The papers of General Nathanael Greene

These volumes, published in conjunction with the Rhode Island Historical Society, represent the result of an exhaustive search for documents relating to the life and career of Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. The papers--letters and documents received by Greene as well as those sent by him--are carefully edited and fully annotated. The editors reproduce many items in full but abstract papers that are of lesser significance. Greene, who served as quartermaster general of the army and later as commander of the forces fighting in the southern theater, is generally considered the ablest of Washington's generals. His papers are a vital source of information on the war itself as well as on the man.

Volume 7. Documents a crucial period of the American Revolution in the South. In the first months of 1781, Nathanael Greene, who had taken command of the Southern Army only weeks before, initiated the campaign that would ultimately free the South from British occupation. These months saw the pivotal engagement at Cowpens, the 'Race to the Dan'--in which Greene's army marched the breadth of North Carolina with the British in close pursuit--and the climactic battle of Guilford Court House. In March 1781, Greene decided to break off his pursuit of Lord Cornwallis's force in North Carolina and instead march into South Carolina to challenge British control there. This decision, among others made during this critical period, established Greene's reputation as a brilliant military strategist. The documents in this volume provide new insight into how and why Greene chose as he did.

Volume 8. This volume continues the story of the American Revolution in the South. Many of the more than 800 documents vividly confirm Nathanael Greene's characterization of the ferocity of the war and the miseries it produced, and they highlight his efforts to end lawlessness and restore the authority of civil government. As the volume opens, Greene has broken off pursuit of a retreating Lord Cornwallis in North Carolina and enters South Carolina. Despite setbacks at Hobkirk's Hill and Ninety Six, Greene's troops regained control of most of South Carolina and Georgia within three months. Letters from Greene's subordinates trace the course of the war farther north in North Carolina and Virginia during the days leading to the climactic siege at Yorktown.

Volume 9. The British controlled large parts of South Carolina and Georgia, had a post in North Carolina, and maintained an army in Virginia. By early December, they held only the areas around Charleston and Savannah. The ability of Greene's beleaguered army to force this British retreat is the focus of this volume, which also documents Greene's attempts to rebuild the lower south's political and social fabric. In addition, this volume provides information on the siege of Yorktown, for although Greene was not directly involved, he received numerous reports from those on the scene in Virginia.

Volume 10. By December of 1781, General Nathanael Greene's army had forced the British into retreating to Charleston, South Carolina. But in the lower South, in particular, the war was far from over. Greene's position as commander of the Southern Department involved him in nearly every aspect of the military, political, and economic life of the region during the last years of the war. Thus, his papers provide an overview not only of the war, but also of politics, the economy, and life in the South. In addition, the documents in this volume show Greene in a different light: the master strategist of earlier volumes has now given way to Greene as innovative military leader and politically astute general.

Volume 11. Despite evidence that the British were planning to pull out of the lower South, Greene twice turned down British proposals for an end to hostilities in the region, and the fighting and killing continued. Mistrusting his enemy's motives, Greene reasoned that only a militarily strong and politically unified America could convince Britain to abandon entirely its campaign to subdue the new nation. Greene's efforts to bolster his forces were thwarted, however, by an increasing war-weariness among the American people, a lack of supplies, and an outbreak of malaria. Despite these problems, Greene and his army enjoyed some success with the British withdrawal from Savannah and a decrease in the threat posed by Indians on the southern frontier.

Volume 12. The period covered here, 1 October 1782 through 21 May 1783, was a time of both triumph and travail for General Nathanael Greene. His greatest moment of triumph took place on 14 December, when the British evacuated Charleston, South Carolina. This event represented the culmination of Greene's campaign in the South, and he was hailed as a conquering hero. But the departure of the British also brought about a marked deterioration in relations between Greene and the government of South Carolina. Through a series of disputes with the state government, many of which are detailed in the 780 documents gathered here, Greene became increasingly convinced that Congress would be unable to maintain its authority in the South. While this concern proved to be unfounded, Greene did sense the states' rights impulse that would later come to define the region politically.

Volume 13. This thirteenth and final volume of the series devoted to the papers of General Nathanael Greene includes correspondence to and from Greene from the end of the Revolutionary War up to his death in June 1786. It concludes with an epilogue and an addendum of forty-six documents that have come to light since the volumes in which they would have appeared have been published.