<P> Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben ( born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben ; September 17 , 1730 -- November 28 , 1794 ) , also referred to as the Baron von Steuben , was a Prussian and later an American military officer . He served as inspector general and major general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . He is credited with being one of the fathers of the Continental Army in teaching them the essentials of military drills , tactics , and disciplines . He wrote Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States , the book that served as standard United States drill manual until the American Civil War . He served as General George Washington 's chief of staff in the final years of the war . </P>
who was the prussian veteran that trained american troops at valley forge
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben