The Heavy-Drinking, Congress-Rejected Spendthrift Who Served America to the Fullest

This is Lee Habib and this is our American stories we tell stories about everything here on the show up next story about a famous general of the American Revolution man Anthony Wayne is around Monty Montgomery with the store. Chances are if you're from the Midwest. You've probably heard of man Anthony Wayne before Wayne is named after him. Wayne County, where Detroit is located is to and there is a bridge bearing his name in Toledo, Ohio, but he's a lot more than just his namesakes. Here's Dr. Mary Stockwell, author of unlikely general man Anthony Wayne in the battle for America with why that is. I can take my own experience when I would tell people I'm writing a book about Anthony Wayne and they would say well why are you bothering his Matt is a madman and his name is everywhere out here just have a bridge about Anthony Wayne. We have Anthony Wayne that clinics in entailing plumbing Anthony Wayne roofing and all kinds of things, but in the mind of most people.

I said ask them what you think about him and then same… While Matt Manning. He loved Warren all these things and that's that's kind of who he is, within the last century. Wayne is kind of come into the memory of the American Revolution is just a wild man who left to kill the British in that he cannot parents love to kill the Indians. None of this is true there's no resemblance to the real Anthony Wayne was born on New Year's Day, 1745 just outside of Philadelphia. He was very wealthy might've been one of the wealthiest young man would participate in the revolution. His father trained him to be a lawyer but Wayne wanted to be a soldier and his father said when the British Empire you're young colonial never can make it in the British Army, but he had a vivid imagination and from the time he was little he was swept up in stories of warfare, the glory of it all leading men in battle he would later write as he was fighting sometimes even look ahead and he would say.

I can see myself on horseback and I'm writing into Philadelphia and we won a great battle, and the laurels on me, the way they were at Caesar.

Golden light is upon me, he loved that he loved the camaraderie of being with his fellow man.

He love serving George Washington, but the dream was glory and in this imagination. It all seems so beautiful. You have to remember to a young boy was well educated and revolutionary times are prerevolutionary times, he would've learned Latin and to learn Latin red great writers, Latin, ancient Romans, one of the greatest writers was to say read all his commentaries he knew every battle and in his imagination. He ran almost like a movie somehow be a part of this glorious enterprise. And to think with fame and fortune go down in the annals of my nation, but his father got a job as a surveyor. I think if he can get out in the in the world and surveyed land that will get some of this energy off of him. What happens though is the American Revolution starts to get underway and he joins the revolutionary cause he becomes a member of the Pennsylvania assembly and he's one of the very first people in the country who says it's time to break away from Great Britain and he says to anyone who will listen to him either in the assembly are now the taverns outside of Philadelphia.

He says I'm defective Republic. We don't have the ability where the people we should rule ourselves.

He was on fire for the revolution.

The way Thomas Paine was the way John Adams was long before the revolution started and once the Continental Army starts to form his childhood dream he had to be a soldier to finally realize he was off to George Washington's camp on Long Island in 1776 again very handsome man beautifully dressed his father. His father taught him to always look your part. Every battle Julius Caesar ever fought a bounce into Washington's I'm here to serve. I'm here to serve the revolution here to serve the nation.

But he knew nothing really got what you get red into history books but when Washington met and he said well he's got one thing, at least in that it's interesting very first thing George Washington gave them to do. He said I will this man's a gentleman about you join us in a fox hunt very quickly.

Wayne was given one assignment after another and becomes really better and better at it. The very first thing he was sent to do. He was sent with the American army to place called three rivers in Canada now this is June 1776 and in this battle of three rivers.

The Army is completely defeated coolies.

The retreat Anthony Wayne.

He relates the retreat of the Army back into New York and people say about him. He seems to snapped to attention and leniently once the battle begins. What he remembers because he writes to his young wife about every battle is going into. He tells her he goes when I was heading to three rivers. The first thing I realized, glory, and all that wonder childhood is gone. I could possibly do this horrible battle when my doing this for once the battle begins again. He snapped to attention. So Washington learn very quickly if he needed somebody to help with the retreat.

