ANTHONY WAYNE, THE STORMER OF

STONY POINT

MAD ANTHONY" is the title of honor usually given to General Anthony Wayne of the Revolutionary War. Of honor, we say, for this title was used not in contempt but in compliment, to designate his daring and impetuous way of fighting. To apply an old saying, there was "method in his madness." He knew no such feeling as fear, but his boldness was tempered with judgment, and his generalship usually led to victory.

This famous American warrior was born on the Ist of January, 1745, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His grandfather had fought at the battle of the Boyne, under King William, in Ireland, his father had seen service as a soldier, and as a boy he, too, had a strong fancy for fighting. Educated in Philadelphia, he took up the art of a surveyor, and in 1773 engaged in public life as a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

From early manhood he took a firm stand as a patriot and vigorously opposed the tyrannous acts of the British King and Parliament. He became a member of the Committee of Safety in 1775, and after the day of Lexington and Concord he called on the patriotism of his friends and neighbors of Chester County, and soon had a regiment in arms, of which he took command. He was appointed its colonel by Congress in January, 1776, and in April was sent with his men to Canada in the expedition under General Thompson. Here he gave the British the first taste

of his quality in the battle of the Three Rivers. This affair ended in a defeat; General Thompson was taken prisoner and Colonel Wayne was wounded. But despite his wounds he took command of the shattered troops, collected them together, and led them off gallantly in the face of the victors.

This was Anthony Wayne's christening in war. His next term of service was at Fort Ticonderoga, where he held the command for six months, during which he gained credit alike for courage and skill as an engineer. His good service here won him the rank of brigadier-general and in May, 1777, he joined Washington in New Jersey, leaving the north on the eve of the Burgoyne expedition.

Washington soon found work for Wayne to do. The British from New York landed at the head of the Chesapeake and marched northward towards Philadelphia, then the seat of Congress. The Americans awaited them on the line of the Brandywine. The men under Washington at that time were far inferior to their foes in numbers, arms, and discipline, but the country was eager for a fight and the experienced commander did not deem it wise to abandon the capital without a blow in its defence. At this battle, September 11, 1777, Wayne was in command of the left wing of the army at Chadd's Ford, and held off the British for the whole day. When the line was broken elsewhere, and victory perched on the British banner, he still defended his post gallantly and led his men off safely in the evening shades.

Washington, though defeated, was not dismayed. He determined to take advantage of the first favorable opportunity to meet the foe in battle again, and detached General Wayne, with his division, with orders

to harass the advancing British in every way possible. Washington, indeed, was still full of fight, and on the 16th the advance guard of the two armies met again, Wayne in the leading columns. But battle was hardly begun when a very heavy rain came on, wetting the ammunition and making both sides unfit to fight.

Washington withdrew to the Schuylkill, leaving Wayne to execute the work laid out for him. On the 20th of September the British were encamped at a place called Tredyffrin and Wayne lay near the Paoli tavern, about three miles in the rear of their left wing. He took precautions against surprise, but the British scouts had learned his location, and about eleven o'clock that night Major-General Gray, having driven in his pickets, suddenly rushed upon him with a strong force with fixed bayonets. Taken by surprise, the Americans made what defence they could, but, broken and outnumbered, they were speedily driven from their ground, with the loss of about one hundred and fifty men in killed and wounded. This night attack became known in the army as the " massacre of Paoli," and in later fights the inspiriting shout of "Remember Paoli was used as a war-cry by Wayne's men.

Blamed for allowing himself to be surprised, Wayne demanded a court-martial, which, when it had heard the evidence, acquitted him with honor, declaring that he had done everything to be expected from an active, brave, and vigilant officer. It was the only time in his career that General Wayne's conduct was called in question. A marble monument has been erected on the battle-ground at Paoli, in memory of the men who fell that fatal night.

Washington was still determined to bring the enemy to account, and early in October, finding that Howe

had divided his army, the larger part of which was at Germantown, some miles above Philadelphia, the remainder in that city, he determined to take the Germantown forces by surprise. At seven o'clock in the evening of October 3d the Americans began to march from their camp about fourteen miles distant, Wayne in command of the right wing. It was daybreak before the battle began, mistakes occurred in the movement of the several divisions, and though Wayne greatly signalized himself by his spirited manner of leading his men into action, the surprise proved a failure and the Americans were repulsed. Wayne had one horse shot under him, and another fell as he was in the act of mounting, while he received slight wounds himself.

The frightful winter at Valley Forge followed, during which Wayne was kept active in foraging for provisions. When the British left Philadelphia in the following year and were hotly pursued across New Jersey by Washington, Wayne took active part. In the council of war held before the battle of Monmouth, he and General Cadwallader were the only officers decidedly in favor of attacking the British army. Washington agreed with them and took measures which brought the battle on. In the conflict that followed Wayne and Greene were especially ardent in the attack, and while General Charles Lee, by an uncalled-for retreat, imperilled the day, the impetuous Wayne did much to assure success. In Washington's report to Congress he gave General Wayne the highest credit for his splendid conduct through the whole battle.

In July, 1779, after Washington had shut up the British army in New York, and was constantly on the alert to prevent any dangerous movements on their

part, General Wayne performed the great exploit of his life, the most brilliant act of prowess in the Revolution, and one which especially brought him the title of Mad Anthony-the storming of Stony Point.

Stony Point is a commanding hill, projecting into the Hudson River, which washes its base on three sides. On the fourth side is a deep marsh, with only one crossing place, though at low tide there is another pass along the sandy beach. On the summit of this hill the British had built a strong fort, well supplied with heavy guns, and defended by breastworks and strong batteries in front, while halfway down the hill were two rows of abatis. Guns were trained to command the beach and the marsh passes, while several warships in the river were stationed so that their fire could sweep the ground at the foot of the hill. The garrison consisted of about six hundred men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson.

To satisfy the demands of the people that something should be done, Washington determined to attack this strong post, and General Wayne, who commanded a body of light infantry in advance of the main army, was chosen as the man best fitted for so hazardous an enterprise. The only hope of success lay in a surprise, and the night of the 15th of July was selected for the attempt, twelve o'clock being fixed upon as the hour, as that in which the garrison would probably be most off their guard.

The infantry began their march from Sandybeach, fourteen miles away, at noon of the 15th, and, traversing a very rugged and difficult country, reached a point a mile and a half from the fort at eight o'clock in the evening, their presence unsuspected by the enemy. Wayne and his officers reconnoitred the