in their hats. The watchword was, "The Fort is our Own," to be sounded "by the victorious troops with repeated and loud voice as they entered and drove the enemy from their works and guns, and not before. The humanity of the conquerors, it should not be forgotten, was as distinguished as their courage. This was the spirit of Mad Antony, as he was called. It is said that the title was first bestowed upon him by a witless fellow in the all was done witless fellow in the camp, and taken up as a lucky hit by the soldiery. At any rate, Wayne became known by it, as he is to this day, over the country. It is in accordance with this character of "Mad Antony," that he is said, when consulted by Washington with reference to the projected attack, to have replied, "General, I'll storm hell, if you will only plan it." Not a musket was fired; all was done with the bayonet. In the words of Wayne's dispatch, "neither the deep morass, the formidable and double rows of abatis, nor the strong works in front and flank, could damp the ardor of the troops, who, in the face of a most tremendous and incessant fire of musketry, and from cannon loaded with grapeshot, forced their way, at the point of the bayonet, through every obstacle, both columns meeting in the centre of the enemy's works nearly at the same instant." Wayne himself, at the head of the right column, was wounded in the head by a musket ball in the advance, after passing the last abatis, and was supported into the works by his aids. "Carry me into the fort," he said, "and let me die at the head of my column." The victory was complete, as the garrison surrendered, and the enemy's guns were turned against their own vessels of war in the river and their opposite fort. Mr. Lossing, in his "Field Book of the Revolution," has given a fac simile of Wayne's hurried autograph note of the surrender, sent to General Washington. It is dated Stony Point, 16th July, 1779, 2 o'clock, A.M. "Dear Genl.: The fort and garrison, with Col. Johnston, are ours. Our officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be free. "Yours most sincerely, "ANTY. WAYNE." Every year of the war furnishes some memorable action for Wayne's biographers. That of 1780 derives its interest rather from its having fur nished Major Andre with the theme of his celebrated battle of the Cow Chase, than from the success or brilliancy of the exploit. Wayne was ordered by Washington, in the summer, to storm the work on Block House Point, on the Hudson, near Bull's Ferry, opposite the present limits of New York city, and to drive the cattle collected there into the American lines. The movement was important as a diversion of the British force in the harbor. The troops were repulsed at the Block House, but Wayne drove off the cattle "To drive the kine one summer's morn, The calf shall rue that is unborn "And Wayne descending steers shall know, And tauntingly deride, And call to mind, in ev'ry low, The tanning of his hide." The ballad was published in "Riv- under the command of Greene. His ington's Gazette," for the amusement of Tory officers, but with the laugh, there is some honest respect for Wayne, whose Stony Point adventure could not be forgotten; in the last stanza, for instance, which reads: "And now I've closed my epic strain, I tremble as I show it, Lest this same warrior-drover, Wayne, The following winter, Wayne was stationed at Morristown, where he had an opportunity to show good judgment and discretion, and bring to bear the weight of his personal character in the management of a body of the soldiery who had grown refractory under the repeated short-comings in the engagements of Congress. The summer found him at the head of the Pennsylvania force coöperating with Lafayette in Virginia, when he nearly lost his whole command by one of those accidents of war which the bravest are most exposed to. Cornwallis was in retreat, it was presumed, in the neighborhood of Jamestown, when Wayne was ordered to attack what was thought to be only the rearguard. He unexpectedly found himself in presence of the whole army, when he made a gallant charge, which so impressed the enemy with the idea of a larger force that he was enabled to retreat with heavy loss. Though a disastrous, this was considered a gallant affair on the part of Wayne. Cornwallis is not long after, heard of at Yorktown. force was small, and the difficulties arising from insufficient means, of the most harassing character; but Wayne managed to gain laurels notwithstanding. The latter raised supplies, "made Whigs out of Tories," and scoured the country of the enemy, with the exception of Savannah. The British commander called the Choctaws and Creeks to his aid. Wayne defeated the former in a hot engagement, and a party of British troops sent to support the latter. The Creeks, however, stole a march upon his camp by night, and were inflicting great slaughter, when Wayne rallied his men and routed the savages with prodigious feats of valor. This was one of the last incidents of the war. On the evacuation of Savannah Wayne granted liberal terms to the Tory occupants, in accordance with a benevolent and enlightened policy. As a reward for his protection, Georgia made him a valuable grant of land, which proved an unhappy gift, as it drew him into embarrassing pecuniary efforts in its attempted improvements. On his return to to Pennsylvania, Wayne received proof of the confi dence of