Wayne just naturally open Army faster than out of danger and mostly to Dr. Mary Stockwell told the story of man Anthony Wayne. The unlikely general and giving. Well, a little more depth. The story was Paul Harvey like to say the rest of the story of this great man.

He was well dandy you look like a gentleman, but something happened to him in battle. Of course you thought about all of his life. He snapped to attention when the battle begins. I could be as kind of things you ever say about anybody for some people retrench. Once the battle begins with a hard use maps to attention the battle begins.

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Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today and were back with stories in the story of man Anthony Wayne. Let's return to Dr. Mary Stockwell after losing the battle. Three rivers, Anthony Wayne will be sent to Fort Ticonderoga hated every minute of it. He was out of the action. The action would soon come to the battle of Brandywine now in September 1777 Washington calls him back. This is now a frightening time because the British Army's coming to take the city of Philadelphia. So Washington puts all his men on Brandywine Creek to the west trying to stop them that he puts Wainwright up on the bluff looking over Brandywine Creek gets in the artillery. What's interesting about Wayne at this time, he realizes on the battlefield.

Something's going wrong goes to Washington and he said I don't think worth in the right position. I think the British are not crossing where we think the crossing. I think the coming north again to come around Brandywine Creek attack is to be surrounded, so we had an ability to figure out in the midst of a battle what was happening. George Washington made a terrible mistake told window back up to that bluff pretty sure crossing we think the crossing. Wayne was right Army was almost surrounded almost destroyed, but they cannot. But despite Washington's mistake it Brandywine Creek Anthony Wayne remained one of his greatest supporters even though they had some major differences. George Washington was the kind of person who always control his emotions. Anthony Wayne was very enthusiastic or as hard as a slave he had no sense that anybody was greater or lesser than anyone else.

He just befriended George Washington and was much warmer to him than probably Washington once Wayne may be the most wonderful things I discovered was while Wayne was Washington's cheerleader other people.

Again, they respected Washington. They kept them at a distance. Wayne didn't feel that way. He felt they were friends before every battle he would write George Washington a letter saying you can win you in a great position. Yes, Caesar did it before you can do it you can win this battle when it was over in Washington often lost the battle going to get a letter from Anthony Wayne.

Wayne would state a better position than we were before we lost we will get through this better that I want you to be the next Julius Caesar. He realizes very quickly. He's not Julius Caesar. This isn't going to be a war of glorious battles. This is going to be a war of attrition and staying fielding keeping feel and finally Wayne realizes what I was disappointed to Valley Forge that he's not Julius Caesar, but I realize this man's life, love and respect so much. My elder brother is a new kind of leader he is a political leader is a moral leader.

Gotta keep the Army in the field. This is what modern revolution looks like Wayne support for Washington would pay off and he would work his way up the ranks in the Continental Army. The war was all glory for Anthony Wayne and in fact became anything but for him he's remembered for three big mistakes that he made Washington to submit a sign I said in the middle of the night. I want you to attack each train the British as they head east into Philadelphia. Just get the baggage Wayne get this man up on the road into Philadelphia and between the Paolini and the Warren Tavern. People come to him and say the British know you're here and he said no. The British would not do this. I am not going to listen to farmers children about where the British are one in the middle of the night, the British did strike is called the paling massacre. Many of his men were killed, he got there he retreated to he was so good at but if you listen and stocked with dreams what he thought was happening.

Listen to what was happening to him on the ground that would have happened. Then on January 1, 1781 Wayne oversaw the Pennsylvania line, mutiny situation that happened when countless men part of war down the weapons and threatened to defect to the British Army but was 1/3 failure that caused the press to applying that name to him that had been used by his own men at a place called Greenspring plantation is convinced I'll go look there is not baggage train of Cornwallis going back to North Carolina well help. I'll attack it bloodied the nose he glances man up in any realizes wait a minute.

