VISIT XX Baron Friedrich von Steuben Home/Gravesite, Remsen, NY + TOUR Fort Delaware Museum, PA 1Sept-23

VISIT XX to Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben's Home & Gravesite ... and TOUR of Fort Delaware, Narrowsburg, PA....

Steuben Memorial NY State Historic Site

Remsen, New York on September 1, 2023

Steuben's Log House

From Harpers' Popular Cyclopaedia of United States History by Benson John Lossing 1893 Vol. II Page 1348.

Rear view of von Steuben's cabin.  Plaque reads, "This Park was created in memory of Friedrich Wilhelm Baron Steuben, Major General In The War for Independence."

Bill's Notes from the visits...

With family away to MD, I decided to take a ride to Rome, NY to visit…

1)  Baron Von Steuben’s (Inspector-General of the Continental Army) gravesite (1730-1794) at the New York State Steuben Memorial State Historic Site.  I always admired his role in organizing, training, drilling and preparing our Revolutionary War troops, beginning at Valley Forge, PA in February 1778-1779. In 1779, he wrote the "Regulation for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States", called the "Blue Book," used by the United States Army until 1814, even by Lewis and Clark on their famous 3-year trip west 1803-1806.  I walked around his final reconstructed home, a small 3-4? room log cabin as well as the grounds, read historical markers about the site and visited both his original gravesite and his final “Sacred Grove” gravesite/tomb.

(After the Revolutionary War ended, the State of New Jersey gifted Von Steuben the John Zabriskie house (1752) on the Hackensack River in River Edge, NJ.  New York State gave him 16,000 acres in New York State in the Mohawk River Valley.  The River Edge, NJ house was confiscated from Loyalist Jan (John) Zabriskie in 1781, and the State of New Jersey allowed him the use of the dwelling, gristmill and about 40 acres (on December 23, 1783). He sold this home in 1786 with his sights on the Remsen, NY property where he died in November 1794.  He was buried first in a simply marked grave, then disinterred by New York State to be buried in the “Sacred Grove” memorial. I had quite a difficult time finding his original grave marker.  

2) Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, NY. On the ride home from Rome, NY, I stopped and toured Fort Delaware. The site is an authentic depiction of the life of the Delaware Company Pioneers who settled in the Upper Delaware Valley in 1754. A tour of the Fort includes demonstrations of early settlers' lifestyles and craft-making. I walked the cabins inside the Fort, spoke to the “gardener” who gave an interesting description of the vegetable, herb and flower garden and met the Sullivan County, NY Historian, dressed in Colonial garb.  Walking and stopping at each cabin/site I learned about and experienced pre-colonial blacksmithing, candle making, farming, cabin keeping, musketry, military drills, cannon firings, textiles, and more. The experience was both helpful and interesting.

(By 1757, a group of about 30 families formed a small settlement on the new property along the Delaware River, known as Cushetunk, a close approximation of the Lenape word for the area.  Fort Delaware was not a fort in the military sense but was designed as a replica of the stockade that had been known as the “lower fort” of the Cushetunk settlement, which had been located about six miles upriver on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware).

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben 1730-1794 
Towards the end of his life, Steuben indicated in a letter that "an inconsiderate step and an implacable personal enemy" led to his leaving the Prussian army.

Front view of von Steuben's home in Remsen, NY, 1786-1794, where he lived while awaiting his mansion house to be built.  He died before his new home could be completed and buried in his simple uniform and cloak.

from the Internet NPS ..

A veteran of the Prussian Army, Frederick Wilhelm Von Steuben was in France in 1777. There he was introduced to Benjamin Franklin and he volunteered his services to advise the ill-trained American army. Starting at Valley Forge, he converted the ragged, starving army into an effective fighting force and developed the logistical system that allowed the army to survive in the field. His program greatly increased morale and strengthened the army. He authored the "Regulations for the order and discipline of the troops of the United States", sometimes referred to as the "Blue Book," which still remains a basic reference for military training and organization.

As gratitude for his wartime contributions, New York State deeded him a large parcel of land in 1786 and congress granted von Steuben a life annuity in 1790. He spent his summers at his two room log house on the site until his large manor house could be built. Steuben also planned on large scale development of his lands. His large house remained unbuilt and only minimal land development had been accomplished when Steuben died in his cabin in November of 1794. Per his request he was laid in an unmarked grave, but road development exposed his grave in 1804. One of his former aids, Benjamin Walker, took charge of his remains and donated part of the land Steuben had bequeathed him as a final resting place for the Baron’s remains. The site today is known as the "Sacred Grove." 

In addition to the “Sacred Grove”, the site also contains a replica of Steuben’s cabin. 

At New Bridge Landing,
Zabriskie-Steuben House, River Edge, NJ
von Steuben lived here 1783-1788

von Steuben lived in NJ

The house at New Bridge Landing, River Edge, NJ, was confiscated from Loyalist Jan Zabriskie, and served as a military headquarters through much of the Revolutionary War. General George Washington made it his headquarters, September 4 --17, 1780. Following the war, it was given to Major General Baron von Steuben, who occupied it from 1783 to 1788.

The State of New Jersey confiscated the stone mansion from Jan Zabriskie, a Loyalist, in 1781. The New Jersey Legislature gave the Zabriskie estate at New Bridge to Major General Baron von Steuben, the Inspector General of the Continental Army, on December 23, 1783, on condition that he occupy it and not rent it to a tenant. To meet these terms he had to keep a bed and servant at all times and make regular visits. His aide-de-camp, Captain Benjamin Walker, resided there, operating the mill and river dock in partnership with Jan Zabriskie. Captain Walker purchased the Zabriskie estate on Steuben's behalf in 1786. This is the only extant 18th century building that Steuben owned. Steuben renovated the war-damaged house and sold the house to back to the Zabriskie family, Jan, son of the Loyalist, in 1788. His grandson, John J. Zabriskie, died trying to free the mill waterwheel in 1793. Andrew Zabriskie, a cousin, purchased the Steuben House in 1815. His descendants owned the property until 1909.

