RI, USA
Nathanael Greene Takes Command of the Southern Army
October 14, 1780
In October 1780, Washington appointed Nathanael Greene to command the Continental Army's Southern Department, replacing Horatio Gates after the disastrous defeat at Camden. Greene, deeply connected to Providence's political networks, took command of a demoralized and poorly supplied force and turned it into an effective fighting army.
Greene's Southern Campaign is considered one of the most skillful operations of the war. He divided his forces, used partisan allies, and fought a series of battles — Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk's Hill, Eutaw Springs — that gradually wore down the British position in the Carolinas and Georgia. He famously said, "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Rhode Island's contribution to the war effort found its highest expression in Greene's generalship.
People Involved
Rhode Island's most important military figure of the Revolution. A self-taught strategist from a Quaker family, Greene rose from militia private to become Washington's most trusted general. His Southern Campaign of 1780-1781 is considered one of the most skillful operations of the war.
Wife of Nathanael Greene who accompanied him to winter camps and maintained correspondence networks that kept Rhode Island connected to the war's progress. Known for her resilience and social intelligence, she managed the family's affairs during her husband's long campaigns in the South.