Cornwallis's entire still here one like to do this man who can think so quickly on his feet set for the only time in his battle he couldn't. I don't think Julius Caesar was ever in this position. So finally he realized that the battle of Camden which it happened in South Carolina. The American army had been in a similar situation. They attacked to surprise the enemy and in the retreated quickly. That's what he did.

He attacked Kenaston Cornwallis and then they retreated away from Greenspring plantation lost all his artillery. Many of his horses. He lost many of his men in Washington faulted him for that and this is the first time you see the nickname man. Anthony applied to him in the northern press been called mantis because of his terrible temper.

He was nickname because he had a spine little Irish spy who would help them in the spy would come and go as he pleased. One night his name was Jimmy Jimmy.

The rover Anthony went looking for where is Jimmy.

I need information on the British and Jimmy's gone when Jimmy comes back to camp that night. They tell an empty went looking for you and he's he stating he's angry and this is where the Lord grant comes from the Irishman sent this man. He's mad. The general is man best that I go off and not confront Jimmy was never seen again. Even though Wayne told his wife to see if you can find them.

That's what the nickname was, but now people say maybe he's mad a little bit crazy and reckless on the battlefield and Wayne would soon start to despair goes through an immense transformation in the revolution is a record of it and it's really beautiful letters might start out in 1776.

This is all glory. This is a wonderful this is all fun but as he watches his men suffer without clothes, without shoes, without food, without pay, always having to bag political leaders and the people of the populace for help. He begins this despair over the cause of the American cause and it begins to wear on him. He shot before Yorktown that will never heels you become sick and goes into depression and his depression because it's the dams also come in the night. How can this be happening to us.

How can we be a turning point in world history and the people don't support us. One of the most interesting things I discovered are his writings after Yorktown when the Yorktown is one everyone is gloriously happy. I always think of troubles beautiful painting what everybody's lined up a dark tenets of stunningly beautiful and that's not what happened. That's not what Wayne remembered.

Wayne remembered how the British had to walk with the Hessians on this thing called the surrender and walked to the surrender field you can see it in Yorktown today. Wayne in the midst of all this jubilation he never forgot. He looked across the way and there was a French silk since the satins they were gorgeous and he looked at his own men on the other side of the road and he sent for barefoot Bay has some of my men could even stand here, they couldn't even cover themselves closer threadbare and that sentiment to despair. How can we be a nation that doesn't understand what's at stake.

A big Washington I'm going home and it suddenly dawned. Wait a minute. I have a little boy and a little girl I left them as infants Margaretta and Isaac have to get an education for Isaac in a tray of. Gotta make a fine lady on Margaretta. I've got to get her to school, get her married and he says I'm going home. Washington says no you're going to Georgia to go fight with Nathaniel Green and in the terrible campaign. 1782 to 1783 that is completely forgotten today. Wayne goes south, and he's given a 500 man army and he's told to bring peace to Georgia and make sure the government works in Georgia remains a state that's where he really sinks into despair.

That's where he writes to his wife who doesn't even write to many more. And he says this cessation of this were true blood I can't. I don't want to do this anymore, but he somehow secures Georgia and Dr. Mary Stark will know story of the unlikely general mad Anthony Wayne Moore. This remarkable story soldier story patriot story here on our American story about American stories and the story of mad Anthony Wayne Brooks was by Mary Stark will last left off. Wayne just successfully secured Georgia from the British.

The American Revolution was one Wayne could hardly celebrate the victory. He'd fought so hard to help secure. Let's continue with the story. After the war Wayne was at his lowest point. The British were defeated. He had secured Georgia and his dreams of an independent United States were made reality. His life was shattered and so was his marriage. Anthony Wayne was getting married when his very young girl name Mary called her Polly. He had two children very quickly little girl Margaretta a little boy Isaac.

They were only about four and two when he goes off to Philadelphia.

It appeared to be a happy marriage. But as the war goes on and he is becomes a famous general, women begin to flock to him and in the beginning he has flirtations with women but as time goes on. He has actual romances with women he falls madly in love with gangrene's wife, Catherine Green. She was a beauty temperament like him kind of witty, sarcastic, love to dance, but also a tendency to despair. I he was so close to Catherine Green, people would tell Nathaniel Green. It's great general.

