GREENE, NA.TIIANAEL (1742-86). An Ameri can soldier, prominent in the Revolutionary War. He was born August 7, 1742, at Pato womut, Warwick County, R. I. His father was a leading preacher among the Quakers, and edu cated his son very simply, training him from childhood to work on his farm, and at his anchor forge and grist-mill. By his own perseverance, however, the son acquired considerable knowledge of ancient and English history, geometry, law, and moral and political science. In 1770 he was chosen a member of the Rhode Island Assembly, and, to the great scandal of his fellow Quakers, was among the first to engage in the military exercises preparatory to resisting the mother country. On July 20, 1774, he married Catha rine Littlefield of Block Island. In the same year he enlisted as a private in an independent com pany. the Kentish Guards, and in 1775 was ap pointed to the command of the Rhode Island con tingent sent to the army at Boston, with the rank of brigadier-general. He was promoted to be major-general on August 9, 1776, and was placed in command of the troops on Long Island. In the affair of Harlem Heights, where he was for the first time under fire, he handled his com mand with skill and valor. The movements by which the British General, Howe, tried to turn the flanks of the American army forced Wash ington to withdraw the greater part of his forces into New Jersey, leaving Greene in command of the remainder near Fort Washington on the Hudson. As the obstruction to navigation had been removed by the British, Greene's position was much exposed, and he was authorized to fall back across the river. The matter was left to his discretion, however, and be deemed it hied visable to retire at the time. Preparations were made to defend the fort, then commanded by Colonel Magaw, but it was invested by Howe's forces, and was compelled to surrender on November 16, 1776, after a spirited conflict. (See FORT WAsitixems.) In the New Jersey campaign of 1776-77 Greene distinguished him self, particularly at Trenton and Princeton. At the Battle of Brandywine he commanded a divi sion, and by his skillful movements saved the American army from utter destruction; at Ger mantown he commanded the left wing, and was vigorously pressing the enemy when a panic seized a brigade of militia, which gave way, and the American forces were compelled to retire, which they did in good order, General Greene commanding the rear-guard. In 1778 he reluc tantly consented to act as quartermaster-general, and administered the office acceptably at a time when its administration was attended with great difficulties. his particularly noteworthy service
was rendered after he succeeded General Gates on October 30, 1780, in the command of the Army of the South. Congress vested in him au thority to raise supplies, appoint officers, and command all the troops raised or to be raised in six States. Gates had just been completely de feated by Cornwallis at the battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), and Greene, upon his arrival in North Carolina in December, 1780, found the army in a wretched state. By dint of great ac tivity, he got his troops into better condi tion, and remained for a short time on the defensive. In the meantime the prospects of the Americans had been improved by the decisive victory at King's Mountain (October 7. 1780), and by Morgan's overthrow of Tarleton at Cow pens (January 17, 1781). Nevertheless, Corn wallis forced Greene northward into Virginia ; but Greene, being reenforced, reentered North Carolina, and took his stand at Guilford Court house. Battle was joined here (March 15, 1781) and Greene was defeated, though he remained in control of much of North Carolina, while Corn wallis found it expedient to move northward into Virginia. Carrying the war into South Carolina, Greene was defeated by Cornwallis's successor, Rawdon, at Hobkirk's Hill (April 25, 1781) ; but he held his own in a severe battle at Eutaw Springs against Stuart (September 8, 1781) and secured finally the exclusion of the Eng lish forces from all of Georgia and the Caro linas, except three coast towns. Congress struck, and presented to him, a medal in honor of this battle, and the Carolinas and Georgia made him valuable grants of land. When peace was restored in 1783. Greene returned to Rhode Island, where he received numerous testimonials of the public admiration. In 1785 he retired with his family to his estate in Georgia, where he died of sun-stroke ire 1786 (,Tune 19th). As a soldier Greene was fitly described by his distin guished opponent Cornwallis as being "as danger ous as Washington, vigilant, enterprising, and full of resource." Ile also possessed ninny of the qualities of a statesman, was well balanced, full of tact, a master of the countless details involved in raising troops in a country not wholly pa triotic nor friendly to the cause, in impressing Congress with the needs of the army. and in har monizing the conflicting policies of the new States. Consult: Francis V. Greene. General Nathanael Greene (New York, 1893), in the "Great Commanders Series"; and G. W. Greene, The Life of Nathaniel Greene (3 vols., New York, 1867-71).