Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08

asked the keeper if the general was mad
or in fun when the arrest was made.
Many persons in former days used the
term mad as a synonym for angry. and
somehow his own men got to referring
to their commander as Mad Anthony"
They meant 1t as tribute to his daring,
his ma gnificent courage and his disregard
of danger in the hours of supreme trial,
but through that nickname a grave in
Justice has been done to the fame of
really great man. He was not the rash,
harebrained man schoolboys have been
led to believe. Far from it. Brave he
was to the highest degree. but he was
prudent too. OF all the generals who
served under Washington he probably
was the most studious and most compe
tent He drilled his men as did no other
commander in the Continental Army. and
through his patience and painstaking at
tention to detail he brought the Penn
sylvania line up to point where 1t was
the finest fighting body in the war of
independence.
Twice he saved the young republic
once at Stony Point and once at Mon
mouth In the annals of war there are
few achievements to compare with his
capture of Stony Point. 1t ranks higher
than that of Wolfe in scaling the heights
of Abraham. yet America never has
given to Wayne the glory Britain gave
to the hero of Quebec In fact, the re-
public has not done justice to Anthony
Wayne, living or dead. Despite his sue
cesses in the war for liberty promotion
was denied him. 1t was not until the
close of hostilities that he got a major
generalship. and then only by brevet.
And after his death. through the unfortu
nate acceptance of Mad in connection
with his name, the idea was suggested
that his brain was tainted with madness
The real Anthony Wayne, the Anthony
Wayne the American people ought to
know, was a whole-souled, hearty. free
spoken man. who had two passions-fine
dress and letter writing. He was inordi-
nately fond of rich apparel and as vain
of his handsome face and figure and his
brave appearance as ever Beau Brummell
was Of his silks and satins. He was the
dandy of his day. To him clothes played
a decided part In the making of man.
He insisted upon his men shaving them
selves regularly. and until the time the
Continental Army was reduced to rags
his inspection of his men was rigorous.
Before he stoFmed the heights of Stony
Point he had his men shave and powder
themselves.
He believed cleanliness and neatness
tended to self-respect and good order.
Generous. warm-hearted and impulsive.
he frequently was indiscreet in his
speech. He could not dissemble. and he
criticised public men so freely that he
made many enemies. He hated Benedict
Arnold from the first day he met him; he
could not tolerate Gen. Charles Lee and
he had little respect for Gen. st. Clair.
There were various men in Congress. too.
for whom he had no use. Generally
speaking, his Judgment of men was re-
markably good. but he was so strong
willed and imperious at times in declar-
ing his opinions that he won sympathy
for those he denounced. And at times he
was a bit boastful He was not an envi-
Gus or jealous man, but he certainly
was egotistical and he loved flattery. He
believed absolutely in his military skill,
his Judgment and the fighting qualifica-
lions of the American soldier. And he
never was prouder than when on the
field Of Monmouth he. with part of the
Pennsylvania line. not only withstood the
charge of Monckton's grenaders. but
crushed that command. which was the
flower Of the British army.
-.
BAH he exclaimed to Baron Steuben
.'you said the American soldier could not
stand in the open against the British
regulars. i charged the regulars at Ger
mantown and sent them flying. And now,
when the grenadiers charged my COM
mand. we hurled them back. My dear
baron, you do not give enough credit to
the American soldier. Drill him properly
and he is the finest fighting man in the
world"
Next to Washington Wayne respected
Steuben. From the time the baron ar
rived In the camp at Valley Forge Wayne
a better or more earnest one. Wayne
crayed glory. He looked upon war as a