You are watching your wife and your friend best friend something's going on is a crossing the line but she was the love of his life.

Absolute lymphocyte news that this starts to come back to Mrs. Wayne and for a while she pushes it aside these stories can't be true, but a point finally comes when she realizes lost him.

It's the way Sadie road movie star rock star and you go off and you have this adulation even amidst the suffering and you forget your family. We'll break for Mrs. Wayne comes at Yorktown. Wayne has come home after so many battles, he says I'm going to come home.

The war is over. I can't do this anymore, and when he goes off to Yorktown and then has to go off to Georgia. There's a break. There and she never quite forgives him and they never quite restore the relationship never stopped writing to her. He writes to her, like he does to Washington before every battle he writes to her after every battle her about herself would've driven me nuts if I was Mrs. Wayne, but he pours out. Maybe his best writing to this love of his face and he tells her about the transformation.

He's passing killing lady doesn't doesn't like water anymore. He doesn't want glory and he's losing so much. Wayne also had a hard time settling down after so many years of bloodied conflict after the revolution go home again. I don't know if you've ever seen the movie the best years of our lives about men who come back from World War II but my father was in World War II when used to say watch that movie.

It's hard to be in this battle to come home and do normal things he tries to come home. He can't settle down Georgia has given him a plantation outside of Savannah for his services in the war he goes down there is convinced I'm gonna become this great planter.

It's a disaster.

He ends up in total debt. His depression grows greater and greater and greater. He drinks heavily basic. He has doubts, and most mornings, she can't even stand yes to wrap his arms and legs and flannels body is really suffering but he tells his wife really doing this for you and the children. I'm trying to make money.

I think he was doing it just because he couldn't give up the struggle. After the war was over go so far into debt by about 1790, 1791. He almost sells off his family's farm and leaves his family homeless in Pennsylvania.

His friends are still missing when you're lost your mind come back to Pennsylvania. This he finally is facing debtor's prison. He saw phrasing going to debtor's prison. His children know he's lost his relationship with his children and you decide you know if I run for office. I think you get immunity from prison. 717 91. He runs for the House of Representatives from Georgia gets elected, he gets to Congress. He sits in Congress. He says I'm safe I paid my debts. I sold my southern plantation.

Everything is great and the man he defeated Joseph Philadelphia comes to Congress and said Wayne's supporters stuffed ballot boxes to get him elected. He didn't know about it, but it was corrupt and Wayne is thrown out of Congress and he is just been humiliated by being thrown out of Congress out by the early 1790s, when George Washington is president Wayne is quite scandalous man but nevertheless the United States was in a predicament in the West. We were having massive issues with fighting the Indians in Washington needed a general Washington has a plan to move us West and can you imagine if we hadn't moved across the appellations.

If we hadn't crossed the Ohio if we hadn't got all the way out to the Mississippi River. We would've been 13 little states dying on the vine. Washington has this plan where I'll negotiate with the Indians. I respect them by their land up paying the money and goods every year and the slowly allow the Americans to cross the Ohio River.

They signed treaties to do that. But then they Confederated with the help of the British. They were led by Little turtle blue jacket great chiefs like that. They just say it Washington if you crossed the Ohio River run red with the blood of your young men. Washington keeps negotiating but one Army is destroyed in 1790 under harm November 1791, a second Army is destroyed under Arthur St. Clair at this very moment. Wayne is just thrown out of Congress. George Washington has to find a general he's desperate what he does is he gets a list of all the people who had been generals through the American Revolution looks down the list of my Lord. He said I need some reactive brave and so these men are all both sick and tired.

He sees everybody and he criticizes everybody he looks at Wayne.

