Book: The Life of General Francis Marion

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She replied she had no objection.

Then filling the glasses round, he looked at her with a constrained smile,
and said, "Well, madam, here's George the Third."

"With all my heart, sir!" and turned off her bumper with a good grace.

After a decent interval of sprightly conversation, he called
on the widow for a toast; who very smartly retorted, "Well, sir,
here's George Washington!" At which he darkened a little,
but drank it off with an officer-like politeness.

The next morning early, we left the good Mrs. Jenkins;
and burning with impatience to give Watson another race,
we drove on Jehu-like.

We encamped that night almost within sight of the enemy's fires:
but found them too much on the alert for surprise. We kept, however,
a good look out, and learning next morning, that a roosting party were out,
Marion detached my brother colonel Horry, with some choice cavaliers,
to attack them; which he did with such spirit, that at the first onset
he killed nine, and made the balance, sixteen, all prisoners.
The rogues were so overloaded with plunder, that for their lives
they could not regain their camp, though in full view of it
when they were charged. This brilliant stroke of my brother,
threw the enemy's camp into the utmost hurry and uproar;
and their dragoons were quickly mounted, dashing out to rescue their comrades;
but in vain, for my brother brought them all off in safety to our camp.

Our strength at this time was far inferior to that of the enemy.
But it soon became alarmingly reduced. For learning that,
besides this heavy force under Watson, there was another from Camden
under colonel Doyle, and also of mounted tories from Pedee,
all in full march against us, our men took a panic and began to desert,
and those who stayed behind looked very serious, and talked as if certain ruin
both to themselves and families would follow from their continuing to fight
in so hopeless a cause.

In answer to these desponding gentlemen, I replied, that I was ashamed
and grieved too, to hear them talk at that rate.

"Our prospects," said I, "gentlemen, are to be sure dark, very dark;
yet thank God, they are not desperate. We have often before now
seen as heavy clouds hanging over us; and yet with heaven's blessing
on our arms, those clouds have been dispersed, and golden days restored.
And who knows but we may shortly see it so again? I am sure
we have good reason to expect it; and also to hope that God will assist us,
who are only fighting to make ourselves free and happy, according to his own
most blessed will. And will it not be a most sweet cordial to your spirits
as long as you live, to think that, in such trying times as these,
you stood up for your country, and fought and won for yourselves and children
all the blessings of liberty.

"And, besides," said I, "do not the tories, who are more than half
the authors of your misfortunes, possess large estates?
And have you not arms in your hands, wherewith to pay yourselves
out of their ill-saved treasures?"

This speech seemed to raise their spirits a good deal.

I then went to see the general, who with his hands behind him,
was walking backwards and forwards in front of his tent, meditating, no doubt,
on the desertion of his men; whose numbers, from more than two hundred,
were now reduced to less than seventy.

"General Marion," said I, "I am sorry to tell you that our men are now so few;
especially since, according to report, we shall soon want so many."

"Why," replied he, "that is the very thing I have been grieving at;
but it will signify nothing for us to stand here sighing and croaking;
so pray go and order a muster of the men, that I may say a few words to them
before they all run off and leave me."

Soon as the troops were all paraded around the door of his tent,
he stepped upon the trunk of a fallen pine, and in his plain
but impressive manner, addressed us nearly as follows: --

"Gentlemen and fellow-soldiers.

"It is not for words to express what I feel when I look around
upon your diminished numbers. Yesterday I commanded 200 men;
men whom I gloried in, and who I fondly thought, would have followed me
through my dangers for their country. And, now, when their country
most needs their services, they are nearly all gone!
And even those of you who remain, are, if report be true, quite out of heart;
and talk, that you and your families must be ruined if you resist any longer!
But, my friends, if we shall be ruined for bravely resisting our tyrants,
what will be done to us if we tamely lie down and submit to them?
In that event, what can we expect but to see our own eternal disgrace,
and the wide-spread ruin of our country; when our bravest and best citizens
shall be hung up like dogs, and their property confiscated
to enrich those villains who deserted their country, and joined her enemies;
when Cornwallis, Rawdon and Tarleton, after so long plundering and murdering
your friends, shall, in reward of such services, be set over you
as your governors and lord lieutenants, with princely salaries
out of your labors; when foreign bishops and hireling clergy
shall be poured upon you like hosts of consecrated locusts,
consuming the tithes and fat of the land; when British princes,
and nobles, and judges, shall swarm over your devoted country,
thick as eagles over a new-fallen carcass; when an insatiate king,
looking on your country as his plantation, and on your children as his slaves,
shall take away your substance, every year, for his pomps and pleasures;
and to keep you under for ever, shall fill your land with armies;
and when those armies, viewing you with malignant eyes,
shall constantly be insulting you as conquered rebels;
and under pretence of discovering among you the seeds of another rebellion,
shall be perpetually harassing and giving up to military execution
the best and worthiest of your fellow-citizens?

