Book: The Life of General Francis Marion

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A slender force, to be sure, to oppose to the tremendous powers
which Marion had to encounter! But, "the Lord is king, the victory is his!"
and when he pleases to give it to an oppressed people,
he can make the few and feeble overcome the many and mighty.

As the brave major James may perhaps be mentioned no more in this history,
I must gratify the reader by informing him, that the noble major lost nothing
by his attachment to duty and the rights of man. He lived to see Cornwallis,
Tarleton, and Rawdon, laid as low as the insolent Ardeisoff;
and after enjoying many years of sweet repose, under the pleasant shade
of peace and plenty, he sunk gently to rest. But though now fallen asleep,
he still lives in his country's gratitude, and in the virtues of his son,
who fills one of the highest places in the judiciary of his native state.




Chapter 14.

Carolina apparently lost -- Marion almost alone keeps the field --
begins to figure -- surprises a strong British party at Nelson's old field
-- scourges the tories at Black Mingo -- again smites them hip and thigh
on Pedee.



The history of the American Revolution is a history of miracles,
all bearing, like sunbeams, on this heavenly fiat: "America shall be free!"

Some of our chimney-corner philosophers can hardly believe,
when they read of Samson making such a smash among the Philistines
with the jawbone of an ass. Then how will they believe
what I am going to tell them of Marion? How will they believe that,
at a time when the British had completely overrun South Carolina;
their headquarters at Charleston, a victorious army at Camden;
strong garrisons at Georgetown and Jacksonborough,
with swarms of thievish and bloody minded tories, filling up all between;
and the spirits of the poor whigs so completely cowed, that they were
fairly knocked under to the civil and military yoke of the British,
who, I ask again, will believe, that in this desperate state of things,
one little, swarthy, French-phizzed Carolinian, with only
thirty of his ragged countrymen, issuing out of the swamps,
should have dared to turn his horse's head towards this all conquering foe?

Well, Marion was that man. He it was, who, with his feeble force,
dared to dash up at once to Nelson's ferry, on the great war path
between the British armies at Charleston and Camden.

"Now, my gallant friends," said he, at sight of the road,
and with a face burning for battle, "now look sharp!
here are the British wagon tracks, with the sand still falling in!
and here are the steps of their troops passing and repassing.
We shall not long be idle here!"

And so it turned out. For scarcely had we reached our hiding place
in the swamp, before in came our scouts at half speed,
stating that a British guard, with a world of American prisoners,
were on their march for Charleston.

"How many prisoners do you suppose there were?" said Marion.

"Near two hundred," replied the scouts.

"And what do you imagine was the number of the British guard?"

"Why, sir, we counted about ninety."

"Ninety!" said Marion with a smile; "ninety! Well, that will do.
And now, gentlemen, if you will only stand by me, I've a good hope
that we thirty will have those ninety by to-morrow's sunrise."

We told him to lead on, for that we were resolved to die by his side.

Soon as the dusky night came on, we went down to the ferry, and passing
for a party of good loyalists, we easily got set over. The enemy,
with their prisoners, having just effected the passage of the river as the sun
went down, halted at the first tavern, generally called "the Blue House",
where the officers ordered supper. In front of the building,
was a large arbor, wherein the topers were wont to sit, and spend
the jocund night away in songs and gleeful draughts of apple brandy grog.
In this arbor, flushed with their late success, sat the British guard;
and tickler after tickler swilling, roared it away
to the tune of "Britannia strike home": till overcome with fatigue,
and the opiate juice, down they sunk, deliciously beastified, to the ground.

Just as the cock had winded his last horn for day we approached the house
in perfect concealment, behind a string of fence, within a few yards of it.
But in spite of all our address, we could not effect
a complete surprisal of them. Their sentinels took the alarm,
and firing their pieces, fled into the yard. Swift as lightning
we entered with them, and seizing their muskets, which were all
stacked near the gate, we made prisoners of the whole party,
without having been obliged to kill more than three of them.

Had Washington and his whole army been upon the survivors,
they could hardly have roared out louder for quarter.
After securing their arms, Marion called for their captain;
but he was not to be found, high nor low, among the living or dead.
However, after a hot search, he was found up the chimney!
He begged very hard that we would not let his men know where he had
concealed himself. Nothing could equal the mortification of the British,
when they came to see what a handful of militia-men had taken them,
and recovered all their prisoners.

