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Berryman Green was born in Westmoreland County, Va. He was captain of a company in the Revolutionary War. When General Washington, with his army, was in Pennsylvania, about the time of the battle of Valley Forge, his men were in great need and suffering for food. He wrote an urgent call to General Fitzhugh Lee to find him an energetic and trustworthy officer for quartermaster, to look after the comfort of his men. General Lee wrote him he had found the right man, Captain Berryman Green but he hesitated about accepting the position, as it would put him out of line for promotion in the army. General Washington was so insistent that Captain Green resigned his position and went to aid him in relieving the suffering and the needy of the army there.
It was there that Captain Green met his first wife, Anne Pritchard. Her parents were from England and loyal to the Crown. General Washington ordered Captain Green to secure rooms for the officers. He found a large, comfortable house, and was preparing the rooms on the lower floor, when he heard some one open a door across the hall. He turned and doffed his hat and bowed to a lovely woman with black hair and eyes. She spurned his salute with a shrug and turned her back on him. But that day their fate was sealed. It proved to be love at first sight and they were soon married. In those days there were no railroads or stage coaches and most of the travel was done on horseback. Captain Green and his wife, both being magnificent riders, they chose their long trip back to Virginia to be on horseback. He owned a beautiful charger which he allowed his wife to ride, while he used a work horse; thus they happily jogged along through the wild country with "saddle bags" to carry their clothing, and were halfway to their Virginia home when the charger took fright and ran away, throwing his wife and breaking her leg above the knee. The accident occurred near a farmhouse, where she was taken in and cared for until she was able to travel, when she was placed in an army wagon on a bed to finish her journey to their Westmoreland home, where they lived for some time. His wife died about ten years after, leaving five children. Very soon all the children but one were married, most of them moving to Halifax. A son, Anthony Wayne Green, named for "Mad Anthony Wayne," lived in Halifax County, just across the Dan River from South Boston. |