"Now my brave brethren in arms, is there a man among you,
who can bear the thought of living to see his dear country and friends
in so degraded and wretched a state as this? If there be,
then let that man leave me and retire to his home. I ask not his aid.
But, thanks to God, I have now no fears about you: judging by your looks,
I feel that there is no such man among us. For my own part
I look upon such a state of things as a thousand times worse than death.
And God is my judge this day, that if I could die a thousand deaths,
most gladly would I die them all, rather than live to see my dear country
in such a state of degradation and wretchedness."

In reply to this speech of our honored general, we told him, in brief,
it was on account of his noble sentiments we had always so highly
esteemed him; that it was on account of these we had already suffered so much,
and were ready to suffer more; and that rather than see our country
in that wretched state which he had so feelingly described,
and which, with him, we firmly believed would be the case
if the British were to get the upper hand, we had made up our minds
to fight by his side to a glorious death.

I never saw such a change on the face of a human being,
as then took place on that of Marion. His eyes sparkled with pleasure,
while in transport he exclaimed -- "Well, now colonel Doyle, look sharp,
for you shall presently feel the edge of our swords."

Soon as night came on we mounted, and took the swamps of Lynch's creek,
though swimming deep, and after a long time spent in plunging and splashing
through the dark floods, we got over, at least about two-thirds of us.
The rest, driven down by the force of the current, were cast ashore
on hills and high banks, which by the freshet were converted into islands;
and there they continued whooping and hallooing to each other all night.
When the welcome light returned, they plunged again into the furious stream,
and though swept down a good way by the force of the current,
arrived safely on our side where we had prepared some large fires
to dry their clothes and muskets, and plenty of roasted roots and Indian cakes
for breakfast.

As God was pleased to have it, none of us lost our lives, though many did
their great coats, blankets, and saddles, and some few their pieces.
As to myself, I must needs say, I was never so near the other world
in my life. For, as we were borne along down the stream in the dark,
my horse and I were carried under the limb of a tree hung thick
with wild vines, which soon caught me by the head like Absalom,
and there held me fast, dangling in the furious flood, while my horse
was swept from under me. I hallooed for some time like a lusty fellow,
without getting any answer, which made me begin to think my chance was bad.
And, God forgive me for it! I could not help thinking it a sad thing,
that after so many fierce frays and hard knocks with the British and tories,
I should come at last to be choked like a blind puppy, in this dirty swamp:
but God be praised for his good angel, who had brought me through six dangers,
and now took me out of the seventh. For, as I was near giving out,
a bold young fellow of the company overheard me bawling,
and having the advantage of a stout horse, dashed in and took me safely off.

I was afraid at first that my horse was drowned -- but sagaciously following
the rest of the horses, he made his way good, but lost my saddle, great coat,
and clothes. But what grieved me most of all was the loss of my holsters,
with a pair of elegant silver mounted pistols, a present from Macdonald,
and which he had taken from a British officer whom he killed near Georgetown.

Soon as our firearms were dried, and ourselves and horses were refreshed,
we mounted and rode hard all that day, to surprise colonel Doyle.
About midnight we had approached the house of a good whig, who told us
that Doyle had been there, but that warned by an express from Camden,
he had started in great haste, and was certainly by that time
far beyond our reach. We were much puzzled in our minds
for the meaning of this precipitate retreat of colonel Doyle;
however, after one day of welcome rest and high cheer, we faced about,
fully determined, notwithstanding our inferiority of force,
once more to try our fortune with colonel Watson. But in reaching the ground
where we had left him encamped, we got advice that he too,
with all his troops, were gone off, at a tangent, as hard as he could drive.
While we were wondering what could have possessed the British
to scamper thus in every direction, captain Conyers, of Lee's legion,
hove in sight, with the welcome news that the brave colonel Lee was at hand,
coming up full tilt to join us; and also that general Green,
with a choice detachment from the great Washington, was bending
towards Camden, to recover the laurels which the incautious Gates had lost.
These glorious tidings at once explained the cause of the enemy's flight,
and inspired us with a joy which the reader can better conceive
than I express.




