The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-07-11

marched by night with his picked
command and stormed Stony Point with sword in
hand' on July 1916, 1879, and from that time on
he was known by the adoring soldiery of the
Continental army as "Mad Anthony"
That nickname was true so far as 1t reflected
his daredevil courage. But it was not true so far
as it suggested recklessness and lack of caution
His later career as a cool and wary commander
of the forces sent against the trickest of enemies
the Indians of the Old Northwest, proved that
for after the famous Battle of Fallen Tmbers
westbound emigrants floating down the Ohio
sang:
Wayne, Anthony Wayne!
Free is the river from source to mouth,
Free are the streams of the North and South
Praise to Anthony Wayne!
Wayne's capture of Stony Point was the high
spot of the year 1779. During that summer Wash
ingon and Clinton the opposing commanders
were warily watching each other near New York.
Some time before that the Americans had begun
the erection of fort at Stony Point on the Hud-
son. Stony Point was bold promontory, reach
ing out half mile into the river from the
rocky, wooded shoreline and at its greatest height
about $50 feet above the water. 1t vas an i'm
portant position because it guarded Kings ferry,
which crossed the Hudson to Verpancks Point on
the east side and which was link in the Amer
lean line of communications between New Eng
land and Washingtons former position in New
Jersey.
Before the Americans could complete the fort,
however, Clinton captured the place and finished
the job himself. Inland Stony Point sloped down
to treacherous swamp and to protect this ap-
proach two lines of abattis were constructed.
On the summit the British mounted seven or
eight batteries with communicating trenches and
rife-pitS and they also fortified natural stone
bastian on the east where government light
house now stands. The place was garrsoned
with the Seventeenth regiment of British in
fantry under Lieut.. Col. Henry johnson,
grenadier company of the Seventy-frst regiment,
some Tories, and a number of arterymen to
man the guns, about 600 in all. They called it
Little Gibraltar" and believed that it could not
be captured.
Soon after this Clinton began sending out raid
Ing parties which ravaged the countryside for
miles around Thereupon Washington deter
mined to try to capture Stony Point, not only to
put stop to the raids but also as a dramatic
gesture to show Clinton that, despite his appar-
ent advantage in the maneuvering thus far, the
Continental army was still force to be reckoned
with. He resolved to carry Stony Point by storm
in night attack and the man he selected for the
job the one man who could most likely sue
coed, Gen. Anthony Wayne, prigadier in com
mand of the Pennsylvania line.
Wayne had proved his mettle in several bat
ties, notably at Monmouth. He was distinctly an
assault commander" He believed that the
Americans were accustomed to put too much re-
lance upon their rifles and their craftsmanship
and Baron Won Steuben had found him ready
convert to the value of the bayonet. He is said
to have remarked once that he would rather
lead men with bayonets and one charge of pow
der than men with forty charges and no bayo
nets He also strict disciplinarian and
firm believer in the value of smart uniforms and
well-kept equipment for maintaining the morale
of the soldiers he commanded. In fact, his
earliest nickname was DANDY Wayne"
In preparation for the attack on Stony Point
Washington had recently formed his light in
fantry into separate brigade and was ready to
give this command to Wayne. According to the
story, Washington asked Wayne if he would ac-
cept the job of stormng Stony Point "Ill storm
hell, General, if you will plan it," was Waynes
reply, whereupon Washington, with quiet smile,
replied, perhaps we'd better try Stony Point
first" So the two men began planning the cap
ture of that place.
For several days before the proposed attack
American scouts had been operating around
Stony Point seeking to learn all they could about
the garrison cutting off farm supplies that were
going into the fort and preventing the British.
so far as possible, from obtaining any informa-
ton about the movements Of the Continental
forces. Upon Washington's orders, all of the
dogs for three miles around the fort were pri-
vately killed so that they could not sound