American History In Video: Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene from The History Channel (New York, NY: A&E Television Networks, 2006) 45:26.
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Set, fire!
Edward Herrmann He played a critical role in the American revolution but few people today recognize his name.
Bruce Chadwick Nathanael Greene is always been called the "Unsung Hero" of the revolution.
Edward Herrmann Unsung and also gifted, Nathanael Greene was promoted directly from private to general with no stops in between.
John Buchanan He had an extraordinary talent for organization and administration.
Edward Herrmann As Quartermaster General, he helped save the Continental Army during its darkest days at Valley Forge. And as a field commander, his fighting spirit was respected by his soldiers and superiors alike.
Terry Golway Washington asked Nathanael Greene to assume what must be regarded as the most important command of the war, short of being commander-in-chief.
Edward Herrmann He was considered by many to be George Washington's favorite general. Yet, he was plagued by insecurity, physical disability, and an obsessive drive to buck the system.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene , next on " Washington's Generals".
Washington's GENERALS NATHANAEL GREENE
Edward Herrmann It is November 15th, 1776 . The American Revolution is in danger of collapse. British forces already controlled most of Manhattan . Now they are successfully attacking the last rebel stronghold: Fort Washington, built on Manhattan Island to secure the Hudson River. The area commander, 34-year-old General Nathanael Greene is in trouble. Viewing the siege from across the river at Fort Lee, Greene has chosen to defend the Fort. He does so against the advice of Commander-in-chief George Washington who has arrived at Fort Lee to observe.
Wayne E. Lee, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Wayne E. Lee They've put a lot of effort into fortifying it, and they expected that it would be difficult for the British to take it. The other thing that they were expecting is even if the British tried, that they would be able to create another Bunker Hill kind of environment that it would cost the British a significant amount to do it.
Edward Herrmann At the Battle of Bunker Hill five months earlier, the British won control of the battlefield but suffered more than 1,000 casualties, twice the number of American losses. But George Washington knows the Continental Army cannot afford to lose the troops defending Fort Washington. Greene , however, refuses to order an evacuation. It is a decision that will haunt him for years to come.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene grew up in Rhode Island , the son of a prominent Quaker. While his father preached the values of a pacifist, Nathanael wasn't listening.
Terry Golway Author, Washington's General
Terry Golway You can imagine this family, a rather sizable family, they're all dressed in black and they were all very proper, very pious, but here's Nathanael , the sort of young rebel in, in the making. And you know, frankly he's not having any of it, he wasn't buying into the faith of his father.
Edward Herrmann Quaker tradition dictated that children receive little formal schooling other than studying the Bible. Greene , however, had his own ideas about education.
John Buchanan Author, The Road To Valley Forge
John Buchanan He wrote to a friend that one time, "I lament the want of a liberal education." Ah, but the Quakers at that time did not believed in higher education.
Terry Golway He would read military textbooks which is very curious, I mean, you can be pretty sure that Julius Caesar was not on the list of approved texts for the Quaker faith.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael was 30 when his father died. Although he loved and respected the family patriarch, he felt a previously unknown freedom to chart his own destiny.
John Buchanan He and his cousin are suspended from the Quaker meeting for attending in Connecticut , a place of, called a public resort. In, in the 18th century, a public resort could be at the least a tavern, at the most a brothel. What it was in Nathanael Greene's case, we don't know, but the definition of it then was a place of questionable repute. So, he was suspended. I don't think it bothered them at all.
Edward Herrmann When it came to marriage, Greene again ran a foul of Quaker tradition. He remained a bachelor until the advanced age of 32 and the bride he chose, Catherine "Caty" Littlefield was no proper Quaker wife. She was flirtatious as much an independent thinker and rebel as her husband. Shortly after his wedding in 1774 , Nathanael Greene joined the Rhode Island volunteer militia unit called, "the Kentish Guards," known for their distinctive red uniforms. Greene considered himself officer material, his fellow militia men did not.
