Anthony Wayne

Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), a United States Army general, was born near present-day Paoli, Pennsylvania and educated as a surveyor. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War. His military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of Brigadier General and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony."

The highlight of Wayne's Revolutionary War service was probably his victory at Stony Point. On July 16, 1779, in a nighttime, bayonets-only assault lasting thirty minutes, light infantry commanded by Wayne overcame British fortifications at Stony Point, New York[?], a cliffside redoubt commanding the southern Hudson River. The success of this operation provided a boost to the morale of an army which had at that time suffered a series of military defeats.

After the Revolution, Wayne was put in charge of a newly-formed military force called the "Legion of the United States[?]," whose mission was to consolidate control of the Northwest Territory. British forces had been reluctant to abandon their fortifications at this area, and with their Native American allies, had stalled U.S. efforts to settle the region.

Chief among these allies was a confederation of the Miami, Shawnee[?], Leni Lenape and Wyandot tribes which had previously achieved major victories over U.S. forces in 1790 and 1791 under the leadership of Michikinikwa of the Miamis. On August 20, 1794, Wayne mounted an assault on this confederacy, now led by Weyapiersenwah of the Shawnee, at the Battle of Fallen Timbers[?], just south of present-day Toledo, Ohio. The battle was a victory for U.S. forces, and led to the signing of the Treaty of Greenville[?] between the tribal confederacy and the United States on August 3, 1795. British forces withdrew from the region soon after.

Wayne died of complications from gout and was buried at Presque Isle (now Erie), Pennsylvania; his bones were later disinterred and relocated to the family plot in Radnor, Pennsylvania[?].