The Life of Francis Marion William Gilmore Simms 1844 Courtesy of Project Gutenberg Annenberg/CPB • www.learner.org Corporation for Public Broadcasting Copyright Ó 2003 The Life of Francis Marion William Gilmore Simms "The British soldier trembles When Marion's name is told." - Bryant. Contents. Chapter 1. Introduction -- The Huguenots in South Carolina. Chapter 2. The Marion Family -- Birth of Francis Marion -- His Youth -- Shipwreck. Chapter 3. Marion a Farmer -- Volunteers in the Cherokee Campaign. Chapter 4. Cherokee War continues -- Marion leads the Forlorn Hope at the Battle of Etchoee. Chapter 5. Marion is returned for the Provincial Congress from St. John's, Berkeley -- American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 2 Made Captain in the Second Regiment -- Fort Johnson taken -- Battle of Fort Moultrie. Chapter 6. From the Battle of Fort Moultrie to that of Savannah -- Anecdote of Jasper -- His Death. Chapter 7. From the Battle of Savannah to the Defeat of Gates at Camden. Chapter 8. Organization of "Marion's Brigade" -- Surprise of Tories under Gainey -- Defeat of Barfield -- Capture of British Guard with Prisoners at Nelson's Ferry. Chapter 9. Marion retreats before a superior Force -- Defeats the Tories at Black Mingo -- Surprises and disperses the Force of Colonel Tynes at Tarcote -- Is pursued by Tarleton. Chapter 10. Marion attempts Georgetown -- Horry defeats Merritt -- Melton defeated American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 3 by Barfield -- Gabriel Marion taken by the Tories and murdered -- Marion retires to Snow's Island. Chapter 11. Marion's Camp at Snow's Island -- The Character of his Warfare -- Of his Men -- Anecdotes of Conyers and Horry -- He feasts a British Officer on Potatoes -- Quells a Mutiny. Chapter 12. General Greene assumes Command of the Southern Army -- His Correspondence with Marion -- Condition of the Country -- Marion and Lee surprise Georgetown -- Col. Horry defeats Gainey -- Marion pursues McIlraith -- Proposed Pitched Battle between Picked Men. Chapter 13. Watson and Doyle pursue Marion -- He baffles and harasses them -- Pursues Doyle -- His Despondency and final Resolution. Chapter 14. Marion renews his Pursuit of Doyle -- Confronts Watson -- American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 4 Is joined by Col. Lee -- Invests and takes Fort Watson -- Fort Motte taken -- Anecdote of Horry and Marion. Chapter 15. Correspondence of Marion and Greene -- Anecdote of Colonel Snipes -- Marion takes Georgetown -- Attempt of Sumter and Marion on Col. Coates -- Battle of Quinby Bridge. Chapter 16. Marion moves secretly to Pon-Pon -- Rescues Col. Harden -- Defeats Major Frazier at Parker's Ferry -- Joins the main Army under Greene -- Battle of Eutaw. Chapter 17. Retreat of the British from Eutaw -- Pursuit of them by Marion and Lee -- Close of the Year. Chapter 18. Marion summoned to the Camp of Greene -- Defeats the British Horse at St. Thomas -- Leaves his Command to Horry, and takes his Seat American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 5 in the Assembly at Jacksonborough, as Senator from St. John's, Berkeley -- Proceedings of the Assembly -- Confiscation Act -- Dispute between Cols. Mayham and Horry -- The Brigade of Marion surprised, during his absence, by a Detachment from Charleston -- Marion's Encounter with the British Horse -- Conspiracy in the Camp of Greene. Chapter 19. Marion summoned with his Force to that of Greene -- Insurrection of the Loyalists on the Pedee -- Marches against them -- Subdues them -- Treats with Gainey -- Fanning -- Protects the Tory, Butler, from his Men -- Returns to the Country between the Santee and the Cooper -- Moves to protect Georgetown from the British Fleet -- Takes post at Watboo, on Cooper River -- Defeats the British Cavalry under Major Frasier. Chapter 20. The British propose Terms of Pacification -- Rejected by the Civil Authorities -- They penetrate the Combahee with their Fleet -- Death of Col. Laurens -- Anecdote of Marion -- Death of Wilmot -- The British evacuate Charleston -- Marion separates from his Brigade at Watboo -- His Military Genius. American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 6 Chapter 21. Marion retires to his Farm, which he finds in Ruins -- Is returned to the Senate from St. John -- His Course on the Confiscation Act -- Anecdotes -- Is made Commandant at Fort Johnson -- His Marriage -- A Member of the State Convention in 1794 -- Withdraws from Public Life -- His Death. Preface. The facts, in the life of Francis Marion, are far less generally extended in our country than his fame. The present is an attempt to supply this deficiency, and to justify, by the array of authentic particulars, the high position which has been assigned him among the master-workers in our revolutionary history. The task has been a difficult, but I trust not entirely an unsuccessful one. Our southern chronicles are meagre and unsatisfactory. South Carolina was too long in the occupation of the British -- too long