Chapter 24.

Marion's method of managing the militia -- sends the author
on another expedition against the tories -- anecdote of Mr. F. Kinloch --
curious dream of black Jonathan, and fortunate escape of Mr. Kinloch --
the author's party surprised by the British, but come off
with flying colors.



The world, perhaps, never contained a partisan officer
who better understood the management of militia than did general Marion.
He was never for `dragooning' a man into the service.
"God loves a cheerful giver, and so do I," said he, "a willing soldier.
To have him such you must convince him that it is his interest,
for interest is every man's pole star. Every man wishes to be happy,
and thereto wishes a happy wife and children, a happy country and friends.
Convince him that all these invaluable blessings cannot be had
without sweet liberty, and you shall have a soldier as brave as Washington. --
For no man, worthy of the name, could ever yet bear to see
his wife, children and friends, enslaved and miserable."
Such was Marion's method of making soldiers. And what with this,
and the cruelty of the British and tories, he had with him, perhaps,
some of as brave and desperate men as ever fought.

"Never ride a free horse to death," he used to say to his officers;
"push, while he is fresh, but soon as he begins to lag,
then lie by and feed high is your play."

For this purpose he always kept a snug hiding-place in reserve for us;
which was Snow's Island, a most romantic spot, and admirably
fitted to our use. Nature had guarded it, nearly all around,
with deep waters and inaccessible marshes; and the neighboring gentlemen
were all rich, and hearty whigs, who acted by us the double part
of generous stewards and faithful spies, so that, while there,
we lived at once in safety and plenty.

We had reposed ourselves but two days in the pleasant wilds of Snow's Island,
before Marion, learning that a part of the enemy were in the neighborhood,
desired me to take captains Clarke and Irwin, with fifty men,
and try if I could not bring him a good account of them.

We encamped the first night on the plantation of Mr. John Withers,
where hearing that Mr. F. Kinloch, our member of Congress,
was at a neighboring house, I sent him the following note.


Honorable Sir,

If in these dangerous times you can think yourself safe
among a handful of militia-men, I shall be very glad to see you at our camp.
As to supper, thank God we can give you a trencher of fat pork and potatoes,
but for bed and furniture, we can promise you nothing better
than earth and sky. I shall place a sentinel on the road to conduct you to,
Honorable Sir, your friend,
Peter Horry.


Mr. Kinloch, who was one of the cleverest men in the world,
instantly set out to come to us, but unluckily missed our sentinel,
and went several miles below us to Mr. Alexander Rose's plantation,
managed by a mulatto driver named Jonathan. The day being nearly spent,
Jonathan very politely urged Mr. Kinloch to alight and spend the night there,
promising him a warm supper and a good bed. Mr. Kinloch accepted
Jonathan's offer very cheerfully, and after taking part of a nice fowl
and a cup of coffee, went to bed. He had not slept long before
Jonathan waked him up, and, with great terror in his looks, told him,
"he was mighty 'fraid there was harm a-brewing."

"Aye, Jonathan! why so, my good lad."

"Oh, sir," replied Jonathan, "such a dream as I have had, sir!
a marvellous bad dream about the enemy's coming upon you to-night, sir!"

"Poh!" quoth Mr. Kinloch, turning himself over for another nap:
"I have dreamed nothing about it, Jonathan. And I'm sure such a dream
ought to have come to me, and not to you: so we'll even go to sleep again,
and trust to heaven."

Accordingly he fell asleep a second time; but had not long enjoyed
that sweetest of opiates, before Jonathan comes again, and awakes him
with the old story of his dream.

"Well, Jonathan," said Mr. Kinloch, very good-naturedly,
"if you are determined to turn me out of doors, I suppose I must go.
But where can I get to this time of night?"

"Why, sir," quoth Jonathan, "I'll get your horse and go with you
to the main road, sir, and from there, you can't miss your way
back to the house you came from this afternoon."