John Buchanan He was lame from childhood, he had a stiff knee. We don't know from what, whether, whether it was an accident or what and he limped. And his fellow Kentish guards said, " Nathanael , you, you really don't look too good out there in front of us, dragging that one leg, so we think you should bow out." They, they wanted him out of the Guards.
Terry Golway He was appalled, he was mortified, so he sends a letter to his friend, James Varnum , who is the commander of the Kentish Guards, saying he will resign. Because if he's considered a blemish on the company, then he can't continue. Luckily, he reconsiders. Had he not reconsidered, the United States might have been deprived of one of its great generals.
Edward Herrmann Greene faced an uphill battle to prove that a Quaker could fight and that an inexperienced partially disabled soldier could lead. He would soon get his chance but exactly why? Remains a mystery. When the clouds of revolution began appearing over Massachusetts , the Kentish Guards and other Rhode Island units were called to duty. Incredibly, Nathanael Greene was appointed to lead the combined Rhode Island Army and given a stunning promotion to Brigadier General.
Terry Golway And it is really astonishing when you think about it. Not too many people had made the leap from private to general, but Nathanael Greene did. Now, how did that happen?
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow U.S. Army Center of Military History
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow I think, Greene had a certain degree of political pull. His father was well to do. Ah, they were well-connected, and I think that helped a little bit. I think also just the fact that he was so confident in himself in what he can do and what he wanted to do ah, helped him, ah, to get that, that generalship.
John Buchanan It must have been some political connections. Ah, but I, I think, I think also they, they, they must have been impressed with his knowledge of things military because he had read deeply, deeply in the subject.
Edward Herrmann Whatever the reasons, Nathanael Greene's star was on the rise. In July, 1775 , George Washington saw Greene for the first time in Massachusetts .
John Buchanan They met in Cambridge , ah, when Greene led the Rhode Island Army there, and apparently struck it off immediately. Greene probably came across to Washington if, if you look at, just look at this portrait. He's very solid guy, he was a big man, of maybe, maybe about 5'11".
Bruce Chadwick, Ph.D. Author, George Washington's War
Bruce Chadwick Washington admires him because he's well educated, he reads Latin, he worked as a teenager, with the money bought books to read. He sees him as a man much like himself who has experience and maturity. Within about two years, Greene becomes his most trusted advisor, and the two of them throughout the war share a close friendship.
Edward Herrmann Greene was destined to benefit from some of the most incomprehensible promotions in U.S. military history. As a Brigadier General commanding the Rhode Island State Army, Greene didn't have much clout in the American Continental Army until George Washington moved him, make that "launched him," even further up the ladder.
John Buchanan As soon as the Continental Army is formed, he's made by Congress on Washington's recommendation, Brigadier General of the Continental Army. Yes, yes, now he's a regular and he has yet to see combat. He hasn't even been in the army a year.
Terry Golway So clearly, he has made an impression, and I think one the things that helped his rise in the Continental Army is that the Rhode Island Army which, over which he was general. The Rhode Island Army outside of Boston was universally praised for its discipline and for its professionalism.
Edward Herrmann Some historians believe that a single incident may have convinced Washington of Greene's potential. At a meeting of his top advisers, Washington proposed a direct assault on British forces in Boston . All in the room disagreed, except Nathanael Greene .
John Buchanan He probably appreciated at least one general standing up for it because everybody else was knocking his plan to assault Boston , and this shows early on, I think that Washington and Greene are much alike, and they're both fighting generals.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann In less than a year, Nathanael Greene had evolved from an unknown Quaker soldier with a limp to George Washington's right-hand man. But now, that relationship would be sorely tested at Fort Washington.
[sil.]
John Buchanan It was just a complete misjudgment on Greene's part, complete. And he persuaded Washington until it was too late not to evacuate the fort. The British attacked from three sides, took heavy losses in a frontal assault, took the fort, captured over 2,800 men ah, and all those, all those precious supplies, and sadly these, these ah, ah, these prisoners, they were put on the infamous British prison hulks in New York Harbor and two-thirds of them died of hunger, disease, scurvy, etcetera.
