Christopher Greene
Encyclopedia
Christopher Greene was a US legislator and soldier.
, to Judge Phillip Greene and Elizabeth (Wickes) Greene. On May 6, 1757 Christopher married his third cousin Anna Lippitt, born November 15, 1735, the daughter of Jeremiah Lippitt and Welthian Greene, both descended from a distinguished Rhode Island
colonial family, Jeremiah was the Town Clerk of Warwick, from June 1742 to his death in 1776, with the exception of the year 1775. He was a deputy to the General Assembly for four years, and Assistant five years.
Christopher and Anna would have nine children together. When Greene’s father died in 1761, Christopher inherited the family's mill estate and ran the business until he became an officer in the Revolutionary Army. He served in the Rhode Island Legislature from 1772 to 1774. Greene was chosen a lieutenant of the Kentish Guards 1774.
, in support of the rebellion against British rule. In 1775 George Washington
put him in charge of a Continental regiment in Cambridge under the command of Benedict Arnold
. Greene's regiment was part of Arnold's expedition through present-day Maine
to attack the British garrison at Quebec
. In the assault on that city, Greene led a detachment of troops, and after Arnold was wounded Greene was taken prisoner. He was exchanged after eight months' confinement.
. In October he was made colonel, with charge of Fort Mercer
, New Jersey
, on the Delaware River
near the Gloucester County
town of Red Bank (now National Park, New Jersey
), south of Philadelphia and Trenton
.
Fort Mercer and its Pennsylvania counterpart, Fort Mifflin
, had the mission of cutting off the lines of communications from British-held Philadelphia to the rest of the British forces.
A year later, on October 22, 1777, the fort was assaulted by the Hessians under Colonel Karl, the Count von Donop, in what came to be called the Battle of Red Bank
. Von Donop was eager to avenge his earlier humiliating defeat by Washington in the Battle of Trenton
. Though they were supported by gunfire from six British men-o-war in the Delaware River, they were repulsed with heavy loss, and Count von Donop was mortally wounded.
– the 1st Rhode Island
. When the idea of offering slaves their freedom in return for active service was first suggested, all concerned believed the plan would help solve the problem of finding Continental recruits. The Rhode Island General Assembly
voted that every able-bodied Negro, mulatto, and Indian slave could enlist for the duration of the war with bounties and wages the same as for free men. Once enlisted and approved by the regimental officers the slave would become absolutely free.
Unfortunately the small population of 3331 blacks and Indians could not support the effort adequately. Fewer than two hundred soldiers could be recruited. Finding the scheme expensive and impractical, the legislators reversed themselves. "No negroe, mulatto, nor Indian slave will be permitted to enlist in the Continental battalions after 10 June 1778." Greene and his officers proceeded to train the black infantrymen who had already signed on. All heard the news that a French fleet was on the way, and many were looking forward to some serious fighting in the near future.
Colonel Greene and his regiment were detached for special service in Rhode Island, and he was placed under the command of General John Sullivan
. General Sullivan, whose headquarters were in Providence
, was charged with the task of containing the depredations of the 4000 British and Hessian troops occupying Newport
on Aquidneck Island
. For this purpose he had only a brigade of Rhode Island state troops, and several thousand as yet unmobilized militia. In early July of 1778 orders from General Washington changed Sullivan's mission from defense to attack and thrust the quiet Rhode Island sector into the forefront of the war.
The Battle of Rhode Island
commenced on August 29, 1778. Colonel Greene temporarily commanded a brigade in the center of the American order of battle. Holding a redoubt on the far right was Christopher Greene's “Black Regiment”, now under General Nathanael Greene's longtime friend, Maj. Samuel Ward, Jr
. This regiment served with distinction, praised by the allied French officers for repulsing attacks by Hessian soldiers. Later, the colonial forces were forced to retire the field, allowing the British to claim a victory.
in Westchester County, New York
. From one account of the attack, "his body was found in the woods, about a mile distant from his tent, cut, and mangled in the most shocking way." A common conjecture is that this indignity was retribution for his leading black soldiers against the British Crown.
Congress voted Greene a sword, which in 1786 was presented to by Secretary of War Henry Knox
. A monument to his memory was erected near Red Bank, New Jersey, in October, 1829, by New Jersey and vania volunteers.
Home life
Christopher Greene was born 12 May 1737 at Occupessatuxet, a village of the town of Warwick, Rhode IslandWarwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, to Judge Phillip Greene and Elizabeth (Wickes) Greene. On May 6, 1757 Christopher married his third cousin Anna Lippitt, born November 15, 1735, the daughter of Jeremiah Lippitt and Welthian Greene, both descended from a distinguished Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
colonial family, Jeremiah was the Town Clerk of Warwick, from June 1742 to his death in 1776, with the exception of the year 1775. He was a deputy to the General Assembly for four years, and Assistant five years.
Christopher and Anna would have nine children together. When Greene’s father died in 1761, Christopher inherited the family's mill estate and ran the business until he became an officer in the Revolutionary Army. He served in the Rhode Island Legislature from 1772 to 1774. Greene was chosen a lieutenant of the Kentish Guards 1774.
