REMEMBERING NON-REVISED HISTORY: APRIL 29, 2013

Nathanael Greene

American Revolutionary War General (1775–1783)

Biography
Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) (frequently misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United States are named for him. Greene suffered financial difficulties in the post-war years and died suddenly of sunstroke in 1786. » Full Bio

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This Day In History 237 Years Ago

April 29, 1776

Nathanael Greene Takes Command of Long Island

On this day in 1776, shortly after the American victory at Boston, Massachusetts, General George Washington orders Brigadier General Nathanael Greene to take command of Long Island and set up defensive positions against a possible British attack on New York City.

Greene's troops were arranged to defend themselves against a frontal attack in Brooklyn Heights across from Manhattan. On August 26, 1776, the British took the vast majority of Long Island with ease, as the island's population was heavily Loyalist. On August 27, the troops at Brooklyn Heights disintegrated under an unexpected attack from their left flank. In a British effort to earn goodwill for a negotiated peace, they allowed American survivors to flee to Manhattan. Otherwise, the War for Independence might easily have been quashed less than three months after it began. » Full Article

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