A view of the long driveway up to the cabin and Memorial.

Another view up the entrance driveway. Plaque reads, "Steuben Memorial State Park, dedicated September 12, 1931 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor of New York." 

The view from von Steuben's cabin looking south was stunning.

von Steubens 3-4 Room Log-Cabin Home

Parking Lot; cabin and Markers to the right; Sacred Grove straight ahead

Information Markers

Note the location of von Steuben's "Original Grave Site" and his final Sacred Grove Memorial

I had quite a difficult time finding this "First Grave" Plaque

Inside von Steuben's Cabin (replica)

The Sacred Grove von Steuben Memorial

The day was bright, sunny, providing a beautiful walk around the cabin grounds as well as along the Sacred Grove path to the von Steuben Monument.  From an information board on-site..."When road construction disturbed Steuben’s burial site in 1804, his former aide and estate executor, Benjamin Walker, had the baron’s body moved to the five-acre wooded area, now called the Sacred Grove. Walker donated 50 acres, including the baron’s grave site, to the Welsh Baptist Society, which agreed to maintain and preserve the Sacred Grove."

Plaque reads,
"Officer in the Prussian Army
1746 – 1763
Major General and Inspector General
Army of the United States
1778 – 1784
--------------------
Trained under Frederick the Great during
the Seven Years War, he brought to
Washington the expert services of a
veteran general staff officer.

By his training of our citizen soldiers at
Valley Forge, by his system of military
regulations, and by his rigid inspections,
he introduced order and discipline into
the Continental Army.

He was Washington’s principal military
adviser and assistant in making the
American Army, though ill-supplied and
depleted in strength, a formidable and
effective force.

His services were thus indispensable to
the achievement of American independence.

After the Revolution he became an American citizen."

Same as above...

Same as below...

The Plaque reads,
 "In grateful recognition of the care and
reverence bestowed upon the grave of
General Baron Frederick William von Steuben
by the Welsh settlers and their descendants
through their churches Chapel Isaf and the Baptist Church of Remsen Oneida County New York from AD 1804 to AD 1930 this tablet is presented to the people of the townships of Steuben and Remsen and the Baptist Church of Remsen New York by the units of the
New York State Council
of the
Steuben Society of America
with the cooperation of the State of New York
on the 31 day of May 1952

View from the exit/entrance of the Sacred Grove trail looking towards the cabin rear.

Finding von Steubens Original Grave/Burial Site

I noticed on the information markers in the State Park parking lot that von Steuben was buried in a simple grave not too far way.  So I attempted to find von Steuben's original gravesite when I left the State Park.. 

Historian Benson J. Lossing drew this image of the stone over Steuben's Grave in the late 1840's for his Pictorial History of the Revolution.
From Harpers' Popular Cyclopaedia of United States History by Benson John Lossing 1893, Vol. II, Page 1348.




I drove down this road and up around a hill to the left, turned around and drove down the road, three or four times before I said, "wait a minute."  The Park information board said he was buried next to a small creek, so maybe I should slow down and look around this bridge here."  Sure enough.

Here is the plaque, buried behind trees and bushes, directly in front of a house.  It reads, "First Grave of Baron Steuben near this spot. By his own wish he was buried wrapped in his military cloak in an unmarked grave." State Education Department 1932

Directly across the street from my truck on the left is the emergency exit from von Steuben State Park, down a long driveway.

Another view of the Plaque.  A small creek/brook was gurgling away while I was snapping pictures.

Here is the view of the Plaque hidden on the left, behind the trees and bushes, located by the driveway.  While I turned around and walked back to the driveway, I noticed an old woman sitting on the porch.  I said, "I bet many people turn around here to find this marker, right?"  She responded, "yes, many people do."

Fort Delaware, Narrowburg, NY

Plaque reads, "In Memory of Joseph Skinner. Pioneer Settler at Cushetunk and prime mover in formation of  the Delaware Company.  He was mysteriously near Cushetunk in 1756."

A parapet walkway surrounded the entire fort allowing for interesting viewpoints for each building.

Plaque reads, "In Memory of John Conklin. Born May 5, 1756 and came to Cushetunk with his parents while still an infant.  Served as Sergeant of Militia 1778-1783. Was with Cptn. Tyler's scouts in the Battle of Minisink."

Plaque reads, "In Memory of Captain Bezaleel Tyler III, first son of the pioneer Bazaleel II. He grew up at Cushetunk, became a scout in the American Revolution and lost his life at the battle of Minnisink July 22, 1779. Plaque contributed to Fort Delaware by members of the Tyler family."

So I met John Conway, Sullivan County NY Historian as a Docent at Fort Delaware.  He introduced me to the Fort, took me to the first stop in the "Tavern-Public House" where he gave an overview and let me loose inside the Fort.  I've met John Conway before at two or more Minnisink Battleground speeches as well as a next door neighbor of Barryville United Methodist Church.  He also owns a Newfoundland dog breed, the same breed as Meriwether Lewis took on the Lewis and Clark Trail 1803-1803.

Altogether a very full history day both with von Steuben and Fort Delaware.  And I sure learned so many interesting facts about both the man and the colonial settlement.