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First of all Nathaniel Greene was the best strategic general in the Continental Army during American Revolution. His greatest accomplishments came when he took over the southern campaign in late 1780. “His strategic retreats through the Carolinas won a war of attrition with Cornwallis, eventually leading to the latter's surrender at Yorktown. Green proceeded to free the rest of the southern states after Yorktown”. (Goddu, 2013) His strategies led to the British surrender at Yorktown. “After the horrific defeat of General Horatio Gates by the British at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16th, 1780 Alexander Hamilton said, "For God's sake, overcome prejudice and send Greene." Someone must have listened for indeed Major General Nathanael Greene was appointed commander of the Southern Campaign”. (Hayball, 2006) In March 1778, he was appointed Quartermaster General of the Continental Army. As quartermaster, his responsibilities also included getting supplies to the army. “The American forces were under funded, under supplied, and had little if any system of transportation of supplies. Greene's predecessor had not done well in allocating the scarce resources effectively. However Nathanael Greene got to work and turned the situation around”. (Hayball, 2006) Sometimes he even spent some of his own money, and at one time guaranteed personally expenses that would cost him all of his holdings in Rhode Island, and the money and lands given him by the state of North Carolina at the end of the Revolutionary War. The Major General had fought, gotten beaten, and now was about to rise and fight again. However, like many great leaders in history Nathanael Greene would learn from his mistakes, change his strategy, and alter the course of events. But on the other hand George Washington actually knew little about the strategy. For example In 1754 Washington led an attack that started a world war. Directed to press Virginia and Britain’s claim to the Ohio country to the French, George Washington led a force of soldiers from the Virginia Regiment and Native-American warriors to Jumonville Glen in Pennsylvania on May 28, 1754. “While both sides claim the other side fired first, Washington’s forces killed many of the French soldiers camped beneath the rocks. This attack in the back woods of the Ohio Country is considered to be the trigger event for the Seven Years’ War, a war that would quickly escalate into a world war stretching to Europe, West Africa, India and the Philippines”. (Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, 2014) If Washington acted wisely and strategic during that attack, he wouldn’t started the war but instead his soldiers started to fire at the army that is calmly camping. Of course it would make other side mad and it will trigger the war. This kind of mistakes that will led to the bigger problems comes from lack of strategic knowledge. If he would have act strategic, it will be otherwise. This is not only example, there are more things that Washington did without thinking. He was clever general but he got basic instinct. His selection was based largely on his reputation from the French and Indian War. He didn’t have that many accomplishments during American Revolution.

Arnold Benedict was the bravest and patriotic general during the American Revolution. He is misunderstood American hero. He was one of the generals that led Continental army to gain many achievements. In May 1775, he helped launch an attack on the small British fort of Ticonderoga. He captured their force by himself, alone. Everybody was afraid f attacking the fort but he rode his horse directly to the fort, also on the way he recruited some soldiers and with their little help he crushed the fort. Also strange thing is that he didn’t even fire single bullet. There was no casualties. So from the fort they got supplies to the army. He even used his own wealth to bring success to the army. Arnold wasn’t satisfied with the untrained and poorly equipped troops so he used his own money to train troops. Because his achievement during the Americans’ march through the Maine Wilderness and other heroic battles Arnold earned his nickname “America’s Hannibal”. “A bloodless victory whetted his appetite for military maneuvering and led to Washington appointing him commander of 1,100 men for a campaign against Quebec. Three hundred fifty miles the troops trudged through rain, snow, and ice, reduced to eating candles, dogs, and shoe leather.” During Arnold's recovery from a musket ball to the leg, Thomas Jefferson praised him before the Continental Congress. He played crucial role in battle against British invasion from Canada into New York. During that war, British troop was commanded by General Guy Carleton and by predicting that he would sail an invading force down Lake Champlain, Arnold quickly sailed to the lake to meet with Carleton’s Fleet and also his prediction came true so he met with British and defeat them at the sea. Washington wasn’t that brave as Arnold Benedict. He didn’t gain many patriotic and brave accomplishments as Arnold did. Even at one time, he almost got killed. “On September 11, 1777, in the Brandywine Valley just south of Philadelphia. Washington was out on his horse, along with another officer, surveying where he should position his defenses against the advancing British troops under the command of General Howe. There he ran into Captain Patrick Ferguson of the British Army. Ferguson was the inventor of the first military breech-loading rifle. This weapon could fire up to six bullets a minute and was much more accurate and deadly than the muskets carried by most British and American soldiers. Ferguson didn't know who Washington was, but he recognized him as a senior American officer. He pointed his deadly rifle at him and called out for him to surrender. Washington, coolly defying death, swung his horse around and galloped away. Captain Ferguson raised his rifle to shoot, but then lowered the weapon. He later wrote that the idea of shooting an unarmed man in the back "disgusted" him. Ferguson didn't regret his decision, even after finding out the next day that the officer in question was Washington himself.” (Krystek, 2007)

