General Nathanael Greene was a military genius during the famous revolutionary war that lasted for nearly a decade. Nathaniel was a genius whose passion for war compelled him to learn the art of war through the books. His passion for the military made him learn different military tactics using publications, magazines, and books. Generally, he was interested in any published material that talked about military tactics. Saba (2018), refers to Nathanael as “a talented military strategist”. His brilliant leadership skills made him one of the most trusted generals during the revolutionary war. As a respected general, Nathanael was remembered for his southern campaigns that contributed to America’s victory against the British colonial masters.
During his early days, Nathanael was a reserved person and his father was a quaker. The Quaker church denounced warfare. According to Carbone (2008), Nathanael Greene’s family was very influential having stayed in Rhodes Island for a period of almost a hundred and thirty years. Nathanael’s developing interest in the military when he grew up did not impress the Quaker society that denounced warfare. He moved to Coventry in 1770, following the death of his father in order to continue the family business. The same year(1770), Greene had transformed into an active campaigner for the countries independence. Greene felt the time has come to liberate America from the jaws of the British colonial masters. The more he advocated for his country’s independence, the more he distanced himself from the Quaker community. In 1773, Greene was expelled from a meeting comprising of Quakers, a move that made him ditch the Quaker community and joined the military in full gear.
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Greene’s wife Catherine Littlefield regularly visited his husband during the entire war period thus, gaining a positive reputation. Many people viewed her as a dedicated woman who had interested in politics and military affairs. In August 1774, Greene formed a small militia group; Kentish Guards. People worried about his involvement in the war since he had a slight limp. However, Greene was not bothered by peoples’ opinions regarding his potential in the involvement in the war. He counted himself as a fighter, a winner and a champion whose dreams were later fulfilled following the exit of the colonial master. Greene was determined more than any other soldier in the revolutionary war. Despite his physical appearance, he never gave up in pursuing justice for his people. Greene was a vivid reader of the military books. He believed that the best way he could understand the war tactics better was through reading books.
In 1775, Greene's military group was officially integrated into the continental army. Following the integration process, Greene was made the Major General. This was a high ranked position envied by every military personnel. The appointment of Greene to the position of the major general was contributed by his brilliant leadership skills. This was definitely a key defining position in his life. Greene was further promoted on June 1775, by the continental congress to the brigadier position. This high-rank position meant that he was in charge of the entire continental army. While in charge of the continental army, he oversaw the evacuation of the British army from Boston. His performance as brigadier excited the then General Washington. He later served in several states including New York, Rhode Island, and Philadelphia.
Generally, Nathanael Greene was a great leader and a champion who never believed in losing. His entire career journey was a success. His career breakthrough came when he was appointed as the Major General. His campaign role in the South will remain to be a historic moment in America. The British generals despised Greene’s army. They never imagined how their well-trained army with a sophisticated weapon could test defeat at the weak hands of the Greene’s army. However, Greene’s intelligence and leadership skills were unmatched.
Historians have created a link showing how Green came second to George Washington. First, Green was evidently the most trusted subordinate in the military considering the many letters that Green wrote to George. As such George and Green would share revolution tactics with Green making Green the unconventional mastermind of the wars. The fact that Green had affiliations with the Wards who formed a dominant faction of the Rhodes Island politics cannot be ignored when showing how Green was the unconventional second to George ( Saba, 2018) . Scholars have shown that Green was the point man in providing constant supply to the army while marching through New Jersey with the objective of attacking Trenton. As such, Green’s loyalty coupled with his exceptional skills and administrative abilities earned him George’s favor with George ultimately observing that "nobody ever heard of a quartermaster in history as such or in relating any brilliant action".
References
Saba, N. D. (2018). Nathanael Greene (1742-1786). Retrieved from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/nathanael-greene-1742-1786
Carbone, G. M. (2008). Nathanael Greene: A biography of the American Revolution . New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
