Nathanael Greene

Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, known for his successful command in the Southern Campaign, forcing British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis to abandon the Carolinas and head for Virginia. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washingtons most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United States are named for him. Greene suffered financial difficulties in the postwar years and died in 1786.

Nathanael was the son of Nathanael Greene , a Quaker farmer and smith, and he was the great great grandson of John Greene and Samuel Gorton, both of whom were founding settlers of Warwick, Rhode Island. Nathanael was born on Forge Farm at Potowomut in the township of Warwick, Rhode Island, on August 7, 1742 new style. His mother, Mary Mott, was his fathers second wife. Though his fathers sect discouraged literary accomplishments, Greene educated himself, with a special study of mathematics and law. The Rev. Ezra Stiles, later president of Yale University, was a strong influence in the young Nathanaels life.

Source: Wikipedia