Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus Steuben was born in Magdeburg, Prussia on September 17, 1730. Baron von Steuben was a Prussian officer in the American Revolutionary War. He was introduced to General George Washington  by Benjamin Franklin, whom von Steuben had met in France. During the war, he instructed American troops in military drills and played an important role in several key battles. After the war he did not find work and had to borrow money from George Washington.  He died on November 28, 1794 at his home in Oneida County, New York.