Marching north in revolution
In May 1775, he was appointed a major in the Army of Observation by the Rhode Island legislature. He was given command of a company and marched to Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, in support of the rebellion against British rule. In 1775 George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
put him in charge of a Continental regiment in Cambridge under the command of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
. Greene's regiment was part of Arnold's expedition through present-day Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to attack the British garrison at Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. In the assault on that city, Greene led a detachment of troops, and after Arnold was wounded Greene was taken prisoner. He was exchanged after eight months' confinement.
In New Jersey
In June of 1776, Greene was promoted to major under James M. Varnum with the Army of Observation, which was commanded by his third cousin, General Nathanael GreeneNathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
. In October he was made colonel, with charge of Fort Mercer
Fort Mercer
Fort Mercer was one of two forts constructed in 1777 on the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War, by the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, to block the approach to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fort Mifflin, on the Pennsylvania side, and Fort Mercer, on the New...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
near the Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
town of Red Bank (now National Park, New Jersey
National Park, New Jersey
National Park is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, there were 3,205 residents. Despite its name, National Park is neither a national park nor associated with one.-History:...
), south of Philadelphia and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
.
Fort Mercer and its Pennsylvania counterpart, Fort Mifflin
Fort Mifflin
Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia International Airport...
, had the mission of cutting off the lines of communications from British-held Philadelphia to the rest of the British forces.
A year later, on October 22, 1777, the fort was assaulted by the Hessians under Colonel Karl, the Count von Donop, in what came to be called the Battle of Red Bank
Battle of Red Bank
The Battle of Red Bank was a battle of the American Revolutionary War in which a Hessian force was sent to take Fort Mercer on the left bank of the Delaware River just south of Philadelphia, but was decisively defeated by a far inferior force of Colonial defenders...
. Von Donop was eager to avenge his earlier humiliating defeat by Washington in the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
. Though they were supported by gunfire from six British men-o-war in the Delaware River, they were repulsed with heavy loss, and Count von Donop was mortally wounded.
The Battle of Rhode Island
Colonel Christopher Greene returned to the cooler climate of his home state. He struggled to piece together a unit of former slavesSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
– the 1st Rhode Island
1st Rhode Island Regiment
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War . Like most regiments of the Continental Army, the unit went through several incarnations and name changes. It became well-known as the "Black Regiment" because, for a time, it had...
. When the idea of offering slaves their freedom in return for active service was first suggested, all concerned believed the plan would help solve the problem of finding Continental recruits. The Rhode Island General Assembly
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
voted that every able-bodied Negro, mulatto, and Indian slave could enlist for the duration of the war with bounties and wages the same as for free men. Once enlisted and approved by the regimental officers the slave would become absolutely free.
Unfortunately the small population of 3331 blacks and Indians could not support the effort adequately. Fewer than two hundred soldiers could be recruited. Finding the scheme expensive and impractical, the legislators reversed themselves. "No negroe, mulatto, nor Indian slave will be permitted to enlist in the Continental battalions after 10 June 1778." Greene and his officers proceeded to train the black infantrymen who had already signed on. All heard the news that a French fleet was on the way, and many were looking forward to some serious fighting in the near future.
Colonel Greene and his regiment were detached for special service in Rhode Island, and he was placed under the command of General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
. General Sullivan, whose headquarters were in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, was charged with the task of containing the depredations of the 4000 British and Hessian troops occupying Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
. For this purpose he had only a brigade of Rhode Island state troops, and several thousand as yet unmobilized militia. In early July of 1778 orders from General Washington changed Sullivan's mission from defense to attack and thrust the quiet Rhode Island sector into the forefront of the war.
The Battle of Rhode Island
Battle of Rhode Island
The Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and the Siege of Newport, took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and militia forces under the command of General John Sullivan were withdrawing to the northern part of Aquidneck Island after abandoning their siege of...
commenced on August 29, 1778. Colonel Greene temporarily commanded a brigade in the center of the American order of battle. Holding a redoubt on the far right was Christopher Greene's “Black Regiment”, now under General Nathanael Greene's longtime friend, Maj. Samuel Ward, Jr
Samuel Ward, Jr.
Samuel Ward, Jr. was an American Revolutionary War soldier and delegate to the secessionist Hartford Convention.-Biography:Ward was born in Westerly, Rhode Island on November 17, 1756 as the fifth child of founding trustee of Brown University, Continental Congress delegate and colonial governor of...
. This regiment served with distinction, praised by the allied French officers for repulsing attacks by Hessian soldiers. Later, the colonial forces were forced to retire the field, allowing the British to claim a victory.
Death and memorial
Colonel Greene and several of his Negro soldiers died on May 13 or 14, 1781, when a group of Loyalists surrounded his headquarters on the Croton RiverCroton River
The Croton River is a river in southern New York that begins where the East and West Branches of the Croton River meet a little way downstream from the Croton Falls Reservoir...
in Westchester County, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. From one account of the attack, "his body was found in the woods, about a mile distant from his tent, cut, and mangled in the most shocking way." A common conjecture is that this indignity was retribution for his leading black soldiers against the British Crown.
Congress voted Greene a sword, which in 1786 was presented to by Secretary of War Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
. A monument to his memory was erected near Red Bank, New Jersey, in October, 1829, by New Jersey and vania volunteers.