| Introduced By: Senators Blais, Breene and Raptakis |
| Date Introduced : January 5, 2000 |
WHEREAS, Nathanael Greene, whose family were among the earliest settlers in Rhode Island and helped establish the colony, was born May 27, 1742; and
WHEREAS, Nathanael was self-taught and acquired his knowledge through extensive reading and study. He knew the value of education, and helped establish the first school in Coventry; and
WHEREAS, In 1770, Greene was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly. Because of his sound reasoning and common sense, Nathanael soon became one of the most respected leaders of the Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Trouble began brewing with England; and in 1775, the news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Rhode Island spurring the General Assembly to order a force of sixteen hundred men to be called into service; and
WHEREAS, Greene was made commander of the force with the rank of Major General and by June, 1775 he had his troops in position around Boston; and
WHEREAS, General George Washington arrived in Boston in July to command the armies around Boston. Greene was there to welcome him and the two became life-long friends; and
WHEREAS, Greene and his troops became part of the continental army and were ordered to Long Island, New York to drive off the British and then to Princeton, New Jersey where the army destroyed the British strength and restored American morals; and
WHEREAS, On September 11, 1777, Washington met the British and Hessian soldiers in the battle of Brandywine, and in the closing hours of the struggle, Greene rendered conspicuous service by his indomitable courage; and
WHEREAS, The continental army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777 and Greene was appointed Quartermaster-General; and
WHEREAS, In June 1778, Washington and his army in pursuit of the British across New Jersey and in the battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778 the Americans met the British in a hard struggle in which Green once again rendered heroic service; and
WHEREAS, Greene's next assignment was as Commander of West Point and then to the southern theatre of war and prepared his army for battle with the British army under General Cornwallis; and
WHEREAS, The Americans under Greene took possession and now North Carolina and South Carolina were free of the enemy, and in August of 1783, Greene was able to leave the southern theatre and surrendered his final commission; and
WHEREAS, On June 19, 1786 while on a business trip, Greene passed away. The entire nation mourned his passing. "His highest tribute may be expressed in the fact that he was a man Washington always trusted, and history well records that he stood next to Washington in service for his country"; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this senate hereby respectfully requests the state traffic commission to install appropriate signage along Routes 95 and 117 to provide for maximum access to General Nathanael Greene's birthplace; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the chairman of the state traffic commission.