Terry Golway This is a bloody disaster and to an extent, it was all Nathanael Greene's fault. Now, here's this young Brigadier General who is new at war. He's gotten the confidence of George Washington and now it's all gone. He just simply can't believe that he made such a terrible mistake at such a cost.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene's meteoric rise to prominence had come to a crashing halt. In the months that followed, he would have to fight to restore his reputation both on and off the battlefield.
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann How close was the the relationship between Nathanael Greene and George Washington ? Greene named his first son George Washington Greene , and his first daughter Martha Washington Greene .
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann Following the loss of Fort Washington and its 2,800 defenders, the Continental Army is forced to evacuate New York and retreat into New Jersey . General Nathanael Greene takes full responsibility for the disaster, knowing it could be the end of his career. He writes to a friend that he feels mad, vexed, sicked, and sorry. George Washington could easily have made Greene a scapegoat.
John Buchanan Author, The Road To Valley Forge
John Buchanan It was the greatest American defeat of the war until the fall of Charleston in May, 1780 . He was again mortified for what he had done but Washington didn't cast him aside. He still had faith in him, defended him.
Bruce Chadwick, Ph.D. Author, George Washington's War
Bruce Chadwick Washington sees in Greene an experienced man who realizes that this may be a longer war than most people anticipate. He sees in Greene a man who is willing to do whatever he is asked to help the cause. And in Greene , importantly to Washington , he sees a man who has a vision of a strong national government just like he does.
Edward Herrmann While many questioned Washington's loyalty to Greene , Washington never wavered. He instinctively felt that in the long term, Greene could be one of his most valuable assets.
Terry Golway Author, Washington's General
Terry Golway Nathanael Greene was almost the complete package. He knew how to organize, he knew how to prepare for battle. He was a businessman after all. So he knew the importance of supply, he knew the importance of morale. On the battlefield however, ah, military historians have suggested that he was not the best tactician, and perhaps that's not a surprise because nothing in civilian life could have prepared him for what happens once guns opened fire.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann In the year after Fort Washington, Greene would take action to repair his damaged reputation.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann At the Battle of Trenton, December 26th, 1776 , he commanded one of two columns that attacked the town and captured hundreds of fleeing Hessians. It was a major victory for the Americans.
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Edward Herrmann Eight months later at the Battle of Brandywine, Greene led a column that successfully halted a British attempt to flank the Continentals.
[sil.]
Edward Herrmann Washington was apparently impressed by Greene's performance under fire.
Terry Golway After those two battles, Washington writes to Greene and says, "You, sir, are considered my favorite general." Now, you'll note the way Washington phrases that. He phrases it in the passive voice. He is repeating something that he has heard but he's not confirming it. And later on in the war, it is said in Congress that the rumor is that Washington has designated Greene as his replacement. There is no documentary evidence to suggest that Washington did that. However, the records suggest that probably Washington felt that way.
Edward Herrmann Greene's value to Washington apparently went beyond military considerations. By all accounts, Greene had Washington's ear in a way no one else could claim.
Bruce Chadwick Washington is willing to listen to all the different people, on his staff but he's always specially willing to listen to Greene . Because Greene , he sees as a, a voice of reason. Greene has the restraint that he has on himself in a sense, and Greene will tell on things that other people won't tell him about the man. Washington , as an example, is frustrated early in the war. That the ordinary soldiers don't have the great patriotic zeal that he has. And Greene sets him down and says, "General, nobody has the patriotic zeal that you have, and you're making a great mistake if you expect that privates and corporals to think and act like you do." And Washington starts to see that then, and that helps Washington .
Edward Herrmann As the war progressed, George Washington would continue to put his faith in Greene during crucial times. Nowhere was this more evident than during the infamous winter at Valley Forge.
