Pegee Malcolm knows all too well that postponements don’t always work out and that can be said also of George Sears Greene, a largely unsung hero of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Malcolm, chair of the Warwick and Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Commissions, is on a mission to shine the spotlight on the Warwick resident and descendant of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, who General George Washington selected as commander of the Southern Department of the Continental Army.

George Sears Greene, an engineer, who served in the militia as a young man, reenlisted in his 60s to fight for the Union. His leadership capabilities were recognized and he was named a Brigadier General. In the Battle of Gettysburg, Greene and his 12,000 men are credited with defending Culp’s Hill, the right flank of the Union Army, in a four-hour night battle against a Confederate force four times his command. Had the position been lost the outcome of the battle and the war may have been different.

All of this happened a long time ago and it seemed only reasonable with a forecast of rain Saturday morning that Malcolm postpone the commemoration of the renaming of a portion of Tanner Avenue which turns into Kettle Street in Apponaug to George Sears Greene Way. After all not much would change.

Yet Malcolm wasn’t going to let rain postpone the event.

On Friday she packed her car with tents, prepared to set up no matter the conditions short of a hurricane. There are no houses on Kettle Street that runs no more than several hundred feet to a parking lot, which at this time of year is hidden from a view of Apponaug by foliage. Granite stairs lead from the lot to the historic Greene cemetery at the top of the hill and the grave George Sears Greene with a boulder from Culp’s Hill.

The commission held ceremonies to celebrate completion of steps to improve access and renovate the cemetery only to postpone them because of the weather.

It wasn’t going to happen again. Getting the way named for the general had taken way too long – five years. This wasn’t the time to linger.

The General was there

Planned for Saturday was the unveiling of the George Sears Greene Way sign, remarks from the mayor, other city officials, a musket salute and the playing of taps. A highlight would be the visit of the Civil War general and his wife Martha. Yes, you read that correctly. The general has been reincarnated by Paul Bourget who was accompanied by and his wife Denise as Martha.

As he explained in an interview with the Warwick Beacon last year, Bourget was intrigued by a photograph of Greene with the epithet “forgotten Hero of Gettysburg he found in a Washington Trust Bank Conference Room years ago. He read all he could find on the general and in 2008 began his study in earnest, committing himself to learning as much as he could about the man and to being his reenactor.  He grew a beard and handlebar moustache to play the part.

On Saturday the general, his wife, commission members and city officials gathered under two connecting tents. The tents were set up in the parking lot of the FOP Lodge near a road sign declaring George Sears Greene Way. Today’s Greene gave a brief account of the July 2, 1863 battle and defense of Culp’s Hill. Mayor Frank Picozzi brought along the bronze replica of the general’s sword that had been a part of the bronze plaque mounted on the Culp’s Hill boulder marking his grave site. Years ago the sword and the plaque were stolen and brought to a metal recycler who contacted authorities. Today the recovered plaque and sword are displayed in City Hall. An engraved stone replaces the bronze plaque at the cemetery. Information panels at the cemetery tell the Greene story.

City Council President Steve McAllister recounted the lengthy process of naming George Sears Greene Way starting with City Council passage and gaining the approvals of the Police and Fire Departments. Simply changing the name is not sufficient, he said, as the name and location of the road needs to be recorded for first responders and others.

McAllister said it took five years to cut through all the red tape.

Malcolm was bent on seeing the name change didn’t wait any longer.

The 18-gun salute was canceled. The rain would have dampened the black powder. Conditions, however, dampened Joseph Hull but not his playing of taps that closed the ceremony.

It’s official now.

After all these years there’s a George Sears Greene Way in Warwick, although you won’t find it on Google maps of Apponaug yet. It bears the name Kettle St.