Nathaniel+Greene


 * Nathaniel Greene**

Produced by: Dan Hyde Nathaniel Greene was born in Rhode Island in Warwick township. Nathaniel studied a lot in the subjects of law, history and mathematics. In 1770 he was elected as a member of the legislature. Also he was elected in 1771, 1772 and 1775. He joined the local militia in 1774 and took a sudden interest in the art of war, which he began to study. He was appointed by the assembly to revise the militia laws. He was expelled from the Society of Friends because of his military duty.

In 1775 he joined the American forces at Cambridge while in command of the contingent of Rhode Island. He was then appointed a brigadier by Congress on June 22. Gen. George Washington put him in command of Boston in March of 1776. He wrote to Samuel Ward in October 1775 and January 1776 favoring independence from Britain. Greene was promoted to be a Major General on August 9, 1776, he was in charge of the Continental troops in Long Island New York. However he did not see battle in the battle for Long Island due to sickness. He was close knit with the people that wanted to retreat from the city and urn it, so the British troops could not use it for their advantage.

On October 25 Greene was placed in command of Fort Lee, he always was placed in charge of Fort Washington. Gen. Washington told Greene to defend Fort Washington with everything he had. Sadly Greene was responsible for the loss of the Fort but he did not lose and respect he earned from Gen. Washington. Washington even took the fall for the loss of the fort. Along the side of Gen. Washington, Greene commanded one of the two American columns at Trenton. After this victory he wanted Washington to move to Princeton as soon as possible.

When Washington was much needed and desired at Valley Forge on March 2, 1778 Greene accepted the office or quartermaster-general. With this lable everybody still felt that he should still be in command of troops out in the field. So on June 28 he was the head of the right wing at Monmouth. In June 1780 there was a skirmish at Springfield, New Jersey and Greene was in command. He resigned from quartermaster-general in August of 1780 due to some issues he had with congress.

Nathaniel Greene was a great man and always made good decisions. There are many men that looked up to him and did not make errors by following his word.