John Buchanan The troops are in rags and they're going from feast to famine as far as food is concerned, and they get desperate, Washington gets desperate for supplies, especially food for the troops and forage for the animals. Ah, you know that's like oil and gas today in an army. You needed lots of hay and grain for the animals. And so in desperation, he turns to the man he trusts most, Nathanael Greene .
Terry Golway So Greene is commissioned to go out into the countryside, knock on people's doors and asked politely if that person will donate something to the cause. And if that person is not so willing he is authorized to take it. George Washington didn't like doing that. He felt that's what the British did but conditions in Valley Forge were so extreme that he authorized Nathanael Greene to take what he needed.
John Buchanan It was a thankless task, absolutely thankless. Not only the food but to get ah, supplies of clothing, shoes, etcetera, from New England . And, and to stop local militia commanders from confiscating ah, ah, convoys that you know wagons of, of, of these supplies coming from New England to the main army. Because they would, they just help themselves.
Edward Herrmann Greene's foraging operation has an immediate impact.
Terry Golway Within a week or so, food is coming into Valley Forge. And the men can eat meat again, which they had been going without, and other supplies are beginning to come in, slightly relieving conditions at Valley Forge but the foraging is a tremendous success.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene's organizational talent and creative firm approach to procuring supplies literally saves the American Army. Washington is so impressed that he appoints him Quartermaster General for the entire army. Some soldiers might have viewed this desk job as an opportunity. Nathanael Greene is less than thrilled.
Terry Golway The quartermaster general is not a glamorous job. In fact, Nathanael Greene writes, "No one has ever heard of a quartermaster in history," and he's right. The quartermaster doesn't fight battles, the quartermaster prepares for battles. He's in charge of supplies, in essence. This is a job that Nathanael Greene didn't sign up for. When he was dreaming of military glory, he wasn't dreaming of being in front of a spreadsheet, but nevertheless, Washington prevails on Greene and I think it speaks to Washington's powers of persuasion. And also to Greene's loyalty to Washington that Greene does in fact become the Quartermaster General.
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow U.S. Army Center of Military History
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow I think it's because he wanted somebody he could trust. I think it's also that he knew that of all his generals, Greene was the one that was the fixer. If you wanted something done, ask Greene .
Edward Herrmann The reluctant quartermaster, however, quickly discovers he has a formidable obstacle in his path, the US Congress. Greene simply hates bureaucrats and does not hesitate to say so.
Bruce Chadwick He would always refer to congressional folly whenever any visit to Congress to came up. He often would tell Washington he felt humiliated by Congress when he went there to answer questions for a committee. And in letters and comments to people would always joke about Congress how, whatever anybody here in the army could do in a day, Congress could surely take a month.
Terry Golway He, of course, as a quartermaster, as one imagines, wanted more money. Congress, which is in charge of the nation's finances, and they were very shaky finances, is reluctant to give Greene what he wants, but what Greene has is tremendous organizational skill. At one point, the quartermaster department employs 3,000 people. I mean it's a small army unto itself, and what he does to is he finds very good people to run the show.
Edward Herrmann The entire time Nathanael serves as Quartermaster, he is champing at the bit, eager to return to the fight. Washington , aware of Greene's desires, provides him brief opportunities to command battle lines. In June, 1778 , Greene goes on the attack at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey . Ordered to head off a British assault expected on Washington's right flank, Greene takes ten cannons to the top of the hill with a company of Virginians. He finds himself in the right place at the right time. When Cornwallis encounters artillery fire from another direction, he moves his troops right into position where Greene's cannon and small-arms fire have devastating impact. The British infantry is forced to retreat. Greene's reward for such battlefield exploits however was to return to his desk job where Washington had determined his talent could be best utilized. There was no doubt that the Continental Army desperately needed Greene as quartermaster general, but Greene was not a happy man.
