born Jan. 1, 1745, near Paoli, Pa.
died Dec. 15, 1796, Presque Isle, Pa., U.S.
American Revolutionary officer.
He owned a tannery before he was commissioned a colonel in the Continental Army (1776). He aided the American retreat from Canada and was given command of Fort Ticonderoga (1776). Promoted to brigadier general (1777), he led troops in the battles of the Brandywine, Paoli, and Germantown. He led the successful storming of the British fort at Stony Point, N.Y. (1779), earning the nickname "Mad Anthony" for his boldness. He served in the Siege of Yorktown and later defeated the Indians allied with the British in Georgia. In 1792 Pres. George Washington sent Wayne to fight the Indians in the Ohio Territory, and he decisively ended Indian resistance at the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794).