Georgia Biographies Nathaniel Greene File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Barbara Winge barbarawinge@yahoo.com http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Georgia Table of Contents: NATHANIEL GREENE General Nathaniel Greene, a distinguished hero of our Revolution, was born at Warwick, Rhode-Island, in 1740. His parents were French or Quakers. In August, 1776, he was appointed Major General of the army, and distinguished himself at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Germantown. After the defeat of Gen. Gates, at Camden, in August, 1780, he was appointed to the chief command of the military forces in the Southern States. - He commanded at the battle of Guilford, C. H., and gained a victory at the Eutaw Springs, which actually put an end to the war in the South. For seven months he was in the field without taking off his clothes for a single night. - Our Legislature presented him with 24,000 acres of land, to which he removed in 1785, and settled on the land, 14 miles from Savannah. The place is called Mulberry Grove. Having ridden out for some time in a hot day, he was smitten with what is called a “stroke of the sun,” and died in a day or two, 19th June, 1786, in his 47th year. Ref: Sherwood, Adiel, A GAZETTER OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, 1837, Printed by P. Force, Washington City, p. 281. Lawton B. Evans in his book, FIRST LESSONS IN GEORGIA HISTORY, states that some of the people of Savannah who had adhered to the British cause left their homes at the end of the war and went to England to live. Their property was then confiscated and given to others. In this way a handsome home of one of the loyalists was given to Major James Jackson. At the same time two plantations were bought by the legislature, one of which was presented to General Greene and the other to General Wayne, both of whom became citizens of Georgia. A sad incident of the year 1786 was the death of General Nathanael Greene. At the close of the war he had come to Georgia to live at a beautiful home fourteen miles above Savannah called “Mulberry Grove,” an estate granted to him by the legislature. While at work on his farm he was overcome by the heat of the sun, and died in a few days. His body was brought down the river on a barge and met by a large procession of people. He was buried with military honors and mourned by the whole nation. A few months before his death the legislature had ordered the county of Washington to be divided and a new county organized, named Greene, and a town laid out named Greensboro. GREENE COUNTY, GEORGIA Laid out from Washington County, Georgia, 1786. A part set off to Hancock, 1793; part to Oglethorpe, 1794; a part added to Clarke in 1802; a part taken from Wilkes, and a part added to Clarke, 1802; a part set off to Taliaferro in 1825. Named after Major-General Nathaniel Greene. The earliest settlers of this county were, Thomas Harris, Thos. Horton, Davis Gresham, Wm. Fitzpatrick, Henry Graybill, Oliver Porter, John Bailey, Charles Cessna, Thomas Baldwin, M. Rabun, John George, Alexander Reid, Michael Rogers, David Dickson, Walton Harris, Peyton Smith, E. E. Parks, Peter Curtwright, G. W. Forster, John Amour, Major Poullain, Jesse Perkins, Joel Newsome, James Armstrong, Major Beasley. GREENESBOROUGH is the county site, forty miles from Milledgeville. Some of the cases of longevity; - Wm. Harris, died at 100; A. Perkins, 94; Mr. Stewart, 90; Mr. Shaw, 87; Mrs. Elizabeth Daniel, died on the 4th of October, 1819, at the age of 85. Mr. Alexander Gresham died on the 23rd of February, 1823, aged 70; Thomas Fambrough, died in the 80th year of his age; Captain Joel Parish, died at the advanced age of 73, was one of the few remaining patriots of ’76 who commanded a company of infantry during the Revolutionary War. Ezekiel E. Park, an old Revolutionary soldier, and respected citizen of Georgia, died in this county. Mrs. Mary Hobbs was living last year, 93 years of age. Her husband, Robert Hobbs, was 90 at his death. Mrs. Catherine Freeman, the widow of Colonel John Freeman, is living at Penfield, over 86 years of age. Mrs. Hogg, now living, is 90 years old. Ref: White, Rev. George, M. A. , HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF GEORGIA, 1854, Pudney & Russell, Publishers, New York, pp. 476-482. (Reprinted 1968, Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA) Note: Adiel Sherwood, A GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, Washington City, Printed by P. Force, 1837, pp. 255-256. APPENDIX: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES "The author conceived that a short biographical sketch of the individuals after whom the several counties were named, would furnish an instructive and pleasing appendage to his topographical work... Acquainted with the intimate friends of some of the 'venerable dead,' he has been furnished with sufficient materials to enlarge on their character... There are in the State ninety counties (book printed in 1837, presently in 2001, there are 159 counties)..." ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============