Major General Nathanael Greene served as Quartermaster for the Continental Army from March 2, 1778 to August 5, 1780. Although he desired a more active role on the front lines, he was chosen for this position because of his management skills and ability to get things done; a critical need for a poorly supplied Continental Army.

Having excelled in this position, he finally got his wish of returning to action when Congress appointed him as commander of the Southern Army on August 5, 1780. He replaced Major General Horatio Gates after his humiliating defeat at the Battle of Camden. 

Greene assumed command the first week of December 1780 in Charlotte, North Carolina and held this position until the end of the war. By 18th century standards, his army lost nearly every battle in which they engaged. But, he dealt devastating blows to the British Army each time, leading to their eventual surrender at Yorktown. 

Historians generally agree that Greene’s battlefield tactics left a lot to be desired, but he compensated for this weakness with his broader tactical vision of the war and his leadership and management skills.