Island he was quick to start with the Guards for Boston. The Tory governor of the colony ordered them back, but Greene and three others refused to obey. Mounting the fastest horses they could find, they rode briskly away to the seat of war.

Soon after this the Assembly of Rhode Island, whose members were more patriotic than their governor, called out a force of sixteen hundred men, and, recognizing Green's knowledge of the military art, appointed him a brigadier general. In July, when Washington reached Boston and took command of the army, he found that Greene had drilled his raw troops so thoroughly, that he commended them as "the best disciplined men in the whole army."

Washington knew good men when he saw them, and was quick to perceive that there was the making of a fine soldier in the young Rhode Islander. The two became fast friends from the start, and after the capture of Boston and the march to New York, Greene was put in command of the army sent to defend Long Island. It was a responsible task, but a violent attack of fever disabled him, and he was doomed to the severe trial of lying within sound of the firing while too sick to lift his head from the pillow. The battle might have ended differently had he remained in command, for he had made himself thoroughly familiar with the ground and knew the best points of attack and defence. He cried with vexation when he heard of the defeat and of the great loss to his favorite regiment.

As soon as he could mount a horse again active duty was found for him in watching the British on Staten Island and commanding the troops in New Jersey. He took part in the retreat to Pennsylvania, and later that year, when Washington made his famous march

upon Trenton, Greene, now a major-general, commanded the division with which Washington marched, and aided materially in the victory there and at Princeton.

During the winter that followed the army was encamped at Morristown, N. J., and Washington sent Greene to Congress as his envoy, to set before the legislature the condition of the troops, the great need of recruits, the lack of supplies, and the impending dangers. Some aid was gained, but a very insufficient amount, and the army began the next year's campaign very poorly equipped for the work before it.

In the two battles of that year, Brandywine and Germantown, General Greene took a prominent part, and the result might have been different if his advice had been taken. He selected strong defensive positions for the army on the Brandywine, but other generals, who were eager to fight in the open field, overruled his suggestions, and defeat followed. The disaster would have been worse but for Greene's coolness and skill in the retreat. Selecting a spot in

narrow pass through a thicket, he held back the pursuing British until nightfall, thus giving the broken troops an opportunity to reform their ranks and saving the army from destruction. At the subsequent battle of Germantown he was in command of the left wing and skilfully covered the retreat.

There followed the terrible winter at Valley Forge, at the end of which, in March, 1778, Greene was appointed quartermaster-general of the army, a post which he filled with great ability until August, 1780. When in the following June the British left Philadelphia in great haste and marched across New Jersey, Greene was one of the most ardent of the pursuers, and was

in command of the right wing when the foe was brought to bay at Monmouth.

Here he performed the ablest service. General Lee's retreat threatened the security of the whole army, the British following in force, and but for Greene's promptness a serious disaster might have resulted. Lee's movement prevented him from carrying out the orders given him, but with quick decision and without waiting for further orders he threw his troops into the gap, drew a large part of the attack upon himself, and sustained it with unflinching resolution. His men, inspired with his spirit, held their ground steadily and poured volley after volley into the ranks of the British until they recoiled in dismay. The disaster threatened by Lee's cowardice did not take place, but the Americans were robbed of the victory which had been fairly in their grasp.

In the subsequent manœuvres in front of New York Greene was occupied with his duties as quartermastergeneral, but took an active part in the movement of General Sullivan upon Newport, made in connection with the French fleet under D'Estaing. A disagreement had arisen between Sullivan and D'Estaing, with the result that the French failed to support the Americans, leaving them in serious danger, from which Greene rescued them. He held his ground against the British till they were forced to retire and drew off his men before they were ready to make another attack.

This affair made Sullivan furious against the French, whom he blamed for what came near being a disaster. He wrote Congress a sharp letter against D'Estaing, but when it reached Philadelphia Greene was there, having been sent by Washington to try and make peace between the two angry men. D'Estaing and

some other distinguished Frenchmen were present in the gallery of Congress. As the clerk was opening Sullivan's letter, Greene, who suspected what it contained, sent a slip of paper to the president of Congress on which was written,

"Don't let that letter be read until you have looked it over."

The president bade the clerk in a whisper not to read it, other business came up, and when the president at length read the offensive missive he decided at once that it must be suppressed. Those few words perhaps saved to America the aid of the French, for, if the letter accusing him had been made public, D'Estaing might have sailed away with his fleet.

A period of rest followed the unlucky expedition to Newport, and during this time of quiet Greene's enemies assailed him, as Washington's had assailed him during the winter at Valley Forge. He was accused of using his office as quartermaster for his own benefit and Congress called him to account. Greene indignantly denied the slanders, proved that the charges against him were false, and then resigned his post as quartermaster.

In June, 1780, Washington moved north to protect West Point, which the British seemed on the point of attacking, and left Greene on duty at Springfield, New Jersey. Clinton, in command at New York, was apprised of these movements, and when Washington was well on his way, the British, five thousand strong, suddenly turned and marched on Greene's small force, thirteen hundred in all. But he placed these in such excellent positions and inspired them with such soldierly zeal that the assailing force was foiled and obliged to march back again.

The next affair in which he was engaged had to do with Benedict Arnold's treasonable attempt to deliver West Point to the British. Greene was temporarily in command of the army while Washington had gone to Hartford to consult with the French generals. Greene had his spies in New York and through them he discovered that some movement seemed on foot. He sent word to Washington, but advised keeping the information quiet until the secret revealed itself.

They had not long to wait. In a few days afterwards André was captured and the treason revealed. Greene presided over the court-martial by which André was tried and signed the death-warrant. The sentence was severer than he liked, but he felt that it was necessary. He was then given the command of West Point. We may be sure that the British did not approach him with treasonable offers.

While these affairs were taking place in the North, the active seat of war had been transferred to the South, severe fighting had been taking place in Georgia and the Carolinas and the British had overrun that section of the country until it all lay under their control. General Gates, who had had the good fortune to command the army to which Burgoyne surrendered, had been sent to the Carolinas, but handled the army there so badly that it suffered a complete defeat at Camden, South Carolina, the commander and all his troops being dispersed. The incompetent Gates was in consequence withdrawn from his command and in October, 1780, Greene was sent south to take charge of the disorganized and scattered forces. It was his first independent command, and in it he was to gain a fame second only to that of Washington himself.