Nathaniel Greene, the son of a preacher of the Society of Friends, was born on the 27th of May, 1742, in Warwick, Rhode Island. Nathaniel received the first rudiments of his education among that peaceful sect; but being of a strong and robust form, he often had to intersperse his hours of study by a relaxation of labor in the field, at the mill, or at the anvil. His early years were passed at the home of his parents, and in the garb of a strict Quaker, till he was twenty years of age, when he commenced the study of law. Not long, however, did he continue his studies, for in 1773, when the states began to organize their militia, his attention turned to the subject, and he became a member of the “Kentish Guards,” a military company composed of the most respectable young men in his county. For this he was dismissed from the Society of Friends; yet he ever after regarded the sect with great respect. Greene remained in the ranks of this corps till after the battle of Lexington; when Rhode Island embodied three On the night of the 25th of December, 1776, General Greene crossed the Delaware, and in command of the left wing of the army, surprised the enemy at Trenton, seized their artillery, and prevented their retreat to Princeton. He never left the army during the following winter, but bore his share in its hardships and glories. He commanded the left wing of the American army at the battle of Germantown. “Such was the distressed situation of the American army through the winter of that year, that Washington was doubtful of his ability to take the field the ensuing season. Every exertion was made to put the army in a condition for the campaign, and General Greene was urged to accept the appointment of quarter-master general. The office was accepted with great reluctance, for his inclination was to serve in the line; and the charge and disbursing the public money was to him of all things unpleasant. The necessities of the army, however, and the strong expression of Washington, that ‘some one must make the sacrifice,’ at last induced him to He had arrived in an exhausted country, the inhabitants divided into hostile parties, and an enemy before him, well provided, and flushed with the prospect of victory. His only dependence and hope of success were in a number of spirited and devoted officers, who gathered around him, and the promise of reinforcements from the states he had passed through during his route. General Greene thought it most prudent to remove to a place where subsistence and the means of transportation could be obtained. He accordingly marched to the Cheraw hills, on the Pee “The order was promptly obeyed, and the enemy were driven from the ground, through their camp in the rear. But their pursuers were diverted by the spoils of their tents, and became irretrievably confused. In the mean time the enemy rallied, and under cover of the fire from a large party who had taken possession of a brick house, recovered their camp. Had it not been for the temptation, so unexpectedly thrown open, the British forces must have surrendered. As it was, their power in South Carolina was prostrated, for in this action they lost upwards of one thousand men. The enemy abandoned the whole of South Carolina, except Charleston, and the American army retired to their former encampment.” Except for the purpose of procuring provisions, the enemy lay inactive in Charleston, for with all their sagacity they had not been able to retain possession of the country. They therefore prepared to evacuate the city, having agreed with General Greene to leave it uninjured, and without interruption from the American army. On the 14th of December, 1782, the delighted citizens of Charleston beheld the British troops march out of their city, and with joyous congratulations received with open arms the liberators of their From the governor to the lowly citizen, General Greene was regarded as the object of every eye, the praise of every tongue. South Carolina conveyed to him a valuable portion of land; Georgia presented him with a beautiful and highly improved plantation in the vicinity of Savannah. When peace was restored, General Greene returned for a time to his native state, in order to remove his family to his new plantation in Georgia. On his arrival at Princeton, New Jersey, where Congress was then in session, that body unanimously resolved to present him with two pieces of ordnance, taken from the British army, “as a public testimony of the wisdom, fortitude and military skill which distinguished his command in the southern campaign. They had previously voted him a British standard and a gold medal, an engraving of which is given on Plate III., commemorative of the battle of Eutaw. In 1785 General Greene removed, with his family, to his new residence in Georgia, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in the education of his children, but his period of domestic repose was short; scarcely a year did he enjoy the happiness of his family, for on the 19th of June, 1786, he closed a life of deep, pure, devoted patriotism to his country, and love and good-will to all mankind. MEDAL.Occasion.—Gallant conduct at Eutaw Springs, S. C. Device.—Head of General Greene, profile. Reverse.—Victory lighting on the earth, stepping on a broken shield; under her feet broken arms; colors; a shield. Legend.—Salus regionem australium. Exergue.—Hostibus ad Eutaw debellatis, die 8th Sept. 1781. |