Nathanael Greene Papers, American Philosophical Society

Nathanael Greene was one of the leading commanders in the Continental Army, and the only officer George Washington saw as capable of leading in his absence. Greene served as a field commander, member of Washington's staff, Quartermaster General, and commander of the Army in the Southern Theater. Greene was born on July 27, 1742 in Potowomut, Rhode Island to a Quaker family, who believed that their children would learn more from manual labor then from attending school. Lacking a formal education Greene was very intelligent and taught himself to read, developing early on a love of books - particularly military history and theory. It was through reading, not experience, where Greene learned his knowledge of military science. Between 1778 and 1780 he reluctantly served as Quartermaster General, and was able to drastically improve supplying the Continental Army. Greene ended his military career leading the American Southern army to victory over the British. Greene died in Georgia in June 1786.

The Papers of Nathanael Greene come from Greene's tenure as Quartermaster General of the Continental Army between 1778 and 1780. The collection primarily consists of Greene's correspondence with officers in the quartermaster department, officers in the Army (including George Washington), and members of the Continental Congress; relating to the operation of the Quartermaster Department with requests for supplies, forage, and money. In addition, there is also correspondence between officers of the Quartermaster Department. The content of the letters provide a detailed account of the logistical obstacles that Greene and his subordinates faced in trying to keep not only the Quartermaster Department but the Continental Army running. The papers do not contain any material relating to Greene's military service or private life either before or after his tenure as quartermaster general.

Due to its large size, this finding aid is presented in three parts:

Series I: Correspondence A-L

Series I: Correspondence M-Z

Series II-IV

Background note

Nathanael Greene

Nathanael Greene rose from the rank of private to major-general in a short time to become one of the leading commanders in the Continental Army, and the only officer George Washington saw as capable of leading in his absence. Greene served as a field commander, member of Washington's staff, Quartermaster General, and commander of the Army in the Southern Theater. However, this military hero of the Revolution did not come from a military background, but was raised in the pacifist beliefs of a Quaker family.

Greene was born on July 27, 1742 in Potowomut, Rhode Island to Nathanael and Mary Mott, who believed that their children would learn more from manual labor than school. At an early age, Greene went to work in his father's iron forge. Though lacking a formal education, Greene was innately intelligent and taught himself to read, developing a love of books - particularly military history and theory.

Greene's first venture into public affairs came during the colonial crisis of the 1760s and and 1770s. After serving in the Rhode Island General Assembly from 1770 to 1772, he was among the organizers of the Kentish Guard in 1774, a militia unit formed for the protection of Rhode Island in anticipation of war. When he was rejected as an officer because of a limp he received from a childhood accident, he enlisted as a private. Greene also served on a committee authorized by the General Assembly to prepare Rhode Island's defenses, and in his spare time continued to study military science.

Greene's military knowledge, likeable personality, and political influence caught the attention of the Rhode Island assembly, and in 1775 he was appointed over veteran officers of the Seven Years' War as general of the Rhode Island Army of Observation. In the following weeks he organized three regiments and led them to Boston where he reported to George Washington. It was here that Washington first became impressed with Greene, and saw his potential for greater responsibilities in the Continental Army.

Greene's first year in military service however was less then distinguished. Following stalemates with the British at Boston and New York, he was placed in charge of preparing the defenses of Long Island, N.Y. In August 1776 he was promoted to major general, but fell ill and could not take the field when William Howe attacked in September. In November Greene was given command of Forts Washington and Lee across from New York City. When British troops threatened the works Greene decided not to evacuate, which resulted in the capture of both forts and 2,800 Continental troops. Despite these setbacks, Greene redeemed himself in December by providing invaluable assistance to Washington during the American retreat through New Jersey and the attack on Trenton.