He doesn't he's worried about Wayne acted ways enterprising that maybe he doesn't always have the best judgment. I don't know if I can send this man westward. Willie Bolivia mutiny. We spent too much money when I've got I've got James Madison breathing down my neck about my expenditures. Should I choose him. He remembers his mistakes, he forgets everything he did. He tells his cabinet. I'm thinking about Wayne and they explode. It's not accent warrants Jefferson at state is Hamilton treasure. They go you can't make this man is to scandalous. He's just just please don't do it.

Washington has to look that what about Wayne because he know nobody else does what he knows, that Wayne thinks he's perfection. He knows that Wayne is devoted to him. He remembers that but I pick him fight with me he'll stay with me. He won't turn on me. He remembers those letters Washington remembers how before every battle to get this great letter.

You can do it afterward he would write still probably the last two things in his favor was from Pennsylvania. Washington didn't want to appear as if the West belong to Virginia. He kept complaining generals from Pennsylvania to go. The Indians were necessary and the last thing Wayne wanted the job. Wayne had been writing to politicians 79 when the Constitution is is approved anything what you want to do. I will will help America if there's something I can do to help my country. Let me do it and Wayne Washington says I'm taking a chance on Anthony Wayne and again when he does yes to point him in 1792 to command this new Army in the West people rights on like him. Can you point this man with all the scandals in Alderson Washington says I can't overcome his foibles, but Wayne also understands the seriousness of the situation and your listing to Dr. Mary Stark will tell one story about a complicated man. More of this remarkable story made Anthony Wayne story here on our American story and were back with stories from the story of med Anthony Wayne. We last left off George Washington. Wayne's old boss taken a massive bet on him against the advice of his cabinet and Wayne was sent West to fight the unions. Let's continue the story. He remembered the French and Indian wars little boy and he knew they were exciting tales of warfare over the mountains.

His father fought no French anymore no experience with Indians except women up at the Fort Ticonderoga. He sees the Indian women who come into the fort often as mistresses of the soldiers but no experience fighting anybody. No experience until he gets to Georgia when he gets to Georgia and he has to deal with the Creek Indians seen their trade disrupted because he's now breaking their time with the British. He writes speech is almost embarrassing to read your he has no idea what he's talking to that he's talking to real people who are traders who are involved in the British economy because the Indians are simple children of the forest used the white man over here fight our battles and will be friends when the wars over his campus ambushed in 1783. He comes close to being killed that wakes them up. These are real people. They are involved with the meter deeply involved with diplomacy, their great fighters, and he gained the respect for the Indians almost overnight.

He talks to anybody who's been outlasting since I am going to learn how they fight and I'm going to show them the respect they deserve savages. These are the top soldiers of this continent better than we do. My got a minute to train my army to be as good as them absolute terror when he leaves Philadelphia in the spring of 1792. He writes his last will and testament = neck, back with us alive.

The power on the North American continent in the 1790s, not United States were weak, the power, the great Confederation nations outlasts Shawnee to Delaware and the British, who are on American soil, arming, and supporting the British wanted us defeated in the West, so he comes West with immense respect and you've got to teach his men how to respect Indians more than anything else. He discovers I can find ways to teach them not to be afraid because my men are terrified let's say that you're going up against the British. That's frightening you I not become Army on one side the British line up on the other, and they keep coming after you waives the waves and waves. Wayne says that's that's frightening enough. He said the differences if you're going into the wilderness. You got to train your army and have them so perfectly trained because as your marching, probably hoping for a confrontation afraid of a confrontation with their tracking you. But you never see them, you'll never see them until the moment they strike and he said they line up they will line up like a savage line up against you and they will command the place the time the battle you don't immediately get into position and don't immediately throw back their first assault you're going to be surrounded you're going to be defeated and there's no quarter.

It's not like you can be a prisoner of the British and sent off to prison ship, you will be killed, and you will be killed and some horrifying ways in the hard training would work for Microsoft because negotiations will break down once again be forced to fight he gets command of the Army.

There is no army. It's been wiped out in November 1791 and Washington tells them you're the commander of this new thing for medical at the Legion of the United States get up first to Pittsburgh later be sent to Cincinnati and then we sent up to a place called Greenville rebuild this big fort a promising 5000 men never gets more than about a thousand men, and they said train the men so perfectly that if we call you to battle you will defeat them. Don't scare the Indians because negotiations are ongoing. So don't appear to aggressive.

