Few too many people know the story of Major General Nathanael Greene.
Often considered the right-hand man to George Washington, Greene, was from humble beginnings.
However, he is hailed for winning the South in the Revolutionary War.
A Quaker with no formal education, Greene was appointed commander of the Continental Army in the southern theater.
Greene’s reputation for strategy and skillful employment of guerilla warfare, against a British army that far outnumbered his own troops in every battle, preceded him.
He won the famous Battle of Guilford Courthouse and forced British General Charles Cornwallis to surrender at the siege of Yorktown in 1781, ending the fighting on American soil and paving the way for the founding of the United States of America.
There are cities called Greensboro in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, all named after the unassuming general whose great achievements are often unrecognized in the history books.
There are Greenvilles in several other states, including South Carolina, perhaps the most well-known city with that name.
There are 18 counties in America named for General Greene.
In 1786, at age 43, he died on his Mulberry Grove Plantation in Georgia, falling victim to sunstroke.
In many ways, his quiet death reflected his quiet life.
He did not participate in politics after the war the way many of his counterparts did.
Nathanael Greene was born in Warwick, Rhode Island.
