Posted on 10/02/2020 12:01:00 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Mad Anthony Wayne didn't have long to enjoy his victory. He died in 1796 while traveling back east from the scene of his recent military and diplomatic triumphs. He was buried near Erie, Pennsylvania, a long way from his home in the southeastern part of the state. Some years later his family decided to bring his remains back to Radnor, Pennsylvania, for reburial, a decision that was to have some dramatic and unforeseen consequences.
Upon opening the General's grave, the excavators did not discover the skeleton they expected. Although more than ten years had passed since his burial, Mad Anthony's corpse turned out to be in remarkably good shape. Faced with the problem of transporting a decaying but still largely intact corpse, the excavators decided to scrape and boil away the flesh, and reduce the General to a bundle of relatively clean bones. What was left over supposedly got poured back into his original grave (with the exception of a few souvenirs taken by bystanders). The bones were then transported back to a church in Radnor for reburial.
The story doesn't end there, though. There is a strong oral tradition in Pennsylvania that all of Mad Anthony's bones did not make it back home. As the story goes, the bones had not been properly packed, and many of them were lost on the long overland trek from Erie to Radnor. This circumstance gave rise to one of the best ghost stories about a Revolutionary War hero. Every year on January 1, the General's birthday, Mad Anthony Wayne goes out searching for his lost bones.
(Excerpt) Read more at historyisfun.org ...
Anthony Wayne - Ohio History CentralIn 1780, Wayne played a critical role in preventing Benedict Arnold from turning over the American fortifications at West Point to British forces. By serving as the men's advocate before the Confederation Congress, Wayne also helped to eliminate a mutiny of Pennsylvania soldiers who had not received payment from the government formed by the Articles of Confederation.
Wayne County NY is named after him.
So is Wayne State University in downtown Deetroit (my alma mater).
Lots of stuff is named for him. Especially in PA.
But, with our BLM types hating everything American, I’m sure they’ll all be changed. Esp. As he is reviled as Indian killer.
Wayne County, Indiana, is named for him.
So is Fort Wayne, Indiana. I supposed its unloved suburb of Waynetown is also indirectly named for him.
So is Waynesboro Virginia.
Been down to that area many times. The ghost tour are a lot of fun!
Here’s a spooky story.....
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/116-1401/features/1583-jamestown-colony-cannibalism-george-percy
Always thought that was a neat connection and have been interested in ole MAW from that time forward.
I was familiar with this story as it was done on Mysteries at the Museum. The old, old stomping grounds of my Youth. Thanks for posting.
Wayne Pennsylvania is named for him also. Next to Radnor on the “Main Line”.
I grew up in Wayne, Pa. Our house was adjacent to Valley Forge National Park. Across the the road from our house was the dilapidated and abandoned remains of the once sprawling property of revolutionary war hero Joseph Walker (I lived on Walker Rd). The main house served as Gen. Wayne’s headquarters during the Revolution.
We kids picked over the contents of the outbuildings and amassed quite the treasure trove of interesting items. What a wonderful way to spend a summer’s day, exploring where history was made.
He won the battle of Fallen Timbers by Toledo, OH. Defeated Miami chief Little Turtle.
A couple nights ago my wife and I paused a show. An old Norman Rockwell was on the screen. I said that I sure did miss those days, and I wasn’t even alive then. We both had a good laugh, but I feel that way more and more often lately.
Wayne, NJ too, Passaic County.
So is General Mad Anthony’s, a bar in Waterville whose building is adjacent to the AW trail, a major thoroughfare from Toledo to Napoleon, Ohio. Not that we ever drank there or played on their pool league or anything...
My great=great-uncle served as Wayne’s interpreter to the Indians. He had been captured when young and spent eight years in captivity.
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