Finally, Daniel Morgan was one of the most skilled rifleman and smartest tactical generals. With the outbreak of the American Revolution after the Battles of Lexington & Concord, the Continental Congress called for the formation of ten rifle companies to aid in the Siege of Boston. In response, Virginia formed two companies and command of one was given to Morgan. Quickly recruiting 96 men, he departed Winchester with his troops on July 14, 1775. Arriving in the American lines on August 6, Morgan's Riflemen were expert marksmen who employed long rifles which were of greater range and accuracy than the standard Brown Bess muskets used by the British. Later that year, Congress approved an invasion of Canada and tasked Brigadier General Richard Montgomery with leading the main force north from Lake Champlain. Later that year, Congress approved an invasion of Canada and tasked Brigadier General Richard Montgomery with leading the main force north from Lake Champlain. Washington sent Riflemen lead by Morgan to support them and they endured a brutal march north before linking with Montgomery near Quebec.

Morgan’s most memorable moment was came on January 17, 1781. It was at the Cow Pens that Morgan with his experienced, but untrained, militia and 300 Continentals defeated the better-trained British army under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Morgan knew his men and his opponent, knew how they would react in certain situations, and used this knowledge and the terrain to his advantage. On the morning of January 17, Morgan deployed his men in three main lines of defense. He knew that militia had a tendency to run. Therefore he divided them into two groups and placed his sharpshooters on the top of a gentle rise and ordered them to fire twice and then retreat behind the second line. He knew he could count on Continental army to take the hardest part of the fighting and that they wouldn’t run. He prepared them for the militia’s retreat. By following his clever plans and tactics Continentals won the war by making British to surrender. “Daniel Morgan is a prime example of what one can accomplish with one’s life if one works hard and plans well”. In comparison, George Washington didn’t how to use rifle that good and Daniel Morgan was better tactician than him. George Washington's early military career during the Seven Years' War was not uniformly successful. In his first battle, he and his men were ambushed and forced to surrender Fort Necessity on the Pennsylvania frontier. Washington's reputation for leadership and courage was based on his actions in another defeat at the hands of the French. In that battle, at Fort Duquesne, Washington had two horses shot from under him and eventually had to assume command from the mortally wounded General Edward Braddock. Washington led the surviving British and Colonial soldiers on a successful retreat. He actually go by his instincts. He doesn’t move or attack with thinking and acting clever and wisely.

All in all, George Washington wasn’t the best man to lead the Continental Army. Nathaniel Greene, Arnold Benedict, or Daniel Morgan would have made better and righteous leader than George Washington. These Generals gave their lives to protect their nation. They led a Continental army toward the victory with their knowledge, skills and gratitude. People don’t even appreciated and knew quality of some of them. For example, even though Arnold had most accomplishment than any other Generals, because of his false, erroneous reputation, he is known as traitor and disliked by people. Every General in war had their own unique skills and with their skills they actually led Washington to win the war. If it wasn’t for other Generals like Arnold, Benedict or Morgan, America could have been in hands of Europe, God Forbid!

Works Cited

Alden, John Richard. "Chapter XIII/ the War Spreads." A History of the American Revolution. New York: Knopf, 1969. 187-88. Print.

Creighton, Linda L. "Benedict Arnold: A Traitor, but Once a Patriot." US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. <http://www.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/06/27/benedict-arnold-a-traitor-but-once-a-patriot>.

"Daniel Morgan - American Revolution - General Morgan." About.com Military History. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/americanrevolutio1/p/American-Revolution-Brigadier-General-Daniel-Morgan.htm>.

Goddu, Bob. "Nathanael Greene." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, June-July 1995. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/brandywine/special/art03.htm>.

Greene, Meg. "Nathanael Greene." Google Books. Infobase Learning, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://books.google.com/books?id=pLpbAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT20&lpg=PT20&ots=HyiAot0HUC&focus=viewport&dq=nathanael+greene+learning+military+strategy&output=html_text>.

Hayball, David M. "Revolutionary War - Major General Nathanael Greene Sons of the American Revolution." Revolutionary War - Major General Nathanael Greene Sons of the American Revolution -. N.p., July-Aug. 2006. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/greenehay.html>.

"Key Facts About George Washington." George Washington's Mount Vernon. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. <http://www.mountvernon.org/georgewashington/facts>.

Krystek, Lee. "Alternative History: Benedict Arnold - PART I." Alternative History: Benedict Arnold - PART I. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. <http://www.unmuseum.org/barnold1.htm>.

"Quotes - Discipline (page 1)." The Regimental Rogue. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. <http://regimentalrogue.com/quotes/quotes_discipline1.htm>.

Randall, Willard Sterne. Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor. New York: Morrow, 1990. 213. Print.

United States. National Park Service. "Daniel Morgan." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 29 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nps.gov/cowp/historyculture/daniel-morgan.htm>.