Nelson W. Green

Nelson Winch Green (July 13, 1819 – May 11, 1907) was an American author, lawyer, inventor, and Civil War officer.

Early life Nelson Winch Green was born July 13, 1819, in Pike, New York. On his father's side, he was a descendant of Major General Nathanael Greene. His early education was at the private school of Harley F. Smith of Pike, New York. In 1859 he moved to Cortland, New York. However, Captain Andrew J. McNett felt he should have been given leadership of the unit. On December 6, 1861, in a dispute involving accusations of insubordination, Green shot McNett in the neck with a Smith and Wesson revolver. McNett's wound was not fatal, but Green was removed from command in March 1862.

Invention of tube well and patent disputes At the Cortland County Fair, in October 1861, Green demonstrated a method for obtaining pure water for his army troops by pounding a steel rod into the ground. This was apparently the first military use of the tube well for accessing groundwater. When the war was over, Green worked with Cowling and & Co of Seneca Falls, New York, which manufactured and distributed well drilling equipment. Green applied for a patent for this method of groundwater extraction. Green originally applied for the patent on March 17, 1866; it was granted in 1868. Norton promoted the new American tube well to the British Army, where it was used extensively in the Abyssinian Campaign and became known as the Abyssinian Well.

For some years, Green collected licensing fees for his tube well patent through his partnerships with Cowing & Co. of Cortland and later William and George Andrews. The drilled salt wells may have been the inspiration for Green's tube well.

Fifteen Years’ Residence with the Mormons In 1859, Green was involved in the publishing of the book Fifteen Years’ Residence with the Mormons. The book was presented as the memoirs of Mary Ettie V. Smith, an early Mormon who eventually left the church. Green wrote the preface of the book and is understood to be the editor, although some have suggested that he may have done more than simply edit the manuscript.

Other writings Green was also the author of an early speculative paper conjecturing the movements of water in underground springs. His essay “Why do springs and wells overflow” was published in the journal Popular Science Monthly in November, 1879.