Rosalie, Thank you so much for this information. It is very helpful, and I appreciate it. Every bit helps, since so many of the records of that time were lost due to fire, war, hurricanes, etc. It is a long journey attempting to recreate these events, but rewarding. I have learned much of the history of our country, and have also learned that the people with whom I correspond, are all true patriots; love of family, love of history, love of country. Barb Brown Hootman -------------- Original message from "Roser" <[email protected]>: -------------- > > Rosalie in Bar Harbor, Me. > God Bless America > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 11:35 PM > Subject: Brig. Gen. Francis Marion - The Swamp Fox - internet source. > > > > "A Sketch of the Life of Brig. General Francis Marion" > By William Dobein James, A.M. (Member of Marion's Militia) > > > > > > > > A Sketch of the Life of BRIG. GEN. FRANCIS MARION, and A History of his Brigade, > From its Rise in June, 1780, until Disbanded in December, 1782; With > Descriptions of Characters and Scenes, not heretofore published. > By William Dobein James, A.M. During that Period one of Marion's Militia. At > Present one of the Associate Judges in Equity, South Carolina. > ~~~~~ > > > > > > > > > > Francis Marion was born in 1732 at either at St. John's Parish, Berkeley, or St. > James's Parish, Goose Creek; the respective homes of his father's and mother's > families. 1732 is probably correct as the year of Francis's birth, but is not > absolutely certain. Marion was of French extraction; his grandfather, Gabriel, > left France soon after the revocation of the edict of Nantz, in 1685, on account > of his being a protestant, and retired from persecution to this new world, then > a wilderness; no doubt under many distresses and dangers, and with few of the > facilities with which emigrants settle new, but rich countries, at the present > day. His son, also called Gabriel, was the father of five sons, Isaac, Gabriel, > Benjamin, Francis, and Job, and of two daughters, grandmothers of the families > of the Mitchells, of Georgetown, and of the Dwights, formerly of the same place, > but now of St. Stephen's parish. > > Mr. Henry Ravenel, of Pineville, now more than 70 years of age, knew him in the > year 1758; he had then lost his father; and, removing with his mother and > brother Gabriel from Georgetown, they settled for one year near Frierson's lock, > on the present Santee canal (South Carolina). The next year Gabriel removed to > Belle Isle, in St. Stephen's parish, late the residence of his son, the Hon. > Robert Marion. > > Francis settled himself in St. John's, at a place called Pond Bluff, from the > circumstance of there being a pond at the bottom of a bluff, fronting the river > low grounds. This place is situated about four miles below Eutaw, on the Santee; > and he continued to hold it during life. Others fix his settling in St. John's, > at a later period: this is of little consequence, but what is of some, was that > in this most useful of all stations, a tiller of the ground, he was industrious > and successful. In the same year, 1759, the Cherokee war broke out, and he > turned out as a volunteer, in his brother's troop of provincial cavalry. > > > > > > > > > > In 1761, he served in the expedition under Col. Grant, as a lieutenant in > Captain Wm. Moultrie's company, forming part of a provincial regiment, commanded > by Col. Middleton. It is believed that he distinguished himself in this > expedition, in a severe conflict between Col. Grant and the Indians, near > Etchoee, an Indian town; but, if he did so, the particulars have not been handed > down to us, by any official account. General Moultrie says of him, "he was an > active, brave, and hardy soldier; and an excellent partisan officer." We come > now to that part of Marion's life, where, acting in a more conspicuous > situation, things are known of him, with more certainty. > > > > > > > > > > In the beginning of the year 1775, he was elected one, of what was then called > the provincial congress of South Carolina, from St. John's. This was the public > body which agreed to the famous continental association, recommended by > congress, to prevent the importation of goods, wares, and merchandizes, from > Great Britain: they likewise put a stop to all suits at law, except where > debtors refused to renew their obligations, and to give reasonable security, or > when justly suspected of intentions to leave the province, or to defraud their > creditors; and they appointed committees in the several districts and parishes > in the state, which were called committees of public safety, to carry these acts > into effect. > > > > > > > > > > The year 1780, was the most eventful one, in the annals of South Carolina. The > late failure of the attack on Savannah; the little opposition which Gen. Prevost > met with, in a march of more than one hundred miles through the state; the > conduct of the planters, in