4801.) | Biographical Account of the late Major-general Greene. 
fhort time after this, he was appointed 
Major-general by the Congrefs*. 
Towards the clofe of 1776 he was pre- 
fent at the furprife of the Heffian troops 
at Trenton, in New Jerfey ; and, at the 
beginning of the next year, he ferved at 
the battle of Prince Town. 
thefe actions he highly diftinguifhed him- 
felf, and gave great fatisfaétion to General 
Wafhington and his country. At the 
battle of German Town, he commanded 
the left wing of the army, and his utmof 
endeavours were’ exerted to retrieve the 
misfortunes of thatday ; on that occafion, 
he received the applaufe of the officers and 
troops, as well as the approbation of the 
Commander in Chief. 
In March 41778 he was appointed 
“Quartermafter- general, which office he.ac- 
cepted under a ftipulation that his rank in 
the army fhould not be affected by it, and 
that he fhould retain his right to com- 
mand in time of action according to his 
ftation and feniority. This privilege was 
accordingly exerciled by him, for he com- 
manded the right wing of the army at the 
battle of Monmouth. 
About the middle of the fame year an. 
attack was concerted, in conjunction with 
the “rench fleet, on the Britifh garrifon 
at Newport, Rhode Ifland. General Sul- 
livan was appointed to lead the troops, 
and. General Greere ferved ‘under him. 
This affair proved unluccefsful; for the 
French Admiral having failed out of the 
harbour to engage Lord Howe’s fleet, his. 
{quadron was difperfed by a ttorm, and 
the Americans were obliged to raife the 
fiege. General Greene on this occafion, 
alio, acquired much credit, by the fkill 
difplayed by him in drawing off the army 
in fafety. 
The fchemes of the Britifh Commanders 
to effect fomething decifive in the New 
England States being now rendered abor- 
tive, and there being little hopes of better 
- fuccefs in that quarter, they determined 
to make the fouthern colonies the f{cene 
of aétion, as they appeared to be not only 
lefs capable of defence, but promifed more 
advantage to the invaders. An armament 
was accordingly equipped at New York; 
the army embarked there, on the 26th of 
December, 1779, and landed on the 13th 
of February, 1780, about thirty. miles 
from Charleffowxz, in South Carolina ; 
‘which, after a brave defence, was fur- 
rendered to Sir Henry Clinton, on the 12th 
of May. 
A feries of ill-fucceffes followed this 
event, and the American arms in South 
' 
-® Auguft 26th 1776. 
In both of ° 
415 
Carolina, were, in general, unfuccefsful. 
Such was the fituation of affairs when 
General Wathington appointed General 
Greene to command the Southern army, 
which Lord Cornwallis had nearly anaihi- 
lated. WHearrived at Charlotte, in Meck- 
lenburgh county, in North Carolina, ac- 
companied by General Morgan, who had 
already diftinguifhed him/elfin theSouthern 
States, and alfo acquired great reputation 
during the expedition againft General Bur- 
goyne. He found the forces which he was 
to command reduced to a {mall number, 
both by defeats and by defertion. ‘The 
total returns were but nine hundred and 
feventy continentals, and thirteen hundred 
militia, Their provifions, forage, and 
military ftores, were in a ftill worfe fiate - 
than even the troops themfelves. The 
men were without pay and almoft naked; 
nor were fupplies of cloathing to be pro- 
cured nearer than two hundred miles. He 
had, in the midit ofall thefeinconveniences, 
to oppofe a refpectable and victorious body 
of veteran troops; but he, at the fame 
time, enjoyed the good fortune to behold 
numerous bodies of men,who had hitherte 
remained neutral, driven to his affiftance 
by the miftaken zeal of the royalifts, which 
compelled large numbers to ah active de» 
fence of their perfons and property. 
The ravages committed by individuals 
profeffing to be royalifts, and following 
Lord Cornwallis for the fake of plunder 
and depredation, rather. than from any 
motive of good will, or principle of attach. 
ment to the caufe, foon gave offence to his 
Lordfhip; and anfwered, negatively, a 
good. purpofe to General Greene. ‘The 
prudent meafures taken by the latter, for, 
repairing every injury which the army had 
recently fuftained, as well as for conci- 
liating the good will of the inhabitants by 
aéts of humanity, juftice, and kindnefs, 
foon brought together a confiderable body 
of adherents to the revolution; yet it 
mult be confefled that they were far infe- 
rior to the Britifh party. Among thefe 
he regained the aétive fervices of many 
diftinguifhed and enterprizing inhabitants of 
wealth and influence,who hadeither remdin- 
edin a ftate of inertnefs, from their dread of 
the fuperiority of the Britith forces; or, 
whofe apprehenfions, joined to their igno- 
rance of what had been achieved in another 
quarter, had induced them to give up the 
conteft as a point decidedly unfavourable 
to the caufe of America. 
The General, having thus reinforced the 
fouthern army with all the ftrength which, 
could be colleéted together by the friends 
of the revolution, immediately detached 
General Morgan to the weltern extremi- 
Hz ti¢s 
