Nathanael Greene's Personal Life

Nathanael Greene’s first major romantic relationship was with Nancy Ward, who was one of the six daughters of a former Governor Samuel Ward.  Nancy and Greene both ran in the same social circles, so their meeting was considered to be inevitable. Nancy Ward was considered to be very beautiful with blond hair, and her eyes were the shade of blue grey (Carborne, 2008, p. 7).  Greene became very good friends with Nancy’s brother Samuel Ward Jr. Greene and Samuel Ward might have started out as friends because Greene wanted to get close to Nancy, but they soon became very close friends (Carborne, 2008, p. 7).  Greene’s relationship with Nancy Ward was described to be a couple would be together at one period, and not together during another period.  Greene had ended up proposing to Nancy around 1772, but she rejected him (Carborne, 2008, p. 7).   Greene was very devastated by the rejection for months his letters were very melancholic and gloomy (Greene, 1893, p. 16). 

    Greene did recover from the rejection, when he met Samuel Ward’s cousin Catherine Littlefield (Carborne, 2008, p. 12). Catherine Littlefield nickname was Caty, and was described as very attractive and vivacious (Hayball, 2006). Catherine Littlefield was the niece of two future Rhode Island Governors, and the daughter of the Deputy of the General Assembly in Rhode Island (Logan, 2009). Therefore, her family was very well connected. Caty physical appearance was dark hair, high color in her cheeks; and a snapping pair of dark eyes (Buchanan, 1997. p.263).  Greene was said to be completely in love with her (Buchanan, 1997. p.263). Greene’s courtship to Caty was brief and secretive. His confident Samuel Ward was surprised, when he received the wedding invitation in the mail (Carborne, 2008, 13).   

  Nathanael Greene and Catherine Littlefield married on July, 20^th, 1774, a year before the first battle of the American Revolution (Buchanan, 1997, p. 263).  After their marriage Greene and Catherine moved to Coventry, Rhode Island (“The Patriot Resource: Nathaniel Greene,” 2010).  Nathanael and Catherine Greene were often apart because of the war, but they both made an effort to visit each other very often (Logan, 2009).  For an example, when Greene was very sick in Boston in 1775 Catherine came to him all the way on horseback in the middle of winter; and Catherine was weak from childbirth, when she made the journey as well (Carborne, 2008, p. 29). The perilous journeys to be with each other went both ways, for when Caty was ill from her pregnancy to her fourth child in 1778, Greene rushed to her side by coming Rhode Island from Boston on horseback in  a storm (Carborne, 2008, p.115).   When Greene, and Caty were apart both would miss each other terribly. For an example, Greene could not completely enjoy his stay at a mansion in Philadelphia because he missed his wife, who was ill from giving birth to his second child Martha Washington (Carborne, 2008, p. 67). Therefore, they both made strong and extreme efforts to be with each other, when they could.  Catherine and Nathanael Greene had a strong and genuine love with each other, even when they were apart.

   Greene’s  wife Catherine became very popular among Greene’s friends especially among George, and Martha Washington. She was George Washington’s favorite dance partner, and a close friend of Martha Washington (Hayball, 2006).  Catherine would entertain the troops under Greene’s division if she happened to be where Greene was stationed by telling the troops stories (Carborne, 2008, p. 126). Catherine Greene was a social butterfly, which was one of the reasons she attracted many false rumors.
    Throughout Nathanael and Catherine Greene’s marriage there was a vast amount of gossip about Catherine Greene being an unfaithful wife; and there was a rumor in which said Greene was suing his wife for divorce (Buchanan, 1997, p.263-264). A reason for the rumor was because Greene’s daughter Louisa Catherine Greene was born two days late in April 1784 (Carborne, 2008, p. 224). Isaac Briggs a politician from Georgia, who came to investigate the divorce rumor found the story to be a lie (Buchanan, 1997, p. 264). Briggs came to the conclusion in which Catherine Greene was a charming girl, who had her emotions under control (Buchanan, 1997, p. 264). Greene also did not believe any of the gossip about his wife’s infidelity; and vehemently defended his wife against slander in New England, and Georgia, where they later lived (Buchanan, 1997, p. 264d).  

   Nathanael and Catherine Greene had six children (Hayball, 2006). Five of those children survived their last child died as a baby, when the Greene’s lived in New Port, Rhode Island after the war in 1784 (Carborne, 2008, p.229).  The names of Greene’s first children were inspired by the Greene’s friendship with George, and Martha Washington.  Greene’s first born son was named George Washington Greene after George Washington. Greene’s second child was a daughter Martha Washington Greene named after Martha Washington (Carborne, 2008, p. 67). All of Greene’s first four children were born during the war.  Greene’s third child Nathanael Ray Greene was actually born in an army camp on January, 31, 1780 (Carborne, 2008, p. 125). Due to Greene’s time in the army the first time Nathanael Greene saw his family together was after the war in New Port, Rhode Island two years before Greene passed away (Greene, 1893, p. 305).  The war did take a toll on the amount of time Greene had spend with his family.