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| Martha Washington |
Knowing that his wife Martha would share almost anything with him, George Washington encouraged her asking questions about the battles he fought and the problems he faced on a daily bases.
Martha Washington: Tell me my dear, now that I see you beginning to relax a bit more, how is it that Greene and Knox became so important to your overall plan for the success of the war?
George Washington: Let’s first be
clear, Martha, it was not my plan alone but a plan developed with my advisors
as we went into battle after battle. These two men did not become great
generals because of me. It was the slow realization on my part that they
could think and solve problems as quickly if not more quickly than I. I needed
commanders who did not need me to think for them. Rarely would they ask my
advice on solving a dilemma. Rather they would come to me with various
approaches, give me the advantages and disadvantages of each and then make a
recommendation. I’ve had other generals who were capable but I never had the
complete trust in their leadership as I had in these two men. I consider them
both to be friends and comrades-in-arms.
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| George Washington |
Martha: That’s quite an endorsement.
Here I thought you selected them because they were socially congenial and that
I would like them and their wives.
George: Now you are jesting. It has
been an added dividend that they are both, with their spouses, generous,
thoughtful and completely reliable. You may already know that the Greene family
was among the earliest settlers in Rhode Island and worked hard to establish
the colony. Although Greene’s education was not complete, like me he read quite
a bit and was by in large self-educated.
Martha: From his broad shoulders and
strong arms, I thought he must have been a farmer.
George: I’m sure he has done some
farming but he has been trained as a blacksmith and mill worker. He mentioned to
me that his father bought a mill in Coventry and it was given to Nathanael to
manage. As a Quaker, he has always taken part in the affairs of the community.
He even helped to build the first public school in his town.
Martha: Where in heaven’s name did he
learn the skills of a military commander?
George: He has read extensively books
on military science but the good sense the Lord gave him he multiplied a
hundred fold. The man is very intelligent.
Martha: I’m wondering how his Society
of Friends reacted to his interest in the science of war.
George: I understand he met with his
Quaker authorities and was very honest about his studies and how he was certain
there would be no conflict with his faith. I’m sure they were impressed by the
young man.
Martha: What I know about him which is
not very much is that he has quiet strength and humility.
George: He was liked by his friends and
neighbors. They found him dependable. In 1770 he was elected to the General
Assembly of Rhode Island. I would not call him a dynamic debater but his
reasoning was sound and was all the more convincing by his gentle style. Most
people don’t like committee responsibilities, but in meetings he was always
prepared and his opinions showed common sense. When tensions grew with England,
Greene joined a company called the Kentish Guards. And you know about his
marriage to Catherine Littlefield.
Martha: I think they were so fortunate
to have found each other.
George: When Rhode Island learned about
the battles of Lexington and Concord, Greene was one of a handful of men to
rush off to Boston to pledge their full support to the army.
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