subject to the ravages American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 7 of civil and foreign war, to have preserved many of those minor records which concern only the renown of individuals, and are unnecessary to the comprehension of great events; and the vague tributes of unquestioning tradition are not adequate authorities for the biographer, whose laws are perhaps even more strict than those which govern the historian. Numerous volumes, some private manuscripts, and much unpublished correspondence, to which reference has been more particularly made in the appendix, have been consulted in the preparation of this narrative. The various histories of Carolina and Georgia have also been made use of. Minor facts have been gathered from the lips of living witnesses. Of the two works devoted especially to our subject, that by the Rev. Mr. Weems is most generally known -- a delightful book for the young. The author seems not to have contemplated any less credulous readers, and its general character is such as naturally to inspire us with frequent doubts of its statements. Mr. Weems had rather loose notions of the privileges of the biographer; though, in reality, he has transgressed much less in his Life of Marion than is generally supposed. But the untamed, and sometimes extravagant exuberance of his style might well subject American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 8 his narrative to suspicion. Of the "Sketch" by the Hon. Judge James, we are more secure, though, as a literary performance, it is quite as devoid of merit as pretension. Besides, the narrative is not thorough. It dwells somewhat too minutely upon one class of facts, to the neglect or the exclusion of others. I have made both of these works tributary to my own whenever this was possible. Woodland, S.C., May 25, 1844. The Life of Francis Marion. American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 9 Chapter 1. Introduction -- The Huguenots in South Carolina. The name of FRANCIS MARION is identified, in the history of South Carolina, his parent state, with all that is pleasing and exciting in romance. He is, par excellence, the famous partisan of that region. While Sumter stands conspicuous for bold daring, fearless intrepidity and always resolute behavior; while Lee takes eminent rank as a gallant Captain of Cavalry, the eye and the wing of the southern liberating army under Greene; Marion is proverbially the great master of strategy -- the wily fox of the swamps -- never to be caught, never to be followed, -- yet always at hand, with unconjectured promptness, at the moment when he is least feared and is least to be expected. His pre-eminence in this peculiar and most difficult of all kinds of warfare, is not to be disputed. American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 10 In his native region he has no competitor, and it is scarcely possible to compute the vast influence which he possessed and exercised over the minds and feelings of the people of Carolina, simply through his own resources, at a period most adverse to their fortunes, and when the cause of their liberties, everywhere endangered, was almost everywhere considered hopeless. His name was the great rallying cry of the yeoman in battle -- the word that promised hope -- that cheered the desponding patriot -- that startled, and made to pause in his career of recklessness and blood, the cruel and sanguinary tory. Unprovided with the means of warfare, no less than of comfort -- wanting equally in food and weapons -- we find him supplying the one deficiency with a cheerful courage that never failed; the other with the resources of a genius that seemed to wish for nothing from without. With a force constantly fluctuating and feeble in consequence of the most ordinary necessities -- half naked men, feeding upon unsalted pottage, -- forced to fight the enemy by day, and look after their little families, concealed in swamp or thicket, by night -- he still contrived, -- one knows not well how, -- to keep alive and bright the sacred fire of his country's liberties, American Passages e-text / www.learner.org 11 at moments when they seemed to have no other champion. In this toil and watch, taken cheerfully and with spirits that never appeared to lose their tone and elasticity, tradition ascribes to him a series of achievements, which, if they were small in comparison with the great performances of European war, were scarcely less important; and which, if they sometimes transcend belief, must yet always delight the imagination. His adventures have given a rich coloring to fable, and have stimulated its performances. The language of song and story has been employed to do them honor, and our children are taught, in lessons that they love, to lisp the deeds and the patriotism of his band. "Marion" -- "Marion's Brigade" and "Marion's men", have passed into household words, which the young utter with an enthusiasm much more confiding than that which they yield to the wondrous performances of Greece and Ilium.