The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-23
1 LEWIS, HALL & CO.,
Wholesale CIothes 121 and 1923 Middle Street.

General Nathaniel Greene has been
called the most extraordi lary man in the
Army of the American Revolution. He
was not the greatest. man, for that title
belongs undisputably to, Washington;
and as the years have rolhed by, produc-
ing other great American soldiers who
have wrought magnifcently at the head
of splendid armies, thefe has been a ten
dency to forget the man who, led the then
famous retreat to the Dan. 1t is difficult
to compare the military genius of the
leader of half starved, poorly armed and
badly disciplined troops, with that',of
the soldier who makes war on behalf of
a prosperous nation with competent
military admi nistration. For that
reason Greene cannot be compared salts
factorily with Scott, Grant Sherman,
Sheridan, or even Robert E. Lee. He
may, however befcompared with contem-
porary leaders in the revolution; and in
that comparison he will yield to none,
not even to Washington in the brilliancy
of his military qualities. The news OF
the first bloodshed at Lexington found
Greene private in little company of
Rhode Island militia, known as the
Kentish Guards. Carrying musket
over his shoulder he set cut with them
towards Boston, But his real position
was different frorn what might be in
ferred from this Circumstance. Orators
have delig hted to speak of him as poor
Rhode Island blacksmith. But his father
was one of the first manufacturers of the
State, and Nathaniel Greene inherited an
interest in forge work which at that
time were among the largest industries
on this side Of the Atlantic. His eduea4
ton however, had been largely self ac-
quired. In military matters, in fact,
he had no other teacher than experience
and some rare military works which he
had the perspicacityss to acquire and mas.
ter. But his military education was yet
considered considerable in Rhode Island,
and as private in the Kentish Guard his
reputation was such as to advance him
IA pidly to the command of the Rhode
Island. troops. AS Washington's trusted
lieutenant Greene's reputation was great
before he was sent to the South ern
department; but it was only the inde-
pendent conn and which he exc rcised in
that territory which showed how great
AS general he really was. He won
important battle met, with several de-
feats, and his most brilliant stroke was
a retreat; yet while suffering such rever-
SEES he managed, with a poorly-equipped
half starved and half naked army to
drive from the field superior. forces of the
best troops. of the.age, led by the ablest
British chieftain sent to North America
during the war. The story.of such a1gen-
erals career offers undergraduates
to the biogrAphers several of whom have
written of hisilife. The latest, Francis
Vinton Greene, is himself a soldier
trained in the United States corps of en-
gineers and for some time military at
tache to our legation at st. Petersburg.
He has written of the Mississippi cam
paigners of our Civil War, and of the
Russo Turkish campaign of TITS His
work published in New York by d.
Appleton & Co.; Portland: Loring,
Short q Harmony shows traces of the
training of the author. 1t is precise,
simple and clear; but makes no effort to
give to any of thesstirring events within
its field the dramatic touches which the
example OF the older biographers has led
us to expect. This fact will not detract
from the value of the work, or from it's
interest to the student of history.
One OF the pretty holiday booklets
winch are due at this season, is the
work OF Maine talent entirely Favorite
Flowers Is the title and it is arranged by
Lillian Leslie johnson, Of Hallowell,
authof OF Two Golden, Days. The decor
atlng' which is very tastefully done, is
by Mrs. Annie c. Hamlet of Hallowell.
The faovrite flowers of favorite authors
CIT