Marion was at first in high hopes, that the American regulars
whom he had so gallantly rescued, would, to a man, have joined his arms,
and fought hard to avenge their late defeat. But equally to HIS surprise
and their own disgrace, not one of them could be prevailed on
to shoulder a musket! "Where is the use," said they, "of fighting now,
when all is lost?"

This was the general impression. And indeed except these
unconquerable spirits, Marion and Sumter, with a few others
of the same heroic stamp, who kept the field, Carolina was no better
than a British province.

In our late attack on the enemy, we had but four rounds of powder and ball;
and not a single sword that deserved the name. But Marion soon remedied
that defect. He bought up all the old saw blades from the mills,
and gave them to the smiths, who presently manufactured for us
a parcel of substantial broadswords, sufficient, as I have often seen,
to kill a man at a single blow.

From our prisoners in the late action, we got completely armed;
a couple of English muskets, with bayonets and cartouch-boxes, to each of us,
with which we retreated into Britton's Neck.

We had not been there above twenty-four hours before news was brought us
by a trusty friend, that the tories, on Pedee, were mustering, in force,
under a captain Barfield. This, as we learnt afterwards,
was one of the companies that my uncle's old coachman
had been so troubled about. We were quickly on horseback;
and after a brisk ride of forty miles, came upon their encampment,
at three o'clock in the morning. Their surprise was so complete,
that they did not fire a single shot! Of forty-nine men,
who composed their company, we killed and took about thirty.
The arms, ammunition, and horses of the whole party, fell into our hands,
with which we returned to Britton's Neck, without the loss of a man.

The rumor of these two exploits soon reached the British
and their friends the tories, who presently despatched three stout companies
to attack us. Two of the parties were British; one of them commanded
by major Weymies, of house-burning memory. The third party
were altogether tories. We fled before them towards North Carolina.
Supposing they had entirely scouted us, they gave over the chase,
and retreated for their respective stations; the British to Georgetown,
and the tories to Black Mingo. Learning this, from the swift mounted scouts
whom he always kept close hanging upon their march, Marion ordered us
to face about, and dog them to their encampment, which we attacked
with great fury. Our fire commenced on them at but a short distance,
and with great effect; but outnumbering us, at least two to one,
they stood their ground and fought desperately. But losing their commander,
and being hard pressed, they at length gave way, and fled
in the utmost precipitation, leaving upwards of two-thirds of their number,
killed and wounded, on the ground. -- The surprise and destruction
of the tories would have been complete, had it not been
for the alarm given by our horses' feet in passing Black Mingo bridge,
near which they were encamped. Marion never afterwards suffered us
to cross a bridge in the night, until we had first spread our blankets on it,
to prevent noise.

This third exploit of Marion rendered his name very dear to the poor whigs,
but utterly abominable to the enemy, particularly the tories,
who were so terrified at this last handling, that, on their retreat,
they would not halt a moment at Georgetown, though twenty miles
from the field of battle; but continued their flight,
not thinking themselves safe, until they had got Santee river
between him and them.

These three spirited charges, having cost us a great deal of rapid marching
and fatigue, Marion said he would give us "a little rest".
So he led us down into Waccamaw, where he knew we had some excellent friends;
among whom were the Hugers and Trapiers, and Alstons; fine fellows!
rich as Jews, and hearty as we could wish: indeed the wealthy captain,
now colonel William Alston, was one of Marion's aids.

These great people all received us as though we had been their brothers,
threw open the gates of their elegant yards for our cavalry,
hurried us up their princely steps; and, notwithstanding our dirt and rags,
ushered us into their grand saloons and dining rooms,
where the famous mahogany sideboards were quickly covered
with pitchers of old amber colored brandy, and sugar dishes of double refined,
with honey, for drams and juleps. Our horses were up to the eyes
in corn and sweet-scented fodder; while, as to ourselves,
nothing that air, land, or water could furnish, was good enough for us.
Fish, flesh, and fowl, all of the fattest and finest, and sweetly graced
with the smiles of the great ladies, were spread before us,
as though we had been kings: while Congress and Washington went round
in sparkling bumpers, from old demijohns that had not left the garret
for many a year.

