Article 1 (June 2019): Hot-blooded Mad Anthony Wayne: Hero of the American Revolution

History has its share of colorful figures, so it may come as little surprise that one person we might consider celebrating this Fourth of July is named "Mad Anthony" Wayne.  Wayne is included among little known Revolutionary War heroes in a list compiled by History.com.
              
Wayne's reputation for heroism came after George Washington ordered him to storm the cliffside fortifications (considered impregnable) held by the British at Stony Point, NY, in July of 1779.  The nighttime assault, during which Wayne's men used only bayonets, lasted just 30 minutes and served as a huge morale-booster for the Americans.
 
Wayne's nickname is largely considered a result of his boldness and daring in the field, though some stories also report that it came about from a sometime-spy he used, named Jemmy the Wanderer, who had a penchant for taking off and disappearing at will.  As the story goes, the erratic Jemmy was jailed -- not the first time -- and demanded to be set free, sending a messenger to Wayne to ask him to intervene.  When Wayne refused, Jemmy allegedly claimed Wayne was mad and called him "Mad Anthony."  The story spread and the nickname stuck.
              
Later, in 1780, Anthony helped safeguard West Point when it was learned that Benedict Arnold planned to betray the Americans.  In 1790 he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives.