Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von (or de) Steuben. 1730-1794. Continental officer (Maj. Gen.), b. Magdeburg, Prussia.
Foreign volunteer; major general, 1778-1784; Inspector General of the Continental Army, 1778-1783; adapting his Prussian training and indoctrination to American circumstances, developed and carried out highly successful training program for Washington's army at Valley Forge, early 1778; took part in Virginia operations of 1781; settled in New York after the war; a major contributor to American independence.
from:
Dupuy, Trevor N. and Gay M. Hammerman. People & Events of the American Revolution. Virginia: T. N. Dupuy Associates, 1974.