Terry Golway He was so frustrated by this job because it wasn't what he wanted to do. And so, several occasions, he, he tells Congress he just doesn't wanna do it anymore. Ah, in part, he felt that Congress wasn't supporting him, that if he had the proper amount of money and the proper amount of support from Philadelphia , that he wouldn't have to simply make do. But congress refuses to accept the, his resignation because they know that he's got the supply problem solved.
Edward Herrmann By July, 1780 , however, Greene reached the point where he refused to take no for an answer. His attitude had made enemies in congress, and he wanted to be a military commander not a bookkeeper.
Terry Golway Greene decides. This time, he really means it, and he's going to quit the service as quartermaster. And he does it in language that Congress simply can't ignore. Congress is taken a back by Greene's language, and thinks well, you know what? If he's going to resign as quartermaster general, he's gonna resign as major general as well and we'll be done with it. And Washington intervenes to make sure that Greene retains his title of Major General, that he continues to be in the service, so that is the compromise he reached.
Edward Herrmann Ultimately, that compromise would mean a new beginning for Greene . The British have shifted their attention to the southern colonies as part of a new strategy of attack. After landing by ship in South Carolina , British troops, under the command of first Sir Henry Clinton , then General Cornwallis , plan to establish British authority in South Carolina . And then work their way north, in effect cutting the existing United States in half. The war in the south was about to give Nathanael Greene exactly what he had always wanted, a chance to prove himself at the head of an army. But he would not be marching into just any battle, his performance as a commander was about to help determine the fate of the nation.
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene was one of only two Americans to serve the entire duration of the Revolution at the rank of General. The other was... George Washington .
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann By the summer of 1780 , the British military offensive in the southern colonies was succeeding beyond expectations. At different times, Congress had appointed two highly-regarded Generals, Benjamin Lincoln and Horatio Gates , to stop the relentless advance of the British. Both went down in flames. Gates , in particular, suffered a devastating defeat to British General Lord Cornwallis at Camden, South Carolina .
Wayne E. Lee, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Wayne E. Lee Gates became notorious after the battle for having jumped on his horse and fled all the way to Hillsborough , which is ah, 150 miles from the site of the battle, so it's, it's a tremendous disaster for Gates . And Gates is immediately chastened, chastised, rebuked, and in fact, fired for his failures at Camden .
Edward Herrmann For all practical purposes, America's Southern Army had ceased to exist. In desperation, Congress sought a recommendation from George Washington for a new commander.
Terry Golway Author, Washington's General
Terry Golway Washington turns to the man who has been by his side ever since 1775 . He asked Nathanael Greene to assume what must be regarded as the most important command of the war, short of being commander-in-chief. That was Greene's mission. He was sent down to the south to take command of a thousand soldiers and asked to head off Cornwallis , who had probably about 4,000 soldiers to his 1,000. And if he failed, clearly, the revolution was, if not lost then certainly in very dire straits. More dire than at any other time since 1776 .
Wayne E. Lee When Greene is told to take over the, the, the command in the south, I sometimes think that his reaction was almost the same as Washington's when Washington was appointed to command the Continental Army in 1775 . That is, "Oh, yes!" and "Oh, no." "You know, this is my golden opportunity, there's no way I can make this work." So I think that, you know, if literally at one in the same time, he's thinking, "This is the end of my reputation," which was almost Washington's words in '75 . And "this is going to be the end of my reputation, but I want it."
HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA
Edward Herrmann When Nathanael Greene arrived in North Carolina , he found an army in shambles. Many regulars had deserted; those who remained, along with inexperienced militia, were poorly equip in every way, tattered clothing, malfunctioning weapons, little ammunition, and poor food rations. Worst of all, troop morale was at rock bottom. The war had taken its toll and many men simply wanted to go home.
Terry Golway Well, it's a good thing that in his heart, Nathanael Greene was pretty much an optimist because only an optimist would have stayed and, and done his duty when he got to the south. Because what he inherited from Gates was an army of about 1,000 Continental soldiers which is to say the regular army and about 600 militia, and that was it. They were in essence in army on paper only.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene was basically given an impossible task, to fight the well-fed, freshly reinforced British Army with the group of men who had been beaten down physically and emotionally. Greene took heart in the fact that he had an army at all.
