peasant, though not a baron, as he called himself,
proved worthy of the rank of a major general. There was, however, a
flood of volunteers of another type. French officers fleeing from their
creditors and sometimes under false names and titles, made their way
to America as best they could and came to Washington with pretentious
claims. Germans and Poles there were, too, and also exiles from that
unhappy island which remains still the most vexing problem of British
politics. Some of them wrote their own testimonials; some, too, were
spies. On the first day, Washington wrote, they talked only of serving
freely a noble cause, but within a week were demanding promotion and
advance of money. Sometimes they took a high tone with members of
Congress who had not courage to snub what Washington called impudence
and vain boasting. "I am haunted and teased to death by the importunity
of some and dissatisfaction of others" wrote Washington of these people.

One foreign officer rendered incalculable service to the American cause.
It was not only on the British side that Germans served in the American
Revolution. The Baron von Steuben was, like La Fayette, a man of rank
in his own country, and his personal service to the Revolution was much
greater than that of La Fayette. Steuben had served on the staff of
Frederick the Great and was distinguished for his wit and his polished
manners. There was in him nothing of the needy adventurer. The sale of
Hessian and other troops to the British by greedy German princes was
met in some circles in Germany by a keen desire to aid the cause of the
young republic. Steuben, who held a lucrative post, became convinced,
while on a visit to Paris, that he could render service in training the
Americans. With quick sympathy and showing no reserve in his generous
spirit he abandoned his country, as it proved forever, took ship for the
United States, and arrived in November, 1777. Washington welcomed him at
Valley Forge in the following March. He was made Inspector General
and at once took in hand the organization of the army. He prepared
"Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United
States" later, in 1779, issued as a book. Under this German influence
British methods were discarded. The word of command became short
and sharp. The British practice of leaving recruits to be trained
by sergeants, often ignorant, coarse, and brutal, was discarded, and
officers themselves did this work.