The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-10
mad" ANTHONY WAYNE.
| His Rage AT Being Ordered to Report to a
| Misunderstanding" Frenchman.
cincinnati Commercial Gazette.I

Cincinnati Commercial GaZette.l
The dreadful drama of the Revolution was
entering upon the last act, in the spring Of ISL,
though the footsore and ragged continentals
knew it not. The final storm.burst was center
ing in Virginia. Lafayette in command Of the
Virginian army, was compelled to evacuate
| Richmond before the advance of CORVALLIS |;
and Arnold, the traitor, at the head of $500
men, was marching to reinforce the confident
royalists.
! Meanwhile Gen Wayne was en- route from
| Pennsylvania to join Gen Greene in the Carroll
mas. But Washington had ordered Wayne to
| aid Lafayette, should the latter need reinforce
ments in his resistance to CORVALLIS. Lafay-
cites troops were in disprited and disorderly
condition upon the, retreat, and CORVALLIS
knew it. In writing of the pursuit the duke
said: "The boy can not escape me-"
| This "boyhood" of the brave young French
man was source of rdicue among British Of
fcers, and Of jealousy among the continentals.
OF the latter, Gen Wayne was a conspicuous
instance. His reputation, rank, and violent
temper made him intolerant, and he never fail
| ed to give expression to bis opinions in unmeas-
ured terms.
| Wayne was not days march from Lafayette
when be received an order from the latter to
JON and co operate with him, indicating therein
the route Wayne's army should take, and the
point where the forces should become united.
Upon reaching the designated point, Lafay
cite was surprised not to meet Wayne or re-
ceive any word from him. This delayed La
fayette's movements and filled his mind with
apprehension.
| The marquis thereupon sent his id-de-camp,
Maj Anderson, to urge Gen Wayne to march
with all haste. (This officer was Maj Richard
Clough Anderson, aid.de-camp to Lafayette,
the father OF Mai Anderson of Fort Sumpter
memory.)
Mai Anderson found Wayne in camp, and re-
ceiyed from him an ungracious promise to
move up. At the end of three days Lafayette
learning that Wayne was not advancing again
sent Maj Anderson with peremptory order to
join him by forced marches; and Maj Ander-
son was Instructed to remain with Wayne, and
to send forth hourly dispatches to his chief un-
til the troops should arrive at camp.
When Anderson reached Wayne on his Sec
| ond mission he found that Gen Wayne had
moved but four miles from his former head
/
as the adjutant's office, Maj Anderson satuted
Gen Wayne and his staff; then asking for PEN
ink and paper, sat down as If to write. Look
ing up to Wayne whose curiosity had been ex-
cited by this proceeding, he told the general
that he had been sent by the Marquis de Lafay.
cite to report the order for his advance, and
that as he was about to forward the first Of the
| hourly dispatches required OF him he desired
to know what should be the nature Of the re-
port. Wayne was amazed at the conduct OF
I .f.~<s hr., Irn1 4txr 1f1
i de-camb. s'lJo sou mean to insult me !"
i Anderson denied having any such intention,
i Int said that in the course of duty he carried
i the commands of a superior officer. Wayne's
voice, which had been husky and choked with
4 passion, now broke forth: ''superior! superb
or! Do You call any ID foreigner, any
| boy, my superior 7" He then poured forth
| yolley of oaths and imprecations upon all for
eisners, not sparing Anderson himself, for
having associated himself with "the fortune
| seeking Frenchman." He became more vehe-
ment as he dashed himself into fury, striding
up and down the room, stamping his feet in
| paroxysm of rage. 1t was the indulgence OF
| these furious outbErsts of temper, and not his
well known rashnesS in battle that gave him
the nickname of "Mad Anthony Wayne"
The account says that Wayne, fatigued by
| his violent actions and the vehemence OF his
passions, gradually subsidized into genteness OF
action. But any reference to the object of An
| derson'S mission led to repetition OF the pas
sionate outburst. An officer succeeded at last
| in turning the conversation from the dangerous
| topic.
Wayne having expressed himself confident
of ultimate success, Maj Anderson gave ex-
preston to his own gloomy ioreoodi1gs.
| Pressed for his reasons by Gen Wayne, Ander-
| son replied that as the only hope OF success
against formidable foe lay in voluntary union
and subordination, the example he had seen
that day of an officer high in rank, and OF dis.
| t;uyuic bod cpryipps rpfusinC To ODey orders of
a superior officer deprived him of the hope OF
useful or permanent success.
"Gen Wayne" said Maj Anderson, 81 look
| to you to remove these aprehensions."
This arraignment of Waync's course seemed
about to produce another storm burst of pas
sion; but Wayne was, though envious and ex'
citable true patriot and soldier, and with
| almost the same heat with which he had re-
| fused to obey Lafayette be cried out
"Tell him I'll jine him Tell him I'll jine
him BY Cd, tell him I'll jne him to NOR
| row."