submitting, to save their property; and the well > known weakness of the southern army; all conspired to induce the enemy to > believe, that Charleston, and South Carolina, would become an easy prey. > > Sir Henry Clinton, their commander in chief, meditating a formidable expedition > against them; with this view sailed from New York on the 26th December, 1779, > with an army, which, with subsequent reinforcements amounted to about 12,000 > men. To oppose this great force, Gen. Lincoln had not more than two thousand, a > great part of which was militia. His head quarters were in Charleston, where the > general assembly were setting in calm deliberation, for they had not yet heard > of the rising storm. > > > > > > > > > > Lieut. Col. Marion, had command of the out-post of this little army, at Sheldon, > near Pocotaligo, where he had orders to watch the motions of Prevost, and > prevent him from obtaining supplies of provisions, from the Carolina side of > Savannah river. It was expected he was to remain here for some time, and great > confidence was reposed in him, by Gen. Lincoln, as appears by his letters, at > this period. The British were to detach small parties through the country, and > to take all the horses which were fit, either to transport their cannon and > baggage, or to mount their cavalry. In one month after their landing, Col. > Banastre Tarleton had his legion mounted, and began his career of slaughter. > > On the 18th March, he surprised a party of 80 militia, at Saltketcher bridge, > killed and wounded several, and dispersed the rest. On the 23d, he put to flight > another party at Ponpon, killed three, wounded one, and took four prisoners. On > the 27th, near Rantowle's bridge, he had a rencounter with Col. Washington, at > the head of his legion of 300 men; Tarleton was worsted in this affair, and lost > seven men, prisoners. > > > > > > > > > > "I have given orders, that the inhabitants of the province, who have taken part > in this revolt, should be punished with the greatest rigour; and also those who > will not turn out, that they may be imprisoned, and their property taken from > them, or destroyed. I have likewise ordered, that compensation be made out of > their estates, to the persons who have been injured or oppressed by them. I have > ordered, in the most positive manner, that every militia man who has borne arms > with us, and afterwards joined the army, shall be immediately hanged. I desire > you will take the most rigourous measures to punish the rebels in the district > in which you command; and that you obey in the strictest manner the directions I > have given in this letter, relative to the inhabitants of this country." --- > Lord Cornwallis > > > > > > > > > > In addition to the enormity of the principle, upon which such menwere to suffer, > was the uncertainty of the law; for Lord Cornwallis' orders are so confusedly > drawn, they will admit, as against the accused, of any latitude of construction: > yet they denounce confiscation, imprisonment and death. Under the circumstances > stated, the confiscations of Lord Cornwallis were robberies, his imprisonments > were unjust and cruel, and his executions, always upon the gibbet, were military > murders. And if, to gain his point, he did not, like the Duke of Alva, (employed > in a similar vocation) make use of the rack, the stake, and the faggot, yet Lord > Cornwallis resorted to every other mode of punishment, a more improved > civilization had left him, to suppress civil liberty. > > Such was the character of the commander in chief of the Britishforces in South > Carolina. On one expedition (Nelson's Ferry - Nov. 1780), Tarleton burnt the > house, out houses, corn and fodder, and a great part of the cattle, hogs and > poultry, of the estate of Gen. Richardson. The general had been active with the > Americans, but was now dead; and the British leader, in civilized times, made > his widow and children suffer for the deeds of the husband and parent, after the > manner of the East, and coast of Barbary. What added to the cruel nature of the > act, was that he had first dined in the house, and helped himself to the > abundant good cheer it afforded. But we have seen before the manner in which he > requited hospitality. It was generally observed of Tarleton and his corps, that > they not only exercised more acts of cruelty than any one in the British army, > but also carried further the spirit of depredation. > > To people of good feelings, but particularly the religious, this period (1780 > and 1781) was truly distressing. From the time of the fall of Charleston, all > public education was at an end, and soon after, all public worship was > discontinued. Men from sixty years of age, down to boys of fourteen, (few of > whom dared to stay at home) were engaged in active and bloody warfare. These had > their minds in constant occupation, which, in whatever moral situation a man may > be placed, brings with it a certain degree of satisfaction, if