Throughout 1777 Greene became increasingly indispensable to Washington as both a field officer and a member of his staff. During the early summer he thwarted Howe's attacks in New Jersey. When Howe opened the Philadelphia Campaign by landing his army in Maryland, Greene played important roles at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and while the army was encamped at Valley Forge he assumed a key role in supplying the troops. Thomas Mifflin had resigned as quartermaster general of the army in October 1777 over criticism from Congress and poor health. Hard pressed to find a replacement, Washington turned to Greene to handle matters of supply. Out of respect for Washington's wishes Greene reluctantly accepted the position of quartermaster general in March 1778 on the condition that he maintain his rank as a field commander and be able to appoint John Cox and Charles Pettit as his assistant quartermasters-general. Although Greene believed the position was beneath him, he managed to improve the movement of supplies to the troops. During his two years in command of the department, Greene set up forage depots at key locations, took on the problem of transportation, and wrestled with Congress to get money to purchase the supplies the army needed. While Greene and his assistants struggled to supply the army in the face of inflation, they were accused of profiteering by Congress. Shortly thereafter, Greene learned that Congress had elected to hold the quartermaster general personally and financially responsible for the actions of his subordinates. After two years of continuous, aggravating, and thankless work this was the final act for Greene. On July 26, 1780 he resigned as quartermaster general.

Returning to his field command on June 28, 1778, Greene took command from Charles Lee who had ordered a retreat against Washington's wishes during the the Battle of Monmouth. Greene assisted John Sullivan in planning his Rhode Island Campaign in 1778, and on June 23, 1780 he was in command at Springfield, NJ when British troops under Baron Wilhelm von Knyphausen advanced from New York City. Greene's chance for independent command came in October 1780. Congress had relieved Horatio Gates as general of the southern army after allowing the British under Lord Cornwallis to take control of South Carolina and Georgia. In an effort to prevent the loss of North Carolina and Virginia, Congress authorized Washington to select Gates' replacement. Without hesitation Washington selected Greene, who immediately set out for the south. During the journey he added Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee's legion to his command and placed Baron Friedrich von Steuben in charge of organizing men and supplies. Greene arrived at Charlotte, N.C. on December 3 to relieve Gates of his command. Knowing that Cornwallis was waiting for reinforcements at Winnsboro, S.C., Greene decided to attack before they could arrive. With the assistance of Daniel Morgan, he launched a campaign in early 1781 that included the Battle of Cowpens on January 17 and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, both American victories, that forced Cornwallis to withdraw to Virginia, while Greene took what remained of his command south after militia departures.

For the remainder of the war Greene worked with partisan forces against 8,000 British troops garrisoned throughout South Carolina and Georgia. Despite facing a larger force, he was able to force the British to withdraw from their interior posts to the coastal cities. Even after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown Greene continued to contend with British forces who held Charleston and Savannah until 1782, and to restore peace between patriots and Loyalists who continued to battle one another. It was not until after the peace treaty was signed that Greene was able to end his military career.

In 1783 Greene returned north a hero. In appreciation of his military service in the south, Greene received large estates from South Carolina and Georgia. After spending two years in the north Greene and his wife decided to settle in Georgia on their plantation Mulberry Grove.

The last years of Green's life were troubled by resurfacing accusations of profiteering during the war, and by a large debt which resulted when a note he had cosigned came due. Even though the charges of profiteering were disproved, but the debt remained. Greene died at Mulberry Grove on June 19, 1786 from an infection, leaving his family in financial uncertainty until Congress liquidated his debts ten years later.

Scope and content

The Papers of Nathanael Greene are 4 linear feet in size and come from Greene's tenure as Quartermaster General of the Continental Army between 1778 and 1780. The collection consists primarily of Greene's correspondence with officers in the quartermaster department, officers in the Army (including George Washington), and members of the Continental Congress; relating to the operation of the Quartermaster Department with requests for supplies, forage, and money. In addition, there is also correspondence between officers in the Quartermaster Department. The papers do not contain any material relating to Greene's military service or private life either before or after his tenure as quartermaster general.

This collection is an ideal source for the study the logistics during the Revolutionary War, and how it effected the Continental Army both during campaigns and on a daily basis. The letters provide a detailed account of the logistical obstacles that Greene and his subordinates faced in trying to keep both the Quartermaster Department and the Continental Army running. The collection contains quartermaster returns from various departments and commands, which provide accounts of supplies on hand and supplies needed. Of particular note is the insight into the financing of the war through the consistent calls for cash from all departments, and the commentary on Continental currency in regards to the demands for payment for services and goods provided to the Army. As James T. Mitchell, chairman of the APS's Committee on Historical Manuscripts, noted, "in no place ... can a more graphic and vivid conception be gathered of the hardships and struggles of the Revolutionary army."