This was feasting indeed! It was a feasting of the soul as well as
of the sense. To have drawn the sword for liberty and dear country's sake,
was, of itself, no mean reward to honest republicans; but, beside that,
to be so honored and caressed, by the great ones of the land,
was like throwing the zone of Venus over the waist of Minerva,
or like crowning profit with pleasure, and duty with delight.

In consequence of the three fortunate blows which he had lately struck,
Marion, as before observed, was getting the enviable honor
to be looked up to as the rallying point of the poor whigs; insomuch,
that although afraid as mice to stir themselves, yet, if they found out
that the tories and British were any where forming encampments
about the country, they would mount their boys and push them off to Marion
to let him know. Here I must give the reader an instance on the spot.

We had just got ourselves well braced up again, by rest and high feeding,
among the noble whigs of Waccamaw, when a likely young fellow
at half speed drove up one morning to the house, and asked for general Marion.

Marion went to the door.

"Well, my son, what do you want with me?"

"Why, sir general," replied the youth, "daddy sent me down to let you know,
as how there is to be a mighty gathering of the tories, in our parts,
to-morrow night."

"Aye indeed! and pray whereabouts, my son, may your parts be?"

"Heigh, sir general! don't you know where our parts is?
I thought everybody knowed where daddy lives."

"No, my son, I don't; but, I've a notion he lives somewhere on Pedee;
perhaps a good way up."

"Yes, by jing, does he live a good way up! a matter of seventy miles;
clean away up there, up on Little Pedee."

"Very well, my son, I thank your daddy, and you too, for letting me know it.
And, I believe, I must try to meet the tories there."

"O la, sir general, try to meet 'em indeed! yes, to be sure!
dear me, sirs, hearts alive, that you must, sir general! for daddy says,
as how, he is quite sartin, if you'll be there to-morrow night,
you may make a proper smash among the tories; for they'll be there
thick and threefold. They have heard, so they say, of your doings,
and are going to hold this great meeting, on purpose to come
all the way down here after YOU."

"After me?"

"Yes, indeed are they, sir general! and you had better keep a sharp look out,
I tell you now; for they have just been down to the British,
there at Georgetown, and brought up a matter of two wagon loads of guns;
great big English muskets! I can turn my thumb in them easy enough!
And, besides them plaguy guns, they have got a tarnal nation sight of pistols!
and bagonets! and swords! and saddles! and bridles! and the dear knows
what else besides! so they are in a mighty good fix, you may depend,
sir general."

"Well, perhaps you and I may have some of them fine things to-morrow night.
What say you to it, my son?"

"By jing, I should like it proper well! But, to be sure, now, sir general,
you look like a mighty small man to fight them great big tories there,
on Pedee. But daddy says as how the heart is all: and he says, too,
that though you are but a little man, you have a monstrous great heart."

Marion smiled, and went out among his men, to whom he related
the boy's errand; and desired them to question him, so that there might be
no trick in the matter. But every scruple of that sort was quickly removed;
for several of our party were well acquainted with the lad's father,
and knew him to be an excellent whig.

Having put our firearms in prime order for an attack, we mounted; and giving
our friends three cheers, dashed off, just as the broad-faced moon arose;
and by daybreak next morning, had gained a very convenient swamp,
within ten miles of the grand tory rendezvous. To avoid giving alarm,
we struck into the swamp, and there, man and horse, lay snug all day.
About eleven o'clock, Marion sent out a couple of nimble-footed young men,
to conceal themselves near the main road, and take good heed
to what was going on. In the evening they returned, and brought word,
that the road had been constantly alive with horsemen, tories they supposed,
armed with new guns, and all moving on very gaily towards the place
the lad had told us of. Soon as it was dark, we mounted,
and took the track at a sweeping gallop, which, by early supper time,
brought us in sight of their fires. Then leaving our horses
under a small guard, we advanced quite near them, in the dark
without being discovered; for so little thought had they of Marion,
that they had not placed a single sentinel, but were, all hands,
gathered about the fire: some cooking, some fiddling and dancing,
and some playing cards, as we could hear them every now and then bawling out,
"Huzza, at him again, damme! aye, that's the dandy! My trick, begad!"

Poor wretches, little did they think how near the fates
were grinning around them.

