Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene, Jr. (1742-1786) was a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Although lacking in experience, he became one of George Washington's most trusted aides. He also served as Quartermaster General and as the commander of the southern army.
Early Life
Nathanael Greene was born in Rhode Island into a pacifist Quaker family. Early in his lifetime he developed a limp in his right leg that would be with him for the rest of his life. The Greene family was prosperous, owning a farm, iron forge, and sawmill. Greene received little formal education as a youth outside of learning to read, as his father believed that secular learning would lead to temptation and sin. His reading material was restricted to the Bible and Quaker texts written by George Fox and Richard Barclay. While these provided for Greene's moral beliefs, his thirst for knowledge was not satisfied. When he began to visit Newport on family business, he made it a point to seek out educated men that he could learn from. In this manner he was introduced to Ezra Stiles, the future president of Yale University. Stiles proved to be a powerful influence on Greene's reading habits, exposing him to authors such as John Locke, Sir William Blackstone, and Johnathan Swift.
In November 1770, Greene's father passed away and the family business was split amongst his brothers,with Nathanael running the newly build foundry in Coventry. He began spending more time in Newport experiencing the growing unrest toward British policies toward the colonies. He also developed an interest in military texts such as Instructions to His Generals by Frederick the Great and Mes Reveries by Maurice de Saxe. Greene would also enter the political arena, serving in the Rhode Island General Assembly from 1771-72 and in 1775.
The event that seemingly sparked the formation Greene's revolutionary mindset occurred in 1772 when the Nathanael Greene and Company merchant vessel Fortune was seized by the British. The HMS Gaspee, under the command of William Dudington, boarded the boat while it was anchored in Narragansett Bay. Discovering a large supply of rum and sugar, Dudington declared the ship as a smuggling vessel and had the Fortune towed away to Boston. The Gaspee would continue it's raids off the coast of Rhode Island until it ran ashore pursuing another merchant vessel. A group of Rhode Islanders arrested Dudington and his crew, and burnt the Gaspee. Greene was not a part of this group, however, he had previously filed a lawsuit against Dudington and was able to take him to court after his arrest. The Gaspee incident served to politically awaken Greene to the treatment the colonies were receiving from the British.
In 1774, Greene would marry Catherine "Caty" Littlefield, niece of Catherine Ray Greene who was married to William Greene and longtime friend of Benjamin Franklin. Greene did not settle down and following his love of military history joined a local militia. In October, the militia was incorporated into the Kentish Guard and Greene held the rank of private. He aspired to become an officer, but was told by his fellow militiamen that an officer with a limp would be an embarrassment. Following the battles at Lexington and Concord, however, the Rhode Island legislature decided to form an army they dubbed an "Army of Observation", and on May 8, 1775 they appointed Greene as it's commanding general.
American Revolution
Siege of Boston
Greene's army reached Boston on May 23, 1775 to aide in the siege of Boston, which was controlled by British forces under the command of General Thomas Gage. Greene quickly gained the reputation of being a disciplinarian, as he made his troops focus on training rather than drinking and gambling. In an effort to secure more supplies for his troops, Greene returned to Providence in early June. In doing so, he would miss the Battle of Bunker Hill. The British were successful in taking the hill, however they took significant casualties. The lesson was not lost on Greene, who realized that although the British may take the field at the end of the day, the Americans stood a chance as long as they could inflict significant losses.
The Second Continental Congress realized that they needed to formally organize the army and on June 14, 1775 the Continental Army was formed. Command was given to George Washington of Virginia who had proven himself as capable during the French and Indian War. Greene was appointed to the rank of brigadier general. When Washington arrived outside of Boston, he assigned Greene and his troops to defend Prospect Hill, under the command of Major General Charles Lee. As December neared, the army faced the problem of expiring enlistments. As 1776 was ushered in, Greene’s troops dwindled to a mere 700 men. Washington was growing impatient and when Henry Knox arrived in January with 59 cannons taken from Fort Ticonderoga, a plan was devised to force the hand of British General William Howe. Under the cover of night and artillery shelling, the American troops took and fortified the Dorchester Heights, giving their artillery a commanding view of Boston. Greene was assigned to defend the hill if the British attempted to dislodge the Americans, but that would never happen as Howe, fearing a second Bunker Hill, evacuated Boston. On March 18, as the Americans entered Boston, Washington appointed Greene as the commander of the city.
Defense of New York
Greene’s command of Boston was short lived, as Washington ordered him to take five regiments and march towards New York, the likely target of the recently departed British army. Demonstrating his growing confidence in the young general, Washington placed him in charge of Long Island bolstering the defenses that Charles Lee had established earlier. Greene supervised the construction of five new forts, one of which was named after him. On June 29th, the British Navy arrived in the harbor, and shortly after British troops landed on Staten Island to prepare for the invasion. On August 9, Greene was promoted to the rank of Major General. Shortly afterward, as the British were about to proceed, Greene became seriously ill and was bedridden. Command of Long Island was passed on to Major General Israel Putnam, who while being an able commander was not familiar with Greene's strategies and preparation. The Battle of Long Island would be disastrous for the Americans, as they were forced to withdraw from the strategically important island. Greene would suggest that the Continental Army should retreat and burn the city. Congress would forbid the burning, but the army would eventually retreat. During this retreat, Greene would experience his first direct combat at the Battle of Harlem Heights, in which Greene forced a small advancing British unit to retreat.
Fort Washington
The following day, Washington ordered Greene to New Jersey, to begin defending against a probable British advance toward Philadelphia. Green chose to defend Fort Washington and hoped to lure the British into a second Bunker Hill scenario. On November 5, the guns of Fort Washington attacked three British warships attempting to sail up the Hudson River. The ships were not stopped, leading Washington to question the value of defending the fort and suggested that Greene abandon it. Greene did not heed Washington's advice. On November 16, General Howe ordered ten thousand of his troops to attack Fort Washington. The British took the fort in a matter of hours, although Greene was able to escape along with Washington and Putnam. Greene was rightfully blamed for this disaster and became the target of widespread criticism from both Congress and his colleagues. Washington, however, chose not to remove Greene from his duties as general, which would later prove to be a wise decision.
References
- Field, Edward, and Gardiner, Asa Bird. The Remains of Major-General Nathanael Greene (E. L. Freeman & Sons, 1903) online edition
- Golway, Terry. Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution (New York:Henry Holt and Company, 2005)
- Mierka, Gregg A. Nathanael Greene: The General Who Saved the Revolution" (Stockton, NJ:OTTN, 2007)
- Thayer, Theodore. Nathanael Greene: Strategist of the American Revolution (1960) online edition