not contentment. > All were actuated by the love of country, and but few by the love of fame: and > next to the duties of religion, the exercise of those of patriotism excites the > highest energy and brings the most sublime satisfaction to the human mind. But > to the female sex, and the superannuated of the male, little consolation of that > nature could be afforded. Even these were exposed to that kind of danger which > might be inflicted by brutality at home, and ! > most of them had relatives in the field to whom they were bound by the most > tender and sacred ties, who were subjected to constant dangers, and for whose > fate they were unceasingly anxious. > > There was no place for the pleasures of society, for in the country these were > too remote from a home that must constantly be watched. As a comfort in this > situation females employed themselves in domestic occupations, in which that of > the distaff had a considerable share, and all might indeed have exercised their > private devotions; but that faint picture of heaven, that sweet consolation > which is derived from associating with one's friends in public worship, was > wholly denied them. Most of the churches in towns and the country, were either > burnt or made depots for the stores of the enemy; some in fact were converted > into stables; and of the remainder, all in the country were closed.-In a warfare > of such atrocity there was little safety in any situation where numbers were > collected, and as we have seen that the tories, by their murders, violated the > sanctity of private dwellings, how then could it be expected they would be awed > by the holiness of a church? > ~~~~~ > > > > > > > > > > COWPENS > > > > > > > > > > Gen. Moultrie received his account of this action of the Cowpens "from an > officer of great veracity and high rank, who was conspicuous on that day;" > supposed to be Col. Washington. The substance of his account shall now be given: > > Gen. Morgan drew up his men in an open pine barren, the militia of about four > hundred men, under Col. Pickens, formed the first line. The continentals of > about five hundred men, two hundred of whom were raw troops, formed the second > line, under Col. Howard, two hundred yards in the rear. Col. Washington, with > seventy-five continental cavalry, and forty-five militia under Capt. M'Call, in > the rear. Pickens ordered his men to reserve their fire till the enemy came > within fifty yards, which they did, and fired with great success; but they were > soon obliged to give way and retreat behind the second line, which received them > warmly; at length the second line began to give way. Col. Washington, perceiving > this, rode up to their rear with his cavalry, and told Howard, "if he would > rally his men and charge the enemy's line, he would charge the cavalry who were > cutting down the militia." His riding so close to the rear stopped the British, > and Howard rallied his men in the mean time,! > and charged with fixed bayonets. Col. Washington charged the cavalry and routed > them; the militia at the same time recovered themselves and began to fire, and > the whole threw the enemy into the utmost confusion. Howard called out to them, > "to lay down their arms and they should have good quarters." Upwards of five > hundred men threw down their arms and surrendered. Two hundred were left dead on > the field, and a great number wounded. > > Besides the two field pieces mentioned by Tarleton, six hundred men, eight > hundred stand of arms, and thirty-five baggage waggons, fell into the hands of > the Americans. Col. Washington pursued the British cavalry twenty-five miles. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > > > > > Gen. Marion's Epitaph > -------- > > > > > > > > > > Sacred to the Memory of BRIG. GEN. FRANCIS MARION, > Who departed this life, on the 27th of February, 1795,~ In the > Sixty-Third Year of his Age; Deeply regretted by all his fellow citizens. > > HISTORY will record his worth, and rising generations embalm his > memory, as one of the most distinguished Patriots and Heroes of > the American Revolution; which elevated his native Country TO > HONOUR AND INDEPENDENCE, and secured to her the > blessings of LIBERTY AND PEACE. > > This tribute of veneration and gratitude is erected in > commemoration of the noble and disinterested virtues of the > CITIZEN; and the gallant exploits of the SOLDIER; Who lived > without fear, and died without reproach. > Taken from the marble slab at Belle Isle, this 20th September,1821, > by Theodore Gourdin. > > http://www.americanrevwar.com/files/MARION.HTM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== AMERICAN-REVOLUTION Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the AMERICAN-REVOLUTION list, send the command "unsubscribe" > to > [email protected] (if in mail mode) or > [email protected] (if in digest mode.) > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. 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