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Mad Anthony Captures Stony Point: Wayne

Washington decided to attack Stony Point, and chose "Mad Anthony" for the purpose. He rode out, one day, to look over the situation. "There is no one who can take that fort better than Wayne," said Washington, "but it requires all his skill and daring. Ten minutes warning to those troops in the fort would blast all our hopes." The Commander-in-Chief gave orders to kill every dog within three miles of the camp, in order to prevent them from barking when the time came for the Americans to approach the fort. He also ordered all stragglers arrested or kept away.

One Captain reported: "Arrested the widow Calhoun, going to the enemy with chickens and vegetables."

In this way did Washington plan. And now it was time for Wayne to act!

About thirteen hundred picked men were chosen for the attack. They were lined up for inspection, with orders to be in marching trim, fully armed and provisioned, "fresh-shaved and powdered."

After inspection, they marched away, instead of returning to camp. Not one of them had an idea of his mission, or of the danger of the enterprise upon which he had started. "If any soldier loads his musket, or attempts to fire, or tries to shirk his duty in face of danger, he must be put to death by the officer nearest him. This is a struggle in which I take no risks, and absolute quiet is necessary," were the commands of Wayne. One man started to load his gun. The officer called sharply to him to desist, and gave him warning. "I cannot fight without firing my gun," replied the soldier, and continued to put in the powder charge. The officer then ran his sword through the soldier's body, and left him dead on the road. He had to do this, so as to save the lives of the other men, and to carry out successfully the plan of attack. All the hot July afternoon the men marched along the rough roads, through swamps and ravines, until they came to a place about a mile from Stony Point. Not a sound was heard. The soldiers sank upon the ground, and, in silence, ate their supper of bread and meat.

Then Wayne passed the word - what he intended to do. It was the first notice the troops had had of what was before them. It seemed a hopeless task to attack a strong fort, across a swamp, protected by an abatis of heavy logs.