Forging the Vision : Nathanael Green
ventional wisdom , Greene did the unthinkable and divided his forces into two major elements in the face of a numerically superior force . He sent eight hundred light troops , dubbed the “ flying army ,” west under the command of Brigadier General Daniel Morgan while Greene maintained a force of one thousand troops as the main army . His orders to Morgan were to protect the people in his quarter , while rallying their spirit , antagonizing the British , collecting supplies , and establishing supply stores .
Greene understood that he could not keep all of his troops in one location . To do so not only held the potential to exhaust local resources , but also put him in a position to place the whole of his army in harm ’ s way at one time should Cornwallis engage . By splitting his forces , he could move faster , spread out resource consumption over a larger area , and subsequently cause Cornwallis to thin out his forces in pursuit , thus creating a more manageable enemy for Greene .
Greene ’ s Southern Campaign relied heavily on small-scale operations . It is estimated that 80 percent of the fighting during the American Revolution was conducted in the South ; however , most of them were minor skirmishes that remain unnamed . 50 Nonetheless , the few pitched battles Greene ’ s army engaged in proved successful . The Battle of Cowpens was a tactical victory for Daniel Morgan , and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse , though a tactical loss , proved to be a strategic success for Greene . The casualties the British incurred by Greene ’ s army at Guilford Courthouse were a sour victory for Cornwallis . Britain knew they could not continue to sustain such burdensome victories .
Greene ’ s Southern strategy is often considered an integral link between conventional and unconventional warfare . He figured out how to effectively use conventional forces and strategy in concert with unconventional forces and strategy , ebbing and flowing as the situation dictated . Elements of his strategy are found in Maoist mobile warfare , the conflict in Vietnam , and even the current conflicts in the Middle East . Seemingly , over two hundred years ago , Greene helped design a strategy that wreaks havoc on those who find themselves on the receiving end of it .
Nathanael Greene was certainly not the only Continental officer to ascend to military fame with a limited background in military affairs , but it seems certain that no other rose either higher or faster than he . Greene possessed an unparalleled ability to observe , learn , synthesize , design , apply , and execute winning strategies . The development of his intellect that started in his youth came to an apex during his command of the Southern Department . While he may be considered by some as a conservative , mediocre battle captain with a losing record , Greene challenged tradition by learning that the key to success was not necessarily in one ’ s ability to compile decisive victories . His strategy is validated in that he won one of the most significant campaigns of the war without a single decisive victory . He
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