Beginning in 1772, she was courted by Nathanael Greene, a fellow Rhode Islander a dozen or so years her senior. The couple was married in July 1774, but less than a year later Greene was called to war. Catharine Greene had not yet settled into a comfortable life with her husband, as their home in Coventry, Rhode Island had not yet been completely furnished. Greene was energetic and independent, but she looked to her husband to take charge and make the decisions. With his involvement in the war, she assumed the role as head-of-household.