Editing Valley Forge (section)

== Transformation ==

Despite the suffering, Valley Forge witnessed the transformation of the Continental Army from a collection of state militias into a professional fighting force. The agent of this transformation was Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian military officer who arrived at Valley Forge in February 1778 with letters of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. Von Steuben claimed a higher rank than he had actually held in Prussian service, but his expertise in drill and military organization was genuine. Washington appointed him inspector general and authorized him to train the army according to European military standards.<ref name="lockhart"/>

Von Steuben's training began with a model company of 100 soldiers, whom he drilled personally despite not speaking English (he issued commands in French, which aides translated). He taught the soldiers to march in formation, execute maneuvers, and use the bayonet—skills that American troops had largely lacked. As the model company mastered each lesson, its members fanned out to train other units, spreading proficiency throughout the army. Von Steuben also standardized the army's practices, writing a manual of drill and discipline that became the official regulations of the Continental Army. By spring, the ragged troops who had staggered into Valley Forge had become a disciplined force capable of meeting British regulars on equal terms.<ref name="wright">{{cite book |last=Wright |first=Robert K. |title=The Continental Army |year=1983 |publisher=Center of Military History |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>