If we do tell you the negotiations have broken down and you must fight then you will fight and Wayne does what is told is that I I can train the men to march I can train them to follow orders. I can train them to shoot they can't shoot but he said the thing that I really struggling with their so terrified in the very first attack lines is man up and he says okay go up on the ramparts check for the Indians and come back and will be ready to fight Indians out there.

When he turns around to go back to his men fled.

They completely fled. They don't want to fight me. He had to do this a few times when he was training his men when they were so terrified. He said all right line everybody up gets on his horse goes back and forth in front of his men.

This armies try to put together the battle begins in the rifleman up at the front to run order the dragoons behind them to shoot the rifleman if the dragoons rent then the light infantry behind them. Should dragoons everybody was turned my own artillery on you guys what he wanted them to be. I was more afraid of him than that.

And the enemy. He also said it would all run will die because there's no quarter and Indian war for two years of training his men.

Washington tells Knox to tell Wayne the negotiations are done, start taking that thousand man army call up the Kentucky militia modern rifleman start marching north of the Molly River towards Lake Erie. The British had just built an illegal forth in 1794 S. Detroit arming their directing the Indians that there you're probably going to meet the Indians and the British and the Canadian militia somewhere between Greenville in what is now the city of Toledo, Ohio. Just start marching.

You must defeat them. Got a get a tree.

It's a nerve-racking March and it's finally August 19 know Indians have attacks of any begin the final March on the morning of August 20, the night before this is been a terrible rainstorm, and all of the drones have lost their ability to pound her loosened in the rain and wind is like a train you guys for two years to March 2 my orders and to line up in battle and aligned against the Indians. Based on these. He calls this young lieutenant who is been taken likely to put the green sash around and he says if the battle comes tomorrow you have to write back and forth through the lines with my orders and that young man with the green sash is William Henry Harrison the shots ring out against wings men wings men run in terror and suddenly within five minutes. Wayne has them in perfect order.

Everybody lines up in these huge two huge parallel lines against the Indians there fighting over trees that were down. The battle goes on for about maybe an hour. Indians attack on the right. The attack on the left.

They come up the center eyewitnesses of the Indians were in the battle are amazing to go. He didn't fold, they held their line and they said suddenly we heard Wayne's trumpet smears trumpets on the left and right center coming after us surrounding us and they flee the field. They went back about three or 4 miles to this illegal British fort and the British and in the close the gates in the faces of these Indians, and they said we don't know you and maybe we didn't have anything to do with this battle and in the Indians have to flee with the families back to wherever they come. It's we now call it the battle of fallen Timbers Wayne called the battle of the rapids. He said I remember when we got up to the rapids of the river bank beginning line was formed against us.

It was classic Brandywine classic Germantown. They were lined up to fight us and we are ready. We didn't fold my men. He was stunned. He never recovered from this victory is like one victory. It said it was against this is the battle that has all the monuments out here but nobody knows who Wayne was what he was fighting about. He's fighting to allow Americans to sell north of the Ohio.

It takes a year from Indians to finally come in and write a treaty. They come in. A year later the right. The Treaty of Greenville and they say all right America, you can settle north of the Ohio will move back towards the lakes. We will ally with each other will trade with each other and the British also sign Jay's Treaty. I say we leave, we leave for going back to Canada gets in the end, a great victory what Wayne is really once about 10 years of peace 1795 to 1805 to allow Americans to grow Western to become stronger and really win the country from the appellations to the Mississippi for real that's that's the military side of things. That's the battle that Anthony Wayne wins but he almost never further humane remaining months of his life could hardly believe that he actually trained in army that this didn't fight and they wanted defeated this powerful enemy. Great work, Monty, special thanks to Dr. Mary Stockwell, author of unlikely general manager Anthony Wayne in the battle for America.

The story of man Anthony Wayne dear on our American store