Anthony Wayne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anthony Wayne
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5th Senior Officer of the United States Army | |
In office April 13, 1792 – December 15, 1796 |
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President | George Washington |
Preceded by | Arthur St. Clair |
Succeeded by | James Wilkinson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 1st district |
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In office March 4, 1791 – March 21, 1792 |
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Preceded by | James Jackson |
Succeeded by | John Milledge |
Personal details | |
Born | Easttown Township, Province of Pennsylvania |
January 1, 1745
Died | December 15, 1796 Fort Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania |
(aged 51)
Resting place | St. David's Episcopal Church, Radnor |
Political party | Anti-Administration party |
Spouse(s) | Mary Penrose |
Children | Margretta Wayne, Isaac Wayne |
Relatives | Isaac Wayne (father) Samuel Van Leer (brother in-law) |
Occupation | Soldier |
Nickname(s) | Mad Anthony |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() ![]() |
Years of service | 1775–1783 1792–1796 |
Rank | ![]() |
Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer and statesman of Irish descent. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him promotion to brigadier general and the nickname "Mad Anthony". He later served as the Senior Officer of the Army on the Ohio Country frontier and led the Legion of the United States.
Wayne was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and worked as a tanner and surveyor after attending the College of Philadelphia. He was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly and helped raise a Pennsylvania militia unit in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, he served in the Invasion of Quebec, the Philadelphia campaign, and the Yorktown campaign. His reputation suffered due to his defeat in the Battle of Paoli, but he won wide praise for his leadership in the 1779 Battle of Stony Point. He was promoted to Major General in 1783 but retired from the Continental Army soon after. Anthony Wayne was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati of the State of Georgia. In 1780, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
After the war, Wayne settled in Georgia on land that had been granted to him for his military service. He briefly represented Georgia in the House of Representatives, then returned to the Army to accept command of U.S. forces in the Northwest Indian War. His forces defeated the Western Confederacy, an alliance of several Indian tribes, at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers, and he masterminded the Treaty of Greenville which ended the war.
Wayne died in 1796 in Erie, Pennsylvania, while on active duty.
Images for kids
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Statue of Wayne at Valley Forge, facing toward his home in nearby Paoli, Pennsylvania
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Wayne's grave at St. David's Episcopal Church which contains his bones
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The Storming of Stony Point, 1779 by Constantino Brumidi (1871) in room S-128 of the United States Capitol
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Battle of Fallen Timbers, commemorative issue of 1928, 2¢
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His home, Waynesborough in Paoli, Pennsylvania
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Keystone Marker in Wayne, Pennsylvania, named for General Wayne
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Wayne County Building (Detroit, Michigan) pediment