Nathaniel+Greene

Boston,MA By: Kaylee Thompson __ Nathaniel Greene  __ Nathaniel Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. Greene was a Patriot and he was also George Washington’s most gifted and dependable officer. In May 8, of 1775, Greene was promoted from private to Brigadier General of Rhode Island Army of Observation. Greene had many accomplishments in his lifetime. He educated himself with a special study of mathematics and law. In 1770, he was chosen as a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly. In August 1774, Greene helped organize a local militia which was chartered as the Kentish Guards that October. June 22, 1775, Washington assigned Greene the command of the city of Boston after it was evacuated by Howe in March of 1776. August 9, 1776, he was promoted to be one of the four main generals and put in command of the Continental Army troops in Long Island. Greene helped Washington out as well as his troops. At the Battle of Trenton, Greene commanded one of the two American columns. After the victory there, he urged Washington to push on immediately to Princeton, but was overruled by a council of war. At the Battle of Brandywine, Greene also commanded the reserve. Also later on in 1778, at the urgent request of Washington, at Valley Forge, he accepted the office of Quartermaster General. His conduct in the difficult office however has been characterized as “as good as was possible under the circumstances of that fluctuating uncertain force.” Greene suffered a financial difficulty in the post-war years and died suddenly of sunstroke in 1786 at the age of 33.