Von Steuben arrived in New Hampshire in December 1777. He traveled from there to Boston arriving in York, Pennsylvania, where the Continental Congress had relocated.
The agreement was made that he would be paid at the end of the war according to his contributions. Von Steuben reported for duty as a volunteer at Valley Forge in February 1778. General Washington appointed him as temporary inspector general, and he established standards of camp layouts and sanitation. There were rows for command, officers and enlisted men. Latrines and kitchens were on opposite sides of the camp.
He enforced the keeping of exact records and inspections, and used a progressive training system that trained each soldier, with and without arms, and then the school of the regiment. They were taught to reload their muskets quickly after firing, charge with a bayonet, and march in compact columns instead of long lines. The responsibility for training of new soldiers was on the company commander, but the instruction was to be done by the sergeants. He taught the soldiers discipline, restored morale, and whipped them into shape. In May1778, Congress appointed Von Steuben inspector general of the army and awarded him the rank and pay of major general.
The Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States was prepared by Von Steuben. This became the Army’s Blue Book. Von Steuben served in the Continental Army for the rest of the American Revolution. He traveled with General Greene participating in action and was part of the final campaign in Yorktown.
Von Steubon died November 28, 1794, in Steuben, New York.