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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 333
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to the home of his birth in Rhode Island; and, on October 14, 1785, he
left for Georgia, to become one of her honored and beloved citizens.
Regarding- his life at Mulberry Grove, one of his biographers, WiL
liam Johnson, says: * '' His time was altogether devoted to the educa
tion of a charming family, the cultivation of his land, and the paternal
care of his slaves. The intervals of his more serious employments were
agreeably filled by a select library and by a spirited correspondence
with his numerous friends, as well in Europe as in America; and he
resigned himself, without reserve, to the enjoyments of his fireside and
to the interchange of civilities with his numerous and wealthy neigh
bors." In November, soon after his arrival, he writes: f "We found
the house, situation, and out-buildings, more convenient and pleasing
than we expected. The prospect is delightful, and the house magnifi
cent. We have a coach-house, with stables, a large out-kitchen, and a
poultry house nearly fifty feet long by twenty wide, parted for differ
ent kinds of poultry, with a pigeon-house on the top, which will contain
not less than a thousand pigeons. Besides these, there is a fine smoke
house. The garden is in ruins, but there are still a variety of shrubs
and flowers in it."
Again, in the month of April following, General Greene writes: $
'' This is the busy season with us. We are planting. We have upwards
of sixty acres of corn and expect to have one hundred and thirty of
rice. The garden is delightful. The fruit-trees and flowering shrubs
form a pleasing variety. We have green peas almost fit to eat, and as
fine lettuce as ever you saw. The mocking birds surround us evening
and morning. The weather is mild and the vegetable kingdom progress
ing to perfection. We have in the same orchard apples, pears, peaches,
apricots, nectarines, plums of different. kinds, pomegranates, and
oranges. And we have strawberries which measure three inches round.
All these are clever, but .the want of our friends to enjoy them with us,
makes them less interesting." General Greene was destined never to
see the fruit then blossoming at Mulberry Grove.
On Monday, June 12, 1786, General Greene's presence was required
at Savannah. He made the journey, accompanied by his wife, and vis
ited the home of Maj. Nathaniel Pendleton, one of his aides during the
war; and here, under the roof of his old friend, they passed the night.
. On the next morning they started early for home, intending to spend
the day at the house of Mr. William Gibbons. They arrived at the
latter's plantation early in the forenoon and, after breakfast, the gentle
men walked into the rice-field together, to view the progress of the crop,
in which General Greene was much interested. The sun was intensely
hot, but,General Greene had been too long a soldier to fear any danger
from the warm southern sun. On the way home, in the evening, he
complained of a severe pain in the head. It grew worse, and by Thurs
day his forehead was very much inflamed and swollen. Major Pendle
ton fortunately arrived on a visit, and, his apprehensions aroused by
* "Win. Johnson's Life of Nathanael Greene," Vol. II, p. 418, 1822.
t "The Remains of Major-General Nathanael Greene, a Report of the Special
Committee of the General Assembly of Rhode Island, etc.," p. 79, Providence,
Rhode Island, 1903.
J Ibid., p. 79.