his fellow-citizens in being sent to the Convention to amend the State Constitution. He now passed his time in rural pursuits, till he was called by Washington to the command of the force against the western Indians to retrieve the disaster of St. Clair. He took the field in Ohio in the autumn of 1793, and intrenched himself the ensuing season in winter quarters in the interior. He also erected a fort on the Wayne's next service is in Georgia, site of St. Clair's defeat, which he named Fort Recovery The next summer, of 1794, he took the field in pursuit, and on the 20th of August attacked the large Indian force on the Miami, in the vicinity of the British post and garrison at the foot of the Rapids. The savages had the advantage of a thick wood, encumbered by fallen trees; but Wayne, used to this method of fighting, made an advantageous disposition of his troops and effected a complete rout. The victory was followed the next year by a satisfactory treaty with the Indians; while the surrender of the western post, under the terms of Jay's British treaty, gave additional securities of peace. On his return to the Atlantic, Wayne was hailed, in a triumphal entry into Philadelphia, as a public deliverer. Only those conversant with the terrors of Indian warfare can estimate the value of the security he gave to the frontier territory. It was while returning from the sequel to this western service, under an appointment by the Government, as sole commissioner for treating with the Indians and receiving the military posts surrendered by the British, that he was seized with an attack of the gout, while descending Lake Erie from Detroit. He died in a hut at Presqu' Isle in December, 1796, and was buried on the shore of the lake. In 1809 his remains were brought by his son to his native State, and interred in Radnor churchyard, in Delaware County. A simple monument of white marble was erected over his remains on the Fourth of July of that year, by the Pennsylvania State Society of the Cincinnati, "the thirtyfourth anniversary of the independence of the United States," as the inscription reads, " an event which constitutes the most appropriate eulogium of an Ame rican soldier and patriot." In person, Wayne was well propor tioned; dark hair and dark eyes adding force to his expression. He was of a lively, vivacious turn, always ready for action. Graydon, the officer and memoir writer, from his own State, smiles at his eagerness as he pronounces him "somewhat addicted to the vaunting style of Marshal Villars;" "a man," he adds, however, "who, like himself, could fight as well brag." Wayne's valor, indeed, was never wanting: it was often interposed in critical moments, when it was twice valuable. His prudence and skill in disentangling himself from difficulties were the more remarkable in combination with his chivalry. He was constantly in service, was engaged at various times in the North, the middle States, the South and the West, always in conspicuous relations, and always with honor. HENRY KNOX. A MAJOR GENERAL in the American | Flucker, the daughter of Thomas Revolution, and the friend of Wash-Flucker, Gage's government secretary, ington, was born in Boston, July 25, the lady who became afterwards so 1750, as his name suggests, of Scottish well known in the old Revolutionary parentage. He was well educated in society and circle at Washington. It the school of the town, and at the is said, on this occasion, that she asbreaking out of the war, was engaged sisted her husband's flight from Bosin Boston as a bookseller; an occupa ton, by sewing his sword in the lining tion which, with his previous instruc- of her mantle to escape detection. The tion, is said to have given a flavor of story is told, too, of the lady making reading and literature to his after years. the acquaintance of the young book. He had also exhibited an early fond- seller, by visiting his store to purchase ness for military pursuits, having, pre- his books-not the first instance in vious to the actual commencement of which literature has led the way to hostilities, become an officer in a volun- love.1 teer company, organized for the popu lar defence. "There is evidence," says one of his biographers, "of his giving uncommon attention to military tactics at this period, especially to the branch of enginery and artillery, in which he afterwards so greatly excelled." Knox was with the first gathering of the army at Cambridge, where he was immediately associated, by a committee of safety, with the veteran Gridley, the chief engineer of the infant army, in executing measures for defence. He was in the reconnoitering These pursuits were well known to service, as a volunteer, on the day of the British officials, who looked upon Bunker Hill, in communication with Knox as a man whom it would be of the force in the field, and General Ward advantage to enlist on the side of au- at his headquarters at Cambridge. We thority, and upon the "rebels" taking find him subsequently engaged in the up arms at Lexington, the departure engineering work, and closing in upon of Knox from Boston was interdicted the British previous to their evacuation by Governor Gage. He managed, how- of the city. But the important service ever, to escape to the American camp, in time for service at Bunker Hill. He was already married to Miss Lucy 'Headley's Washington and His Generals, II. 101. Lossing's Field Book, I. 516. |