Wayne E. Lee I sometimes think, this is one of the most revealing moments about the Continental Army is that those guys were beaten at Camden and flee across the countryside by themselves, fled back to Hillsborough some 800 of them and reconstitute themselves as units. When, you know, they could have just kept going north, ah, back to Maryland , back to Delaware . And so, you know, when Greene shows up in Hillsborough , I think it's hard, he doesn't say this but I think he would have to be at least a little heartened.
Edward Herrmann Greene immediately notifies Washington that he has no resources with which to equip the small army at his disposal. Washington writes back, "You'll have to make do with what you have." At this point, Greene's background as a forager kicks into gear. He rebuilds his army on the cheap, works hard to build up morale and begins to plot his strategy. Greene knows he has no chance of directly confronting Lord Cornwallis's army with his small force, so he mounts an operation that defies a military rule but turns out to be a brilliant maneuver. He divides his command. Six hundred of the Army's elite light troops under the command of General Daniel Morgan , head to the western back country. The remaining 1,100 under Greene's command, head to the edge of the low country, where Greene will retrain, re-discipline and refresh his battered soldiers.
Terry Golway You don't divide your smaller force in the face of a larger force because you can get picked apart one by one. But Greene realizes that it's the only way this Army right now is going to be survive, is if it can, if it can live off the land in two different places.
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow U.S. Army Center of Military History
Lt. Col. Michael B. Bigelow But he's got a hundred miles between them and in the middle is Cornwallis , so you think, "How's that gonna work?" But he had it right, because if Cornwallis moves against Morgan , Greene goes down into Charleston . If he moves against Greene , Morgan can go into Georgia . So it's kinda' like in basketball, spreading the court. You know, you take the guys, you put 'em to four corners and spread out the defenders. And they have to cover you 'cause you never know who's gonna have the ball, and that's kinda what Greene does.
Terry Golway Here, you have this really interesting dynamic where you have the self-taught General Greene against the accomplished professional, Cornwallis . By dividing his Army, Greene did lure Cornwallis into making a tremendous mistake. Cornwallis decides that he's gonna take on Morgan , which he thinks it's gonna be a very easy job.
Edward Herrmann It would be anything but easy. Cornwallis dispatched his light troops under Col. Banastre Tarleton to take on Morgan at the Cowpens in South Carolina . But when the British arrived, the Americans were ready and waiting.
Terry Golway Morgan understood that he was dealing with militia, and militiamen, throughout the American revolution, had a tendency to run away when things got hot. They were part-time soldiers, they weren't very well-trained, they, they didn't know how to act as a disciplined fighting force, so what Morgan tells his militia men is look, "Fire a couple of shots and then retreat."
[sil.]
Terry Golway And it works perfectly just according to plan. They fired a devastating volley or two and retreat, and now the British come and take on the second line.
[sil.]
Terry Golway And by the time the battle is over, the British are just wiped out.
Edward Herrmann The victory at Cowpens was the beginning of the end for the British in the south. Now, it was up to Nathanael Greene to finish the job. Soon, he would reunite his army for the climactic showdown with Lord Cornwallis .
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann During the Revolution, Maryland was the only southern state that allowed African-Americans to formally enlist in the Continental Army.
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann Following Daniel Morgan's victory at Cowpens , Nathanael Greene reunited his divided army and headed north to Virginia , his goal, to cross the Dan River ahead of the British so he could rest his troops and replenish supplies. Determined to stop Greene , Cornwallis ordered his supply train burned so his army could move faster. The race to the Dan was on.