On occasion the correspondence does touch on more exciting topics from the period. Of note are George Weedon's November 9, 1778 letter to Greene in which he discusses the birth of Greene's daughter, comments on the Rhode Island Expedition, asks for Greene's opinion on certain matters, and states his views that the British are about ready to quit. There is also Daniel Brodhead's May 26, 1779 correspondence which discusses Gen. McIntosh, Gen. Sullivan, and the Indian Expedition. Finally, there is Robert Forsyth's May 19, 1779 letter that describes the situation in Virginia. In addition to the correspondence, the Greene papers also contain the court of inquiry records into the conduct of Captain John Bancker who was Barrackmaster for part of New York, Quartermaster Department returns, and miscellaneous papers.

The papers were originally arranged by Colonel Charles Pettit into 12 volumes. Pettit had served as Colonial Secretary of New Jersey under Governor William Franklin and later as Secretary of State for Governor William Livingston. He resigned as secretary in 1778 to accept the position as Assistant Quartermaster General, and held that position until the end of the war having refused the appointment of Quartermaster General after Greene's resignation. Pettit continued in public service after the war until 1792. The papers remained in the family possession until 1820 when they were donated to the American Philosophical Society through Robert Desilver. Pettit also arranged a second set of Revolutionary War documents in his possession that were first in the possession of the Bureau of Rolls and Library in the Department of State, and are now at the National Archives and Records Administration. The papers were initially calendared by the APS in 1900 by Emma Repplier under the supervision of the Committee on Historical Manuscripts. Pettit's original arrangement of the papers by volume and page number was retained at that time.

To make the papers more accessible to researchers they have been reorganized into four series, and arranged therein first alphabetically by correspondent and then chronologically. The original volume and page numbers have been included in the descriptions to assist anyone using an older citation.


Series I. Correspondence	1778-1780	3 linear feet
Correspondence A-L
Correspondence M-Z
Series II. Records of a Court of Inquiry	1778-1779	0.25 linear feet
Series III. Quartermaster Department Returns	1778-1780	0.5 linear feet
Series IV. Miscellaneous Papers	1777-1780	0.25 linear feet

Administrative information

Restrictions

None.

Provenance

Presented by Robert Desilver, 1820.

Preferred citation

Cite as: Nathanael Greene Papers, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Recatalogued by J.J. Ahern, 2003.

Other finding aids

Calendar of the Correspondence Relating to the American Revolution of Brigadier-General George Weedon, Hon. Richard Henry Lee, Hon. Arthur Lee, and Major-General Nathanael Greene, in the Library of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1900) Call no. 973.3 Am4.

Additional information

Related material

The Greene Papers are one of several important collections at the APS for documenting the American Revolution, including the papers of Benjamin Franklin, Richard Henry Lee, and George Weedon.

There are additional collections of Greene material at other repositories. The major collections are:

Nathanael Greene Papers, 1762-1822. William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan (30 ln. ft).

Orderly book of Nathanael Greene, 1781 April 1 - July 25. Huntington Library.

Collection of correspondence of Nathanael Greene, 1775-1786. Huntington Library (2700 items)

Papers of Nathanael Greene, 1775-1785. Library of Congress. (400 items)

Major General Nathanael Greene Collection, 1770 - 1786. Rhode Island Historical Society. (1 ln. ft.)

Nathanael Greene Papers, 1778-1786. Manuscript Department of the William R. Perkins Library, Duke University. (199 items)

References

Greene, George Washington. Life of Nathanael Greene, Major-genral in the army of the American Revolution. Call. No. 920 Sp2L ser.2, v. 10

Johnson, William. Sketches of the life and correspondence of Nathanael Greene, Major General of the Armies of the United States, in the war of the Revolution. Charleston, S.C.: A.E. Miller, 1822. Call. no. B G83j

Showman, Richard K. et. al., ed. The Papers of Nathanael Greene. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1976-2002

Thayer, Theodore. Nathanael Greene: Strategist of the American Revolution. New York: Twayne, Publishers, 1960. Call.no. B G83t

Wells, Thomas L. "An inquiry into the resignation of quarter-master general Nathanael Greene in 1780." Rhode Island History. Call. no. 9740.5 R34h v.24, no.2.