LEIGH MORING – NATHANAEL GREENE IN SOUTH CAROLINA (DECEMBER 22, 2016)

Leigh Moring was the speaker at the December 22, 2016 meeting of Emmaus Rotary Club. Leigh grew up in the Lehigh Valley and graduated from Emmaus High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in history (with a concentration in museum studies) at Clemson University and her Master of Arts degree in a combined program from The College of Charleston and The Citadel. Leigh is currently the education coordinator for The Historic Charleston Foundation where she manages K-12 educational programming in historic house museums. Leigh is also the daughter of Platte Moring.

Leigh’s presentation was a summary of her recently published book titled Nathanael Greene in South Carolina – Hero of the American Revolution which is a more robust version of her Master’s thesis. She also discussed the process of researching and writing the book including reviewing 13 volumes of Greene’s correspondence.

Nathanael Greene, known as the Fighting Quaker, was born in Rhode Island. He never attended school, but taught himself to read, write and speak several languages. Greene was very interested in the techniques of warfare and became well versed in this topic, as well.

Greene started a militia as a private and was quickly promoted to major general. He soon caught the eye of George Washington who described Greene as his most dependable general and a master of strategy. Greene was with Washington at many of the early Revolutionary War battles (including Valley Forge, Monmouth, and Saratoga). Following defeats at Charleston and Camden, Washington appointed Greene commander of the Continental Armies forces in the South.

Greene quickly turned the poorly trained, ill equipped and unreliable southern militia forces into a competent fighting force. Greene split the army into two groups – one commanded by Daniel Morgan who led his men to a major victory of the British Army at Cowpens. Morgan then began the race to the Dan River. British troops began pursuing Morgan without realizing the Greene’s forces were close behind. On ground chosen by Greene, the Continental Army engages with Cornwallis at Guilford Court House (near present day Greensboro, North Carolina). After great losses, Greene executed a tactical retreat leaving the field to a weakened Cornwallis. Ultimately, Cornwallis withdrew to the coastal town of Yorktown where his army is pinned down waiting for reinforcements. After a long siege, Cornwallis surrenders in October 1781.

After Guilford Court House, Greene returned to South Carolina where he employed brilliant tactics to turn losing battles (such as Eutaw Springs) into strategic gains. Greene played a “waiting game” using constant skirmishes and roving patrols to deceive the British troops that the opposition force was larger than it really was. Ultimately, Greene the British troops evacuate Charleston in December 1782 overcoming fears that any negotiated peace might leave the important port city in British hands.