General Anthony Wayne

A born soldier. When other kids were  playing cops and robbers, or hide and seek, Anthony was playing war. All he could think of from a young age was playing war games. 

I’ve always thought what kind of person makes a good race car driver. Most of us would be too scared to travel at an average speed of 230 mph. My daughter’s company took their executives to a program where they let them drive a NASCAR car on the Atlanta track. She was able to reach a speed of 160 mph on a racetrack. Guess they thought this would teach them to be fearless.

How many of us could be a soldier killing other humans, and not suffer PSD or some other problem. Anthony Wayne was a fierce fighter, was wounded many times in battle, and would never give up. It was understood, that if you did not fight under his command. You would be killed by him, before the battle even began. 

An announcement about the reenactment of life in Old Fort Wayne, which was in the West Bend newspaper, peeked my interest. I know so little about that part of our history. I knew a guy that wrote a book about it, and I bought it, but it was just too dry. I have told you before that I like to count history by the War of 1812. Our country was settled very quickly, and the land taken from the Indians. This war was only 36 years after this signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The Indians had defeated the American soldiers up until the Battle of Fallen Timbers. I read that the Indians killed 600 American troops in one battle, but the Battle of Fallen Timbers was pretty much  the Indians last stand. They had been egged on by the British, and there probably were British troops in the battle. The US declared Ohio a state approximately 6 years after the battle.

The US had sent General Harmer and he established Fort Washington in Cincinnati, but he was defeated by the Indians. President Washington commissioned General Wayne, and he established what is now Fort Wayne. Marching from Fort Wayne, General Wayne encountered the Indians near Toledo Ohio. 

It almost seems like Divine Providence. The battle lasted slightly over an hour. Indians scattered everywhere. Through the woods, any place they could. It had rained that day and Anthony’s troops didn’t show up until 10:00 a.m. The Indians had been there since 5:00 a.m.. Also the Indians had fasted since the evening before, and they were getting hungry. Some even left before the battle.

Anthony was nearly 50 years old at the time of this battle. He was in poor health, they needed to lift him up on his horse so he could ride. He had gout which nearly crippled him, but he was a fighter. Soon after this, the Indians were ordered to leave the state of Ohio. Those remaining were escorted to Kansas, by way of the “Road of Tears,” near Rochester, Indiana.

I still wonder why the Indians were not allowed to blend in with our society. They didn’t look that much different from the white man, and many of them had French blood and spoke the French language. For many years I have driven past the beautiful bronze statue of Anthony Wayne on Main Street. In difference to the history erasers, the statue has been moved to God knows where. Anthony will never hold a prominent spot again in the center of his city.

Anthony Wayne died just 2 years after this decisive battle. Thinking about this raises other questions about our history at that time. I need to know more about the Wabash Erie Canal. Did the canal go through Fort Wayne? How long did it take to build, how long was it used? It did go near Antwerp, Ohio. Those questions will remain until we study them in fifth grade. 

— James Neuhouser