On Jonathan's return from the short distance he had conducted Mr. Kinloch,
he found the yard filled with the British light horse!

These dreams are droll things; but they sometimes come so well attested,
that there is no doubting them. He who made our frame,
can certainly speak to us as well asleep as awake; and the wise will feel
the importance of making a friend of Him, who can cause an airy dream
to defend us as effectually as a legion of angels.

The next night, just as we were about to encamp, we lighted on a negro fellow,
belonging to Mr. Joseph Alston, whom I quickly had by the heels,
lest he should give intelligence to the enemy. But, as the devil
would have it, just before day, the sergeant of the guard,
overcome by the negro's importunities, loosened him and let him go.
And, mark now, young officers, what comes from disobeying orders.
This villain of a blackamoor had not gone above three miles before
he fell in with the British, to whom, Judas-like, he betrayed us off hand!
and they as quickly took horse, and pushed on to surprise us.

By sunrise I had all my men mounted; captain Clarke leading the advance,
myself and captain Irvin bringing up the rest of the corps.

The British first discovered captain Clarke, which they did
in the way of a glimpse, through an opening in the woods;
then sounding their bugles, they rushed on to the charge.
Unfortunately, Clarke had not yet seen the enemy, and mistaking their bugles
for the huntsmen's horns, ordered a halt to see the deer go by.
But instead of a herd of flying deer, behold! a column of British cavalry
all at once bursting into the road, and shouting and rushing on
with drawn swords to the charge. In a moment, as if themselves
metamorphosed into deer, Clarke and his advance wheeled about,
and giving their horses "the timber",* flew back upon our main body,
roaring out as they came in sight -- "The British! the British!"

--
* This is a Carolina phrase for slashing. If a husband should
so far forget himself as to beat his wife! which, thank God,
is very rare, his neighbors, with great scorn, say of him
as he pokes his hated face along, Aye, that's the jockey
that gives his wife the timber.
--

Quick as thought my men caught the panic, and facing about,
took to their heels, and went off as if the d---l had been behind them.
I bawled after them as loud as I could roar, "Halt! Halt!"
but I might as well have bawled to the whirlwinds, for it appeared to me
the louder I bawled, the swifter the rascals flew. Whereupon I clapped spurs
to my young Janus, and went off after them at full stretch,
hoping to gain their front and so bring them to. Being mounted
on a young full-blooded charger, fresh and strong from the stable,
I bid fair to gain my point too, for I was coming up with them
hand over hand. -- But, in that very juncture of time,
as the Lord was pleased to order it, my girth gave way, my saddle turned,
and my charger fetching a ground start, threw me, saddle, holsters, and all,
full ten feet over his head, and then ran off. I received no harm,
God be praised for it, but recovering my legs in an instant,
bawled out again to my men to halt and form.

Happily for me, at the very moment of my disaster, the enemy,
suspecting our flight to be only a finesse, had halted,
while only sixteen dragoons under colonel Camp, continued the chase.

Scorning to fly from such a handful, some of my more resolute fellows,
thirteen in number, faced about, and very deliberately taking their aim
at the enemy as they came up, gave them a `spanker', which killed
upwards of half their number. The rest took to flight, leaving their colonel,
whose horse was slain, to shift for himself, which he quickly did
by running into the woods.

The British were so near us when they received the fire of my men,
that one of them, a stout fellow, as he wheeled to go off,
came so close to me, where I stood on the ground, that he was lifting
his broadsword for a back-handed stroke, which would probably have saved me
the trouble of writing this history, had I not, with one of my pistols,
which I took from the saddle when my horse left me, anticipated his kindness,
by driving a bullet through his shoulder, which brought him to the ground.
Then mounting his horse, while my men caught the horses of those
that were killed, we galloped off, very well satisfied that the affair
had turned out no worse.

On returning to Marion, I could not help complaining to him of my men,
whose behavior, I said, in this last affair, had been so very dastardly,
that I was much afraid, I should never again put confidence in them,
nor gain any credit by commanding them. "Pshaw!" said he, with a smile,
"it is because you do not understand the management of them:
you command militia; it will not do to expect too much from
that sort of soldiers. If on turning out against the enemy, you find your men
in high spirits, with burning eyes all kindling around you, that's your time,
then in close columns, with sounding bugles and shining swords, dash on,
and I'll warrant your men will follow you, eager as the lion's whelps
bounding with their sire to the chase of the buffaloes.
But on the other hand, if by any un-looked-for providence they get dismayed,
and begin to run, you are not to fly in a passion with them,
and show yourself as mad as they are cowardly. No! you must learn to run too:
and as fast as they; nay FASTER, that you may get into the front
and encourage them to rally.

