American independence gains a dazzling reexamination with Washington's Gay General: The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben, an inquisitive graphic novel written by Josh Trujillo and illustrated by Levi Hastings (Be Gay, Do Comics). The Steuben name is stamped on several regions around the U.S. to commemorate the valor of a Prussian general whose contributions to the American military helped win the Revolutionary War. But much like the Marquis de Lafayette, another foreign-born officer who was integral to the revolution, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben is remembered by few these days.
Born in 1730, von Steuben began his military career as young as 14, by lying about his age. Embellishing his résumé became a common tactic for him to advance in ranks, but by the time he would publish his "Blue Book" of military standards in 1779, with the assistance of one of his most devoted soldiers and lovers, the proof of his expertise was validated by the book's continued use in the States for decades to come.
Legacy and glory are hallmarks of the von Steuben story, but the authors do well to skirt the borders of hagiography. In this brief but nuanced portrait of a trusted ally to George Washington, Trujillo and Hastings make space to remember the Indigenous peoples bulldozed by the colonial endeavor. They excoriate the machinations of enslavement. What they salvage from the wreckage of war and subjugation, however, is a sympathetic biography of a man who loved men and strove for greatness and renown.
Reclaiming queer history is delicate work, because modern words used to define gender and sexuality don't always map neatly onto the recorded experiences of figures from the past. And because the record itself often elides or abuses any divergence from conventional living. Trujillo and Hastings venture into these liminal spaces with sensitivity. They illustrate, for instance, the varied ways to speculate about sodomy charges leveled at another officer, Lieutenant Frederick Gotthold Enslin: "Was it a more innocent advance from a queer soldier, or was it a forceful sexual assault? Or was someone trying to make a serious example out of him?" In any case, Enslin was court-martialed and dropped out of the public record.
Hastings's art is stately and expressive, with exactly the delicate, detailed touch the story of this flamboyant figure demands. Moreover, the black-and-white lines splashed with blue and gray coloring bring to mind another queer graphic novel about complicated characters: Fun Home. Resolving with a coda about other queer figures from Baron von Steuben's time, Washington's Gay General is a poignant reminder of how easily the historical record can overlook the important contributions of those whose personal lives are at odds with social expectations. --Dave Wheeler, associate editor, Shelf Awareness
Shelf Talker: This gorgeously appointed graphic novel examines the biography of Baron von Steuben, a key military leader in the American Revolution, and his male lovers.