Biographies of Area Pioneers, Settlers and other Important Figures.

Letter "W"

Wayne, Anthony, born at East Town, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1745; educated at the Philadelphia Academy; became a surveyor and an intimate friend of Franklin; was agent of a land company in Nova Scotia 1765-66; married and settled on a farm in Chester county 1767; was elected to various county offices; was a member of the Pennsylania convention and of the legislature of 1774; served on the committee of safety 1775; raised in September of that year a regiment with which he took part in the campaign against Canada; became colonel January 3, 1776; was wounded at the battle of Trois Rivieres, at which he was highly distinguished; was afterward in command of the fortresses of Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, garrisoned by five regiments, until May, 1777; was commissioned brigadier-general February 21, 1777; joined Washington in New Jersey; commanded a division at the battle of Brandywine, September 11, being stationed at Chadd's Ford to oppose the passage of the river by Knyphausen; fought all day and effected a successful retreat at sunset; took command of a flying detachment of 1500 men for the purpose of harassing the British rear, but was surprised at Paoli (close to his own homestead) by superior numbers on the night of September 20, and lost 53 men; was acquitted of blame by a court-martial held at his own request; led the American right wing at the battle of Germantown, October 4; made a raid within the British lines in the winter of 1777-78, capturing numerous horses and cattle and abundance of forage; contributed his skilful manoeuvres to the victory of Monmouth, June 28, 1778; led the attack at the storming of Stony Point on the night of July 15-16, 1779, considered the most brilliant feat of arms of the whole war; was wounded in the head; received from Congress a vote of thanks and a gold medal; acquired the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony Wayne," and became the favorite popular hero; exhibited much address in suppressing a mutiny of the Pennsylvania line at Morristown, January, 1781; joined La Fayette in Virginia, January 7; made with a part of a brigade a daring attack upon the whole British army at Green Spring or Jamestown Ford, July 6, and by a bayonet-charge, disconcerted a projected manoeuvre against La Fayette; was present at the surrender of Cornwallis; defeated the British and Indians in Georgia, May and June, 1782; took possession of Charlestown, South Carolina, after its evacuation, December 14; retired to his farm in Pennsylvania after the war; served in the Pennsylvania asembly 1784-85, and in the convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution; was appointed major-general April 2, 1792, and took command of an expedition against the Western Indians, whom he defeated at Fallen Timbers, or Maumee Rapids, August 20, 1794; concluded with them the treaty of Greenville, 1795, and while on his return homeward, died at Presque Isle (now Erie, Pennsylvania), December 15, 1796. His remains were removed in 1809 to Radnor church, near Waynesborough, Pennsylvania, where a monument was erected by the Pennsylvania Society of Cincinnati, July 4, 1809. His Life, by General John Armstrong, is in Spark's series, and his Regimental Orderly Book was printed at Albany in 1859.