Observing that they had three large fires, Marion divided
our little party of sixty men into three companies, each opposite to a fire,
then bidding us to take aim, with his pistol he gave the signal
for a general discharge. In a moment the woods were all in a blaze,
as by a flash of lightning, accompanied by a tremendous clap of thunder.
Down tumbled the dead; off bolted the living; loud screamed the wounded;
while far and wide, all over the woods, nothing was to be heard
but the running of tories, and the snorting of wild bounding horses,
snapping the saplings. Such a tragi-comedy was hardly ever seen.
On running up to their fires, we found we had killed twenty-three,
and badly wounded as many more; thirteen we made prisoners;
poor fellows who had not been grazed by a bullet, but were so frightened
that they could not budge a peg. We got eighty-four stand of arms,
chiefly English muskets and bayonets, one hundred horses,
with new saddles and bridles, all English too, with a good deal
of ammunition and baggage. The consternation of the tories
was so great that they never dreamt of carrying off anything.
Even their fiddles and fiddle bows, and playing cards, were all left
strewed around their fires. One of the gamblers, (it is a serious truth)
though shot dead, still held the cards hard gripped in his hands.
Led by curiosity to inspect this strange sight, a dead gambler,
we found that the cards which he held were ace, deuce, and jack.
Clubs were trumps. Holding high, low, jack, and the game, in his own hand,
he seemed to be in a fair way to do well; but Marion came down upon him
with a trump that spoiled his sport, and non-suited him for ever.

But the most comfortable sight of all, was the fine supper
which the tories had cooked! three fat roasted pigs and six turkeys,
with piles of nice journey cakes. 'Tis true, the dead bodies lay very thick
round the fires: but having rode seventy miles, and eating nothing
since the night before, we were too keen set to think of standing on trifles;
so fell upon the poor tories' provisions, and made the heartiest supper
in the world. And, to crown all, we found among the spoil,
upwards of half a barrel of fine old peach brandy.

"Ah, this brandy!" said Marion, "was the worst foe these poor rogues ever had.
But I'll take care it shall be no foe to us." So, after ordering
half a pint to each man, he had the balance put under guard.
And I must observe, by way of justice to my honored friend,
that success never seemed to elate him; nor did ever he lose sight of safety
in the blaze of victory. For instantly after the defeat,
our guns were all loaded and our sentinels set, as if an enemy
had been in force in the neighborhood.




Chapter 15.

The whigs in high spirits on account of our success --
an express from Governor Rutledge -- promotions -- British and tories
in great wrath -- sketch of their treatment of the patriots.



The news of this fourth overthrow of the enemy, was soon spread far and wide
among both our friends and foes; producing everywhere the liveliest emotions
of joy or sorrow, according as the hearers happened to be well or ill affected
towards us. The impression which it made on our honored executive,
was sweeter to our thoughts than honey or the honeycomb. For on the fifth day
after our last flaggellation of the tories, in came an express
from governor Rutledge, with a commission of brigadier general for Marion,
and a full colonel's commission for me. Having always looked up to my country
as to a beloved mother, whose liberty and prosperity were inseparably
connected with my own, it is no wonder that I should have been so delighted
at hearing her say, by her favorite son, governor Rutledge,
that, `reposing especial trust in my courage, conduct, and attention
to her interests, she had appointed me a colonel in her armies,' &c. &c.

Scarcely had I perused my commission, before Marion reached me HIS;
and with a smile, desired me to read it. Soon as I came to his new title,
"brigadier general", I snatched his hand and exclaimed,
"Huzza! God save my friend! my noble GENERAL MARION! general! general!
Aye that will do! that will do! that sounds somewhat in unison
with your deserts."

"Well, but what do you think of the style," replied he,
"and of the prerogative -- is it not prodigiously in the pompous?"

"Not at all," said I.

"No," continued he; "why now to MY notion, it is very much in the turgid,
in the Asiatic. It gives me dominions from river to river,
and from the mountains to the great sea, like Tamerlane or Ghengis Khan;
or like George III. `by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, FRANCE,'
&c. &c. whereas, poor George dares not set a foot there,
even to pick up a periwinkle!"

"Well, but general," said I, "as the English gave France to George
because they wish him to have it, so I suppose the good governor
gives you this vast district for the same reason."

"Perhaps so," replied Marion.

The truth is, governor Rutledge was a most ardent lover of his country;
and, therefore, almost adored such an unconquerable patriot as Marion.

