's how this article began last year, and since its publication, no accredited historian has refuted its main theme: that without von Steuben, there would be no United States of America and that von Steuben, in today's terms, would be considered a gay man.

In this update, we add new historical material to the Thumbnail image for Baron_von_Steuben_by_Ralph_Earl.jpeggrowing list of details that supports these claims. These additions to his story could make von Steuben the first case of the American military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - very well by his own deeds.




Franklin learned of a "brilliant" Prussian military genius, Lt. Gen. Baron Friedrich von Steuben. The general had a string of successes (some self-embellished) with the Prussian army. There was one problem: He'd been asked to depart because of his "affections for members of his own sex." This became urgent in 1777 when he literally escaped imprisonment in what is now Germany and traveled to Paris. In Paris, Franklin was interviewing candidates to assist Washington back in the colonies when he discovered von Steuben.

During the interview process, Franklin discovered von Steuben's reputation for having "affections" with males and the issue became pressing, as members of the French clergy demanded the French court, as in other countries, take action against this sodomite. They had decided to make their effort a crusade and run him out of France.

Franklin had a choice: He decided von Steuben's expertise was more important to the colonies than his sexuality.


Franklin, working with Deane, decided von Steuben's "affections" were less important than what he, Washington and the colonies needed to win the war with England. Deane learned of von Steuben's indiscretions -- and that the French clergy was investigating -- from a letter to the Prince of Hechingen, his former employer, which read in part:



Once the general had arrived in Valley Forge, Washington was concerned about von Steuben's inability to speak English, so he appointed two of his officers who spoke French to work as his translators. One of those officers was Alexander Hamilton and the other, his close friend John Laurens. Within months, von Steuben gained Washington's confidence and began to transform the colonial army.

Washington and Franklin's trust in von Steuben was rewarded. He whipped the rag-tag army of the colonies into a professional fighting force, able to take on the most powerful superpower of the time, England. Some of his accomplishments include instituting a "model company" for training, establishing sanitary standards and organization for the camp, and training soldiers in drills and tactics such as bayonet fighting and musket loading. According to "The Papers of Von Steuben," the following is a timeline of his achievements.



1778-79: Writes "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," which becomes a fundamental guide for the Continental Army and remains in active use through the War of 1812, being published in over 70 editions.


1781: Replaced by Marquis de Lafayette as commander in Virginia.

1781-83: Continues to serve as Washington's inspector general, and is active in improving discipline and streamlining administration in the army.



Speculation over who von Steuben slept with abounded from Prussia to France to the United States. Yet he never once denied it. The closest he came to the topic was to ask Washington to speak on behalf of his morals in a letter to Congress that would authorize the disbursement of his pension. And why did he ask Washington?

Since his arrival in Philadelphia to assist the Revolution, von Steuben had financial issues caused by a Continental Congress that often didn't keep its funding promises, a challenge compounded by his own personality: He at times could be cold and aloof, which was problematic when diplomacy was needed with a member of Congress. He also had a tendency to live and spend extravagantly, especially on his uniforms, which were often emblazoned with epaulettes and medals of his own design.

Due to his financial picture -- and misconceptions about his association with Deane, who, along with Franklin, brought him to the Revolution, but who was later disgraced as traitor to the United States -- von Steuben had to fight for his pension.

Adding to that were the constant rumors about his sexuality, which by 1790 had reached one of the revolution's first families, the Adamses of Massachusetts.

Charles, the son of John and Abigail Adams -- the second president and First Lady of the new union -- was what today would be called the black sheep of the family. Early on, Abigail considered him "not at peace within himself." His biggest problem was alcoholism but, as revealed in letters among the various members of the family, the Adamses had other concerns.

As John Ferling wrote in the biography "John Adams: A Life" : "There are references to [Charles'] alleged proclivity for consorting with men whom his parents regarded as unsavory." One of these men was von Steuben, who, as Ferling writes, many at the time considered homosexual. Charles had become infatuated with and adored Von Steuben. It is clear in the family letters that the Adamses were concerned about a relationship between the men. Von Steuben's sexuality was an open secret, one that he himself never challenged, other than to ask Washington to defend his moral character.

Washington, always the diplomat, wrote of the general and friend rather than of von Steuben's personal life, practicing today's notion of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The Baron is a puzzle. At first, I really didn't like him: The man himself was pompous, cold and theatrical, and his uniforms and title were stage props for an officer who didn't even speak English when he got to Valley Forge. But I respected him for what he did to help Washington's rag-tag army to defeat the British, eventually leading to the creation of our country. His knowledge created the first sense of military discipline in the colonies. My appreciation for him came from his most recent biographer, Paul Lockhart, whose book "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" offers a complete look at von Steuben's work.

There is one story in the book that could be considered rather scandalous in today's terms: Von Steuben most likely threw the first underwear party in the United States military, at his house in Valley Forge.

As Lockhart writes, "The Baron hosted a party exclusively for their lower-ranking friends. He insisted, though, that 'none should be admitted that had on a whole pair of breeches,' making light of the shortages that affected the junior officers as they did the enlisted men."

You can see, however, that von Steuben's humanity and love of his troops underlied his actions.

The nation that von Steuben helped found has memorialized him with numerous statues, including those at Lafayette Square near the White House and at Valley Forge and Utica, N.Y. (where he is buried), and German Americans celebrate his birthday each year on Sept. 17, hosting parades in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago.


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