Terry Golway Author, Washington's General
Terry Golway Everything is at stake now, because Cornwallis is in close pursuit, and if Cornwallis can get to Greene before the River Dan, well then, he can wipe out Greene . But Greene gets there first and it's just, um, it's as a very close run thing, and Cornwallis is probably hot on his heels and gets there just a few hours after the American Army gets across the Dan River. And one of the reasons that the Americans were able to do it, it's because Greene is such a master of preparation; he had the boats waiting for him on the river so that when the troops got to the Dan, they were able to cross and Cornwallis was left with an empty river bank.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene's experience as a quartermaster had paid off. His thorough research of the route to the Dan River with boats and supplies having them placed carefully by plan made it possible for the Americans to win this critical race. Although the advantage clearly belongs to the Americans and no shot has been fired, Cornwallis tries to make it appear that the British have come out on top.
Terry Golway Greene never expected to be in Virginia very long, ah, once he crosses the Dan, ah, Cornwallis decides not to continue the pursuit. In fact, he turned south, and he declares victory. He says that, " North Carolina has now been cleared of the Continental Army." This is a tremendous victory and that's how he, ah, that's how he spins it, as we would say today.
Edward Herrmann But Cornwallis had not seen the last of Nathanael Greene . Once Greene had been able to rest and re-supply his troops in Virginia , he returned to North Carolina looking for a fight. He found it at a place called Guilford Courthouse. Today, monuments mark the landscape of one of the most significant and brutal battles of the American Revolution's southern campaign. One that helped turn the tide of the war. It was also the crowning moment of General Nathanael Greene's career. For Greene's purposes, Guilford Courthouse was ideal, he could place his troops in a defensive position. His battle plan was similar to the tactic Morgan employed at Cowpens ; two lines of militia backed up by Continental Army regulars.
Wayne E. Lee, Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Wayne E. Lee The British see the first line of, of militia which are primarily North Carolina militia uhm, sitting at the edge of the woods ah, looking at across an open field. And the British charged across that open field, and the North Carolina militia uhm, fundamentally fires some rugged shots and disappears. They are not prepared for the sight of British soldiers charging at them with bayonets.
Edward Herrmann The militia units are armed with muskets but no bayonets. They were neither trained nor disciplined to stand steady against an experienced bayonet-wielding enemy in an open field of battle.
Wayne E. Lee One of the things that's crucial to understanding, 18th century battle is to understand the psychology of 18th century battle. It's all about fear. It's not about the numbers that are killed, it's about what do you think is likely to happen to you. That's where the critical decisions are made in people's minds, in reaction to fear, in reactions to what they see happening around them.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene's next line of defense is Virginia militia, positioned in a wooded area approximately 300 yards behind the first line. One brigade performs well, the other does not, and the British break through.
[sil.]
Wayne E. Lee By this point, the British have actually gotten somewhat used to the issue of fighting in woods, they don't fight shoulder to shoulder anymore ah, in the south, they fight in an, in a looser but more open order that allows them to move through the woods. And at this point, Cornwallis and his troops pressed through the woods and get to the other side of the woods, and there, lo and behold, is Greene's corps, his Continental troops who were waiting for the British to come at them.
Edward Herrmann When the British line re-forms to take on Greene's Continental regulars, the battle suddenly escalates. Unlike the militia, the American regulars are equipped with bayonets and they know how to use them.
Wayne E. Lee The fight of the third line, if you will, is, is, is the one where things really get heated, and they actually crossed bayonets.
[sil.]
Wayne E. Lee Cornwallis isn't sure which way it's gonna go, Greene's not sure which way it's gonna go. There's some confusion as to which unit starts to break and which unit starts to push back, uhm, and some really complicated maneuverings even in the midst of this. And then finally, it looks like the Americans are gonna win, that the British line is starting to be pushed back.
Edward Herrmann It is then that General Cornwallis makes one of the most controversial decisions of any war.
Terry Golway He orders his cannons filled with grapeshot to fire on the position, regardless of the fact that some of the casualties would be British. One of the generals with Cornwallis , O'Harris says, "You, you can't do that. You're gonna be killing our men too." But Cornwallis realizes he has no choice.