Hence, when he found, that notwithstanding the many follies and failures
of northern generals and armies; notwithstanding the victories,
and proclamations, and threats of Cornwallis and Tarleton,
Marion still stood his ground, and fought and conquered for Carolina;
his whole soul was so filled with love of him, that I verily believe
he would have given him "all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory thereof,"
had they been in his gift. Indeed what he did give him was sketched out
with a prodigiously bold hand. He gave him all that territory,
comprehended within a line drawn from Charleston along the sea,
to Georgetown; thence westerly to Camden; and thence to Charleston again;
making a domain of extent, population, and wealth, immense;
but over which the excellent governor had no more power
to grant military jurisdiction, than to give kingdoms in the moon;
for the whole of it was in the hands of the British, and their friends
the tories; so that the governor had not a foot to give Marion;
nor did Marion hold a foot of it but by his own vigilance and valor;
which were so extraordinary, that his enemies, with all their men,
money, and malice, could never drive him out of it.

But while governor Rutledge, with all the good whigs of the state,
were thus heartily rejoicing with Marion for his victories,
the British and tories were as madly gnashing their teeth upon him
for the same. To be struck four such severe blows, in so short a time,
and all rising one over another in such cursed climax of bad to worse;
to be losing, in this manner, their dear allies, with all their subsidies
of arms, ammunition, and money; to have their best friends thus cooled;
their worst enemies thus heated; and rank rebellion again breaking up,
out of a soil where they had promised themselves nothing
but the richest fruits of passive obedience: and all this by a little,
ugly spawn of a Frenchman! It was too much! they could not stand it.
Revenge they must and would have; that was certain: and since,
with all their efforts, they could not get at Marion, the hated
trunk and root of all, they were determined to burn and sweat his branches,
the poor whigs, i.e. to carry the curses of fire and sword
through all their families and habitations.

Now, had this savage spirit appeared among a few poor British cadets,
or piney wood tories, it would not have been so lamentable.
Their ignorance of those divine truths, which exalt the soul
above such hellish passions, would have furnished some plea for them.
But, that a British general, and that general a nobleman! a lord!
with an archbishop for his brother, and hot-pressed bibles,
and morocco prayer books, and all such excellent helps, to teach him
that "God is love", and "mercy his delight"; that such a one, I say,
should have originated the infernal warfare, of plundering, burning,
and hanging the American patriots, is most HORRIBLE. And yet, if possible,
more true than horrible. Yes, sure as the day of doom, when that fearful day
shall come, and lord Cornwallis, stript of his "brief authority", shall stand,
a trembling ghost before that equal bar: then shall the evil spirit,
from the black budget of his crimes, snatch the following bloody order,
and grinning an insulting smile, flash it before his lordship's
terrified optics.


August 18, 1780,
To lieutenant colonel Cruger, commandant at the British garrison
at Ninety-Six.

Sir,

I have given orders that all the inhabitants of this province,
who had submitted, and who have taken a part in this revolt,
shall be punished with the greatest rigour; that they shall be imprisoned,
and their whole property taken from them or destroyed.
I have likewise directed, that compensation should be made
out of their effects, to persons who have been plundered and oppressed
by them. I have ordered, in the most positive manner, that every militia-man
who had borne arms with us, and had afterwards joined the enemy,
should be immediately hanged. I have now sir, only to desire
that you will take the most vigorous measures to extinguish the rebellion
in the district which you command, and that you will obey,
in the strictest manner, the directions I have given in this letter,
relative to the treatment of this country.


This order of lord Cornwallis proved to South Carolina
like the opening of Pandora's box. Instantly there broke forth
a torrent of cruelties and crimes never before heard of in our simple forests.
Lord Rawdon acted, as we shall see, a shameful part in these bloody tragedies,
and so did colonel Tarleton. But the officer who figured most
in executing the detestable orders of Cornwallis, was a major Weymies.
This man was, by birth, a Scotsman; but, in principle and practice, a Mohawk.
So totally destitute was he of that amiable sympathy which belongs
to his nation, that, in sailing up Winyaw bay, and Waccamaw and Pedee rivers,
he landed, and pillaged, and burnt every house he durst approach!
Such was the style of his entry upon our afflicted state,
and such the spirit of his doings throughout: for wherever he went,
an unsparing destruction awaited upon his footsteps.

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