Mad Anthony's Masterstroke Poem by David Welch

In May of seventeen seventy-nine
Henry Clinton was having a hard time,
so tired of the rebels still fighting,
had to somehow get Gorge Washington
out of the looming Hudson Highlands,
and then force the war to a final ending.

He marched his army to the north
meaning to shut down King's Ferry,
threaten West Point and draw them out,
determined to up the ante,
no nonsense was he to bandy,
his men took Stony Point.

With the King's Ferry now block and closed,
across the Hudson supplies couldn't go,
Washington found himself in a hard place,
with a foothold beneath the Hudson Peaks
the British now could his main camps seek,
he could not let himself be displaced.

From atop a nearby mountain
he saw the British were building
abbatis and gun emplacements,
with scarlet the point was filling,
he knew that there'd soon be killing,
he would retake Stony Point.

But then the British made a mistake,
trying to set bait Washington would take,
sent Tyron to raid towards New Haven,
but Washington was not a damned fool,
he saw what they were trying to do,
and in the Hudson Highlands he remained.

Drew up a new plan of attack,
then Mad Anthony Wayne he called,
a general of temper and great skill,
they would see the British fort fall,
the garrison their troops would maul,
they would take Stony Point.

See when the British had fortified,
they had forgotten the river had tides,
and that a beach would soon be exposed.
It was a long shot, but one they would take,
if they could get behind the lines would break,
so only the best troops were picked to go.

No bullets would be in their guns,
stealth and steel would be their choice,
the only way they could be sure,
detection they had to avoid,
there really was no other choice
to penetrate Stony Point.

Wayne then split his forces into three
to face Britain's seven hundred fifty
and sent Murfree to face the center,
his job was to raise hell and distract,
while to the north Butler's troops would track,
from the south Wayne's main force would enter.

At midnight they would all attack,
Under cover of the deep night,
white papers were stuck in their hats,
so they could see who not to fight,
bayonets set to stab and bite,
they marched for Stony Point.

The British traded with Major Murfree,
a galling fire the redcoats did see,
while Wayne waded through the deep swampland,
at the front a corps of axemen did walk,
to cut down abbatis that might still block,
the slogging pace of Wayne's fine, picked men.

Crossed the marshes, ‘cross the strand,
to where the recoats awaited,
then charged up behind their first line,
it was not anticipated,
British guns were quickly raided,
they stormed up Stony Point.

In the fight a ball hit General Wayne,
skimmed his skull, but did not reach his brains,
he fell down, unconscious on that great night.
But his men pushed on and proved their worth,
soon joined by Butler's men from the north,
redcoats were forced to give up the fight.

British troops then trapped of all side,
Major Johnston, their commander
ordered them to lay down their arms,
to the patriots surrender,
a defeat they'd long remember,
they had lost Stony Point.

Washington arrived after two days,
on Stony Point, surveyed the terrain,
amazed that on such ground his troops has won.
Clinton's plan was unraveled and dashed,
no great fight would happen at long last,
his plans in the north were not quite done.

Anthony Wayne was know to say
in his report on the frenzy,
that his men had fought on like those
‘who are determined to be free.'
in darkness they made their foes bleed,
when they took Stony Point.