"And as to the credit that you are to get by commanding them,
I find, my dear fellow, that you are entirely in the wrong there also.
Our country cannot expect us to cope with British regulars. War is an art,
the deepest of all arts, because the greatest of all earthly consequences
depend on it. And none can expect to be masters of that terrible art,
but such as serve a long apprenticeship to it. But as we have served
no apprenticeship, we can know but little about it in comparison
with our enemies, who in discipline and experience have greatly
the advantage of us. But, thank God, we have our advantages too. --
We are far better riders, better woodsmen, and better marksmen than they.
These are noble advantages. Let us but improve them by redoubled
activity and vigilance, and kindness to our men, and especially by often
conversing with them on the grounds of the war, the merits of our cause,
and the vast consequences depending. Let us, I say, in this way,
make them soldiers in principle, and fond of their officers,
and all will be well yet. By cutting off the enemy's foraging parties,
drawing them into ambuscades and falling upon them by surprise,
we shall, I hope, so harass and consume them, as to make them glad
to get out of our country. And then, the performance of such a noble act
will bring us credit, and credit enough too, in the eyes of good men;
while as to ourselves, the remembrance of having done so much
to vindicate the rights of man, and make posterity the happier for us,
will afford us a pleasure that may outlive this momentary being."




Chapter 25.

Colonel Harry Lee joins general Marion -- Georgetown surprised --
colonel Campbell made prisoner -- major Irwin killed --
adjutant Crookshanks miraculously saved by his sweetheart --
force of female affection -- American generosity contrasted with
British barbarism -- interesting anecdotes of Mr. Cusac,
young Gales and Dinkins, colonel Lee's little bugler, John Wiley,
Peter Yarnal, young M'Coy, major Brown, colonel Haynes, and lord Rawdon.



The next day, colonel Lee with his legion came up, to the inexpressible joy
of us all; partly on account of his cavalry, which to be sure,
was the handsomest we had ever seen; but much more on account of himself,
of whom we had heard that, in deep art and undaunted courage,
he was a second Marion. -- This, our high opinion of him, was greatly exalted
by his own gallant conduct, for he had been with us but a few days
before he proposed the surprise of Georgetown, which was very cordially
concurred with by general Marion.

The infantry and cavalry employed on the occasion, were to approach the town
at different points, after midnight, and at a signal from the latter,
to commence the attack. Unfortunately, the cavalry did not get up in time,
owing to some fault of their guide. The infantry arrived
at the appointed moment, and dreading the dangers of delay, charged at once
into the town, which they found utterly unprepared for an attack.
Colonel Campbell, the commander, was made prisoner in his bed;
adjutant Crookshanks, major Irwin, and other officers were sound asleep
at a tavern belonging to a genteel family, with whom
they had spent the evening with great hilarity. A detachment of our men
approached the house and surrounded it. Soon as the alarm was given,
the officers leaped out of bed, and not waiting to dress,
flew into the piazza, flourishing their pistols and shouting to the charge.
Major Irwin, with more courage than discretion, fired a pistol, and would have
tried another, but just as he had cocked it, he was stopped short
by the stroke of a bayonet, which ended him and his courage together.
Adjutant Crookshanks, acting in the same heroic style, would have shared
the same fate, had it not been for an angel of a young woman,
daughter of the gentleman of the house. This charming girl was engaged
to be married to Crookshanks. Waked by the firing and horrid din of battle
in the piazza, she was at first almost 'reft of her senses by the fright.
But the moment she heard her lover's voice, all her terrors vanished,
and instead of hiding herself under the bedclothes, she rushed into the piazza
amidst the mortal fray, with no armor but her love, no covering
but her flowing tresses. Happily for her lover, she got to him
just in time to throw her arms around his neck and scream out,
"Oh save! save major Crookshanks!" Thus, with her own sweet body
shielding him against the uplifted swords of her enraged countrymen!

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