During the darkest, most desperate days of the American Revolution in South Carolina, it was 38-year-old Gen. Nathanael Greene from Rhode Island who turned what appeared to be a lost cause into a miraculous victory.
In 1780, British forces captured Charles Town and the entire South Carolina Provincial Army, along with all their armaments and supplies. British Lt. Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis later moved his army inland and delivered another devastating blow to the struggle for liberty at the Battle of Camden.
George Washington, commander of the American Army, realized the gravity of the situation. He knew that if South Carolina remained under British control, the other Southern colonies would fall like dominoes and all would be lost. He dispatched Greene, his trusted friend, to South Carolina to see if he could somehow turn things around.
Greene took stock of the situation and realized two things. Even with contributions of Continental troops and militia from Maryland and adjacent colonies, he could only put a relatively small, ill-equipped force on the battlefield. He also realized that there was not enough food and forage in any one area in the backcountry of South Carolina to sustain his men and their horses for any length of time.
It was at this point that Greene did something extraordinary — something that defied all logic of military strategy. He split his relatively small force in half and sent them in different directions. He knew this would compel Cornwallis to do likewise. His thinking was that the Americans might actually have a chance against a smaller contingent of the British army.
Next, he called on the grizzled war fighter Daniel Morgan to come out of retirement and take on Cornwallis between the Pacolet and Broad rivers.
The plan worked like a charm. Cornwallis split his forces — part into North Carolina, and a residual force in South Carolina to protect the British fort at Ninety Six.
Following an earlier glorious victory at King’s Mountain by the Overmountain Men, the American patriots under Gen. Daniel Morgan scored a decisive win at the Battle of Cowpens. Shortly thereafter, Greene delivered another punishing blow to Cornwallis at Guilford Court House in North Carolina, killing or capturing a quarter of his army.
All these events set the stage for the eventual British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. Greene became a legendary hero of the American Revolution.
When the city of Greenville — originally spelled Greeneville — received its charter in 1786, the choice of a name was almost
certainly an easy one. No less than 21 cities, towns and counties around the country are named for Greene.
On the grounds of the Upcountry History Museum is a bronze statue of Greene. The next time you’re in the area, stop by and spend a few moments reflecting on what Greene and many others did to free the new nation and to secure the rights we still enjoy nearly 250 years later.
Dennis Chastain is a Pickens County naturalist, historian and former tour guide. He has been writing feature articles for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and other outdoor publications since 1989.
