At the age of twenty he managed an expedition sent to Nova Scotia in the interest of Great Britain. On the very day that the battle of Lexington was fought he was made a member of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety.
He was made a colonel of one of the first regiments raised by Pennsylvania and soon was engaged in the perilous Canadian campaign.
Wayne then was given command of Fort Ticonderoga, which Ethan Allen had captured “in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress.” During this tour of duty he was made a brigadier general and begged General Washington for more active service.
He was called to general headquarters at Morristown and given command of eight Pennsylvania regiments. These he taught to fight.
General Wayne fought bravely at Brandywine, and after Howe captured Philadelphia Washington posted him to watch the British and annoy them while the main army was being put in better condition to meet the enemy.
Through the betrayal of his position by a Tory, Wayne’s command was surprised at Paoli, when more than sixty of his soldiers were stabbed to death by the British bayonets. It was due to no fault of General Wayne and he managed to march away most of his men in good order.
Two weeks later the Battle of Germantown was fought and Wayne’s troops had a chance to make a bayonet attack upon the same soldiers who had rushed into their camp at Paoli. “They took ample vengeance for that night’s work,” said Wayne. He was delighted to see his Pennsylvanians beat the British at their own style of fighting.
Wayne’s troops suffered through the long winter following at Valley Forge, and none worked harder to relieve their distress than did the popular general.
Washington dispatched Wayne on a foraging expedition through New Jersey for much-needed supplies, and in spite of several skirmishes with British troops on the same mission Wayne brought back the supplies.
When Howe evacuated Philadelphia and Washington followed him across New Jersey, it was Wayne who encouraged Washington to fight the enemy. The Battle of Monmouth resulted, and it was Wayne’s line which held back the British until Washington could move up the rest of his army.