Francis Marion
Francis Marion was born in 1733 near Georgetown, South Carolina. His early inclination led him to embark on board a vessel bound for the West Indies at the age of sixteen. During the voyage, the vessel was upset in a gale, and nothing was saved in the boat in which the crew and a dog took refuge. They had no provisions but the raw flesh of Carlo and were out a week, during which time several of them died. The sufferings and perils then endured cured Marion of his partiality for Neptune. As soon as possible, he planted himself on terra firma and devoted his time to agriculture until 1759, when he received the commission of a Lieutenant under Captain Moultrie, who was engaged in the expedition against the Cherokee Indians conducted by Governor Lyttleton. Two years later, Marion was raised to captain and served under Colonel Grant in a second attempt to chastise the Cherokees. He was on hand and ready for action at the commencement of the Revolution of Independence. He was soon raised to the rank of major and served under Col. Moultrie in his gallant defense of the fort named in honor of that officer. He was then promoted to lieutenant colonel and commanded a regiment at the siege of Charleston. In the early part of the siege, one of his legs was fractured, which saved him a journey to the Spanish Castle in Florida, where all the unwounded prisoners were taken.On his recovery, he proceeded to North Carolina, was commissioned a Brigadier General of the militia, and became one of the severest scourges the enemy had to encounter. He was enthusiastic in the cause of freedom and imparted this enthusiasm to all who rallied under him. He was knowledgeable, bold, energetic, and persevering. With a small chosen band around him, he retired to the intricate retreats in the low grounds of the Pedee and Black rivers, from which he would suddenly emerge and strike a sanguinary blow into the ranks of the enemy at an unexpected moment and retreat so quickly that they knew not from what direction he came or where to follow him. Even his friends were often ignorant of his location for days. He became a terror to the British army and led detached parties into many a quagmire where they frequently surrendered at discretion-knowing him to be as humane and generous as he was brave and wary. Colonel Horry relates the following pleasing incident of Marion.
" About this time, we received a flag from the enemy in Georgetown, South Carolina, the object of which was to make arrangements about the exchange of prisoners. Having heard great talk about Gen. Marion, his fancy had naturally enough sketched out for him some stout figure of a warrior, such as O'Hara or Cornwallis himself, of martial aspect and flaming regimentals. But what was his surprise when led into Marion's presence and the bandage taken from his eyes, he beheld in our hero, a swarthy, smoke-dried little man with scarcely enough of thread-bare homespun to cover his nakedness and instead of tall ranks of gaily dressed soldiers, a handful of sunburnt, yellow-legged militia-men-some roasting potatoes and some asleep, with their black firelocks and powder horns lying by them on the logs. Having recovered a little from his surprise, he presented his letter to Gen. Marion, who perused it and settled everything to his satisfaction.
" The officer took up his hat to retire. "Oh no" said Marion-". it is now about our time of dining, and I hope you will give us the pleasure of your company at dinner.
" At the mention of the word dinner, the British officer looked around him but, to his great mortification, could see no sign of a pot, pan, Dutch oven, or any other cooking utensil that could raise the spirits of a hungry man.
" Well, Tom "-said the General to one of his men-" give us our dinner." The dinner he alluded to was no other than a heap of sweet potatoes that were snugly roasting under the embers and which Tom, with his pine stick poker, soon liberated from their ashy confinement-pinching them now and then with his fingers, especially the big ones, to see whether they were well done or not. Then, having cleansed them of the ashes, partly by blowing them with his breath and partly by brushing them with the sleeve of his old cotton shirt, he piled some of the best on a large piece of bark and placed them between the British officer and Marion on the trunk of the fallen pine on which they sat."
" I fear, sir-said the General-our dinner will not prove as palatable to you as I could wish-but it is the best we have."
The officer, a well-bred man, took up one of the potatoes and attempted to feed as if he had found a great dainty-but it was very plain he ate more from good manners than good appetite. Presently, he broke out into a hearty laugh. Marion looked surprised. "I beg pardon, General " said he" but one cannot, you know, always command one's conceits. I wondered how drolly some of my brother officers would look if our government gave them such a bill of fare as this."
