The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-31
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON

- EtA anniversary OF a b4kIc thht -
~ unique in American history For Il
liza Il doubtful N there has ever been
l-VR a military engagement of more far
r. reaching consequences won as easily
and as quickly as was Mad An.
NJ II thony~ wayne's victory over the
confederated Indian tribes OF the
Old Northwest al Fallen Timbers on the banks
% the Naumee river In northwestern Ohio on
August - i5oG
Not only vas Il all the more brilliant by con-
trast wlth the disasters which had befallen two
American generals who had previously tried 10
subdue these same red men, but q Jed directly TO
another victory. won around the council Gre In
stead % on the taitlcheld-ihe Treaty % Green
Vile. signed Just a year later. Without these
tWo the settlement % the Ohio country. the push
inE o. the frontier line clear 10 the Mississippi!
river and the opening up % the rich inland
empire o. the Mississippi valley 20 the land
hungry Americans of the early Nlnefeenth cen
tury might have teen postponed indefinitely.
So the Battle OF Fallen Tmbcrs ls mllepost in
the history % our westward expansion.
That expansion began even before the Reyolu-
ton was over and the decade which followed
the signing % the Treaty OF Paris saw thou
sands % settlers streaming through Pittsburgh.
"ihe Gateway 20 the West of that period and
floating down the ohio 10 seek new homes both
20 the north and 90 the south o, that river The
Indians of that region-ihe Mamls. Wyandots.
Delaware~ shawnecs. oitAwss and Pottawato-
mles-waiched with alarm this evcr-increasiuE
tide og white men pouring into their hunting
grounds.
British imperial officers In Canada also watched
the nood ~ immigration with dlsmAy. II Il kept
up. II meant the end OF the profitable fur trade
in that area So u they did not actually encour.
sse the Indian attacks on the American settlers.
they certainly aid not discourage them. and
the forts and trading posts which they stiu held
10 the West IN spite % the terms of the Treaty
% Paris were ouintting points for many a scalp
ing party that went out 20 harass the immigrant
traffic on the Ohio
No; only were they threatening TO wipe out
these new settlements but back Ia Philadelphia
the new federal government seemcd 20 be tot
,erlng to It's ruin because oi the blows which
the Harmar aud s. Clair defeats had dealt 20
It's prestige. In this crisis President Washington
called upon an old friend of Revolutionary war
DAYS 10 make good where the others had failed.
Gen Anthony Wayne had retired 10 private lie
IN pennsylvania after the Revolution. but when
Washington asked him 70 reorganize the army
and take command OF third expedition against
the Indians he accepted the responsibility as
readily as he had accepted the task of capturing
Stony Point In iTT7.
wayne's popular nickname OF Mad Anthony
a
and reckless daring. But Il was true as a syno
nym FOR poets characterization OF him
fiery heart and cool clear brain" And II ever
adequate preparation. caution and eternal vlgi
lance had a splendid reward they had IL iu
wAyre's campaign which eliminated at Fallen
TImbsrS
when Wayne tocE command of the army Ii
April. lTo2. he found It's men unframed. lacking
IN discipline and with little faith In their officers
not much TO be wondered at considering what
had happened in 1890 and 1921. But Wayne
brought about thorough reorganization. even tC
the name. which be changed to The Legion o
the United States and which he began drilling
al Pittsburgh In June. 1872
IL was his original plan 10 form army o
some 500 men but he soon saw that this woulC
be impossible with the recruits that were fur
nlshed him. There were almost constant deser
tions even nj Pittsburgh. which was not fai
enough away from the Indian country 10 ALA,
the fear OF some OF his soldiers who expected
he redskins 10 come whooping out OF the for
esis and scalp them they drilled.
From December. 1892 to May 1893. Wayne
was camped some q miles below Pittsburgh a
a place he named Legionvllle and during thi
time HIS army OF 2.5OO men was being whippe,
into some semblance Of n military organization
on MAY s he camped al Hobson's Choice. s,
named because be could find no other suitable
ground In the vicinity. In August negotiation
with the Indians finally broken or AM
Wayne. who already had been advancing towar'
the Indian country. prepared for campaign
which he saw would mean the success faIlur
OF the United States In enforcing Its right
against the British well as the Indians In tn
Ohio territory.
The next stopping place noted In his order
book was Head Quarters near Fort Hamilton.
on October g. 1873. At this point he began
rigoroUs order OF march and constant vigilanc
against surprise attacks.
Mad Anthony" bearing In mind the earlle
failures. was at great pains TO impress upon tn
troops the necessity OF constant vigilance. o.
October "a two soldiers were shot for seepln
while on sertry dutv. II that month cold weathe