Recognition from the Commander In Chief
General Washington final official letter as commander of the Continental Army was written to Steuben on December 23, 1783. In it, Washington paid tribute to Steuben and thanked him for his role in helping America achieve independence. Steuben and other leading figures of the period were on the balcony at Federal Hall in New York City in 1789 when Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. President.
New York State Honors
In gratitude for his service, several states and cities offered Steuben land grants and tributes. New York State conferred honorary citizenship on Steuben in 1786 and awarded him 16,000 acres of land in the Mohawk Valley. Shortly thereafter, he erected a log cabin on his property and spent his summers there. When poverty forced him to leave his New York City residence, the baron retired to the cabin full time.
After military retirement in 1783, Steuben was regularly consulted on a variety of Congressional initiatives. He was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents in 1787. Steuben also presided at the laying of the cornerstone of what is now Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York.
Death of a Humble Servant
Following seven years of debate, Congress voted in 1790 to provide the baron with an annual pension of $2,500, a figure far less than he expected. On November 28, 1794, Steuben died suddenly at his frontier home. According to his wishes, he was wrapped in his military cloak and quietly buried in an unmarked grave. His first grave site is now identified by a historic marker.
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