To George Washington from Hans Alexander Siegfried von Steuben, 6 March 1790
From Hans Alexander Siegfried von Steuben
A nelam le 6 Mars 1790
Monseigneur!
Votre Excellence aura la Grace de me pardonner la Liberte que jose prendre de vous adresser ce peut de Ligne. Au Sujet d’un Frere unique qui a L’honneur de Servir sous votre Commandement dans le Prowince ùnie de l’amerique. Je lui ai Ecrit plussieurs fois, mais je n’ai jamais eu le Bonheur de recevoir une reponse que jai attendu avec Ardeur. N’etant pas Connu dans se⟨e⟩ Contrée et ne Sachant la Ville et la Prowince de son Commandement. La Grace et la Bonté de votre Excellence qui est connù a tout le Monde Mohnorera de faire passer cette Lettre a son Adresse,1 ne pouwant faire autre Chose Monseigneur pour cette Grace d’etre avec le Cour le plus Sensible et avoir l’honneur de me ranger au Nombre de ceux qui ont l’honneur de se dira avec le plus profond respect. Monseigneur, votre tres hùmble et tres Obeissante Serviteur
H. S. de Steuben
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters.
Hans Alexander Siegfried von Steuben (b. 1743), born in Breslau in Silesia, was the only surviving brother of Gen. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. The younger Steuben served as an officer in the Prussian cavalry (John M. Palmer, General Von Steuben [New Haven, Conn., 1937], 26).
1. The enclosed letter has not been found. Hans von Steuben had been attempting to contact his brother for several years. He had written to Benjamin Franklin on 15 Aug. 1781 and 13 Feb. 1782 in an effort to reach his brother, apparently without success (Steuben Papers, microfilm edition, reel 5, pages 279, 383). No letter from Hans Alexander Siegfried Steuben to his brother is among the more than 4,000 items collected in the microfilm edition of The Papers of General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (Edith von Zemenszky, ed., Guide and Index to the Microfilm Edition: The Papers of General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, 1777–1794 [Millwood, N.Y., 1984], 144). During his last years General von Steuben divided his time between New York City and his estate in the Mohawk Valley, where he died on 28 Nov. 1794. Hans von Steuben wrote again to GW from Treptow in Pomerania on 1 Sept. 1796 mentioning that he had learned of his brother’s death and inquiring whether his brother had made any provision for Hans in his will (DLC:GW). GW replied on 3 Mar. 1797 that upon inquiry he had learned that General von Steuben’s debts would consume most of his estate, and that whatever remained had been bequeathed to American friends (DLC:GW).