Nathanael Greene： The Savior of the South

A boy from a Quaker family who couldn't run because of his limp? It's not exactly the model of a military legend. But Nathaniel Green was a hero of the Continental Army, not once, but twice. Born in Rhode Island in 1742, Green was 33 when the Revolutionary War began. Most Quakers were pacifists, but he was determined to fight. And although his limp disqualified him from active duty in the army, he was a natural leader in the militia. From there, he gained the trust of General George Washington and became a major general in the Continental Army. By 1778, the Continental Army had proved they could match the British in battle, but their supply system was broken. Starving soldiers with no ammunition could not fight. Washington appointed Green as his new quartermaster general. Though Green saw himself as a leader of men in battle rather than an administrator, he swiftly improvised systems of supply dumps and wagon relays so the Continental Army could maintain its supply lines when campaigning. Feeding an army is an expensive business, though, and Green spent much of his time dealing with Congress, who accused him of profiteering. But Washington still backed him to the hilt, and in October 1780, Green was selected for a new mission, Command of the Southern Campaign. Green's first decision was a gamble to split his force. He wanted to force the British to do the same, which they did. It looked like Green's bet was paying off when General Daniel Morgan's men beat the Redcoats at the Battle of Cowpens. It was followed by the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, a bloody encounter in which Green's force was beaten. But it was no real victory for the British. They had lost far too many troops. Green and his men reconquered South Carolina and kept the remaining Redcoats on the back foot, all the way to the historic Patriot victory at Yorktown. As Green himself said, we fight, get beat, rise, and fight again. During the Southern Campaign, Green had made personal guarantee of payment to suppliers to ensure his troops had decent clothes, food, and weapons. When the war ended, he sold most of his personal possessions to honor the debts. He'd been accused of profiteering by Congress, but this Quaker from Rhode Island had proved that his commitment to his new nation was absolute.