Nathanael Greene

Known as the Fighting Quaker, Nathaniel Greene (1742-1786) was a famous American Revolutionary War General who fought successful campaigns against the British in North and South Carolina. Greene was the son of Quaker parents who lived in Rhode Island. Because of his strong interest in the military, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), who oppose war for religious reasons, expelled him from Meeting.

Before the war, he served in the Rhode Island State Legislature. After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Greene went to Boston and became a Brigadier General in the Continental Army. He fought in the siege of Boston and later commanded the American forces occupying Boston. Greene was appointed to Major General in He fought in many battles and stayed with General Washington at Valley Forge. In December 1780, Greene replaced General Horatio Gates as the Commander of the Southern Revolutionary Army. The British General Charles Cornwallis exhausted his troops and supplies in an effort to defeat Greene. At the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in March 1781, Greene's persistence in battle is credited with forcing Cornwallis to leave the Carolinas. General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington's forces on October 19, 1781.

General Nathanael Greene is remembered as a war hero. The city of Greensboro, North Carolina is named for him. Camp Greene, a Charlotte military training facility built during World War I, is also named in his honor.