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Show Old Masters Anthony Wayne By C. C.G. ABOUT the greatest captain, the foremost scientific fighter of the 'Revolution was General Gen-eral Anthony Wayne. He was above all others most trusted by Washington. He was born in Pennsylvania. His favorite study was mathematics, mathema-tics, and he had become a distinguished civil engineer en-gineer when the war broke out. Ho had more acute intuitions than any other soldier in tho army. His reasoning from cause to effect was infallible. The faculty of divining the enemy's Intentions exceeded that of either Washington or Greene, as also in knowing where to strike to shatter the enemy's combinations. Then in striking the difference between him and Putnam and Morgan and Marion and Sullivan, was the difference between the handling of a Damascus blade and a butcher's cleaver. With the others there were heavy blows, with Wayne there were lightning flashes and every flash was a deep thrust. When all was ready and the time for action ac-tion came he was more reckless than any of his brother generals, and his persistency when the battle was joined was marvelous. There was nothing for an enemy to do except to either kill him or be beaten. And he was always to the forefront. His orders were not to go ahead but to follow him. He was in the Revolution what Messina was In the grand army of France. Had he been one of Napoleon's marshals, not one would have stood higher, not even Ney. His capture of Stony Point had no parallel In all the battles of the war. And he was everywhere. In the Canadian expedition, Washington's right arm in extricating his army from the meshes which superior numbers num-bers tried to enfold him in; foraging for supply ing the soldiers at Valley Forgo; strilcig 'every-' M whore when Washington took' the offensive and M Anally breaking down every safeguard which M Cornwallis planned to avoid' the Inevitable fate, H that was drawing around him. M When Washington became president, ho M named Wayne as major general and commander M of the army, and congress confirmed tho noml- M nation. He and Greene went down to Florida and M whipped tho Creeks and Seminoles into subjcc- M Then ho was called west of the Alleghanies and M in one battle whipped into subjection tho twelve M Indian tribes that had been so long formidable M fighters on the then western frontier. He wan M all coolness and thoughtfulness in perfecting his H plans, but once ready then ho become "Mad" An- H thony" and the change was such as comes on a H shiny afternoon when the gentlo breeze changes H into a cyclone to be followed by the wreck and H the dead it leaves in its trail. H His field was ahvavs limited; his command H so small that ho had to make up in genius what H he lacked in strength; tho country was desperato- H ly poor, and there were heart-aches enough to H break the spirits of all in tho unequal struggle, H but these did not count with Wayne, the cause ho H was fighting for was with him a grand passion H and that it would win out was always with him B a fixed conviction. Ho was a great soldier, one H of the manliest of men. H |