" I suppose,"replied Marion " it is not equal to their dining style."
" No, indeed quoth the officer; and this, I imagine, is one of your accidental dinners-a sort of banyan. In general, no doubt, you live a great deal better." " 'Rather worse'-answered the General-"l for often we don't get enough of this." " Heaven! " rejoined the officer-" but probably what you lose in the meal you make up in malt-though stinted in provisions, you draw noble pay." " Not a cent"said Marion-" not a cent." " Heavens and earth! Then you must be in a bad box. I don't see, General. How can you stand it?" " "Why, sir", replied Marion with a smile of self-approbation, " these things depend on feeling." " The Englishman said-" he did not believe it would be easy to reconcile his feelings to a soldier's life on General Marion's terms, all fighting, no pay, and no provisions but potatoes." " Why sir& quot; answered the General, " the heart is all, and when that is much interested, a man can do anything. Many a youth would think it hard to indent themselves enslaved for fourteen years. But let him be over head and ears in love and with such a beauteous sweetheart as Rachel, and he will think no more of fourteen years servitude than young Jacob did. Well, now this is exactly my case. I am in love, and my sweetheart is Liberty. Be that heavenly nymph, my champion; these woods shall have charms beyond London and Paris in slavery. To have no proud monarch driving over me with his gilt coaches-nor his host of excisemen and tax-gatherers insulting and robbing-gloriously preserving my national dignity and pursuing my true happiness-planting my vineyards and eating their luscious fruit-sowing my fields and reaping the golden grain and seeing millions of brothers all around me equally free and happy as myself. This, sir, is what I long for."
" The officer replied 'that both man and a Briton must certainly subscribe to this as a happy state of things."
" Happy, yes, happy indeed. I would rather fight for such blessings for my country and feed on roots than keep aloof though wallowing in all the luxuries of Solomon. For now, sir, I walk the soil that gave me birth and delight in the thought that I am not unworthy of it. I look upon these venerable trees around me and feel I do not dishonor them. I think of my sacred rights and rejoice that I have not deserted them. And when I look forward to the long ages of posterity, I glory in the thought that I am fighting their battles. The children of distant generations may never hear my name, but still, it gladdens my heart to think that I am now contending for their freedom with all its countless blessings." " I looked at Marion as he uttered these sentiments and fancied I felt as when I heard the last words of the brave De Kalb. The Englishman hung his honest head and looked, I thought as if he had seen the upbraiding ghosts of his illustrious countrymen-Sidney and Hamden. On his return to Georgetown, he was asked by Colonel Watson why he looked so serious. " " " I have cause, sir, to look serious. " " What! has Gen. Marion refused to treat? " " No, sir. " " Well then, has old Washington defeated Sir Henry Clinton and broke up our army? " " No sir, not that neither,but worse. " " Ah! What can be worse? " " Why, sir, I have seen an American General and his officers without[Pg 251] pay and almost without clothes, living on roots and drinking water-all for Liberty! What chance have we had against such men? "
It was said that Colonel. Watson was not much obliged to him for his speech. But the young officer was so struck with Marion's sentiments that he never rested until he threw up his commission and retired from the service."
General Marion continued in active service until Liberty was won, with which he was so deeply in love. He then retired to private life, had the good sense to marry an amiable lady, and continued to enjoy the fruits of his toils in the camp until February 1795, when he died.
Source: The Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson
Hero Implants by Jeannette Holland Austin:
During January of 1781, General Francis Marion proceeded to raid the British outpost of Georgetown, South Carolina. "Then, General Lighthorse Harry Lee joined with General Francis Marion and General Andrew Pickens in the spring of 1781 to capture numerous British outposts in South Carolina and Georgia including Fort Watson, Fort Motte, Fort Danby, Fort Galphin, Fort Grierson, and Fort Cornwallis,Augusta, Georgia. But it was General Nathanael Greene who sent Lee toAugusta to prevent British occupation. From there, Lee's Legion and localmilitia companies engaged to intimidate the Loyalists in the region."