Edward Herrmann Witnessing the carnage, Nathanael Greene has his own difficult decision to make. His army is in a superior position, but the longer American troops remain fighting, the more horrific the damage. There is no doubt that his forces had inflicted serious casualties on the enemy and there is no reason to control the land, so Greene withdraws. A far cry from the disastrous mistake he had made at Fort Washington. Now a far wiser commander, Greene knows that he must save his army above all else. Tactically, he narrowly loses the battle but strategically, he has set up Cornwallis for disaster.
Terry Golway The winner of Guilford Courthouse of course is the British because they have the field at the end of the day, but clearly, it was a pyrrhic victory at best for Lord Cornwallis . In fact, in the parliament, they say that one more victory like Guilford Courthouse will be the ruin of the British Army.
John Buchanan Author, The Road To Guilford Courthouse
John Buchanan It's after Guilford Courthouse that he decides he's had enough of the Carolinas. He writes to General Philips that he's going to go to Virginia and seek out a battle, and perhaps recover America . Well, of course we know what happened. He, he, he, he, he found a village called Yorktown and that was the end.
Edward Herrmann Nathanael Greene's action at Guilford Courthouse had destroyed Britain's plans to conquer the south but he had again been denied a true victory. As the war drew to a close, Greene would have one more chance for battlefield glory.
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann When Nathanael Greene died in 1786 , George Washington expressed his affection for his old comrade by offering to raise Greene's eldest son, George Washington Greene .
Washington's GENERALS
Edward Herrmann Although the Battle of Guilford Courthouse had effectively directed the war towards its conclusion, General Nathanael Greene had yet to win a combat victory in traditional terms. Controlling a land on which the battle was fought, watching the enemy retreat. He had always been the one to retreat. Greene would have one final opportunity in one final battle. On September 8, 1781 , he went out to the last British field army in the south commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart . The location was Eutaw Springs, South Carolina . Greene attacked just after dawn, taking the British by surprise while they ate breakfast. What should have been a relatively easy victory for Greene was not.
John Buchanan Author, The Road To Guilford Courthouse
John Buchanan They forced the British to retreat. They looked around, there's British camp and they saw all these riches, the food, the rum, and they went wild. Ah, Stuart rallied his troops, came forward and chase them out of the camp, and Greene once again had to retreat. So, he really lost at Eutaw Springs. But again, just as, as in his other battles, he lost but he so decimated the British force that it was no longer an effective field force.
Terry Golway Author, Washington's General
Terry Golway Nathanael Greene's maxim was, "We fight, get beat, rise and fight again," and that was the philosophy he brought to the south. He learned it in the north, he learned that if you keep the army in the field, as long is your army isn't annihilated, the idea lives, the revolution lives.
Edward Herrmann Six weeks after the Battle of Eutaw Springs, Lord Cornwallis surrendered his entire army to George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia . America had finally secured its independence.
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Edward Herrmann Traditionally, military heroes like Nathanael Greene are rewarded with successful careers in politics or business. In 1782 , the State of Georgia presented Greene with a 2,000 acre estate in gratitude for his efforts in the southern campaign. On a hot humid summer day four years later, Greene rode up to inspect a neighbors property. That night, he complained of a severe headache. Within a week, George Washington's favorite general was dead, the victim of overexertion and sunstroke.
John Buchanan In 1786 he was 44 ah, and that was the end of Nathanael Greene , and it was a, a, a, the nation, the nation lost a great man.
Terry Golway I think, had he lived, he certainly would have been considered vice presidential material, certainly would have been in Washington's cabinet. I mean, I believe he would have been the war secretary rather than Henry Knox , but he would have, he would have been somebody but instead he died.
Edward Herrmann It is almost certain that Nathaniel Greene's untimely death contributed to the lack of a heroic reputation and lasting fame. Perhaps, in the future, that will change and Nathanael Greene will finally receive the recognition he deserves. Remembered not as a man who never won a battle but as a gifted strategist whose immense contributions helped win a war and establish a new nation.
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