The Life of Francis Marion · Chapter 1The Life of Francis Marion
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[Note on text: Italicized words or phrases are capitalized. Some obvious errors have been corrected.] [William Gilmore Simms, American (South Carolinian) Writer. 1806-1870.]
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—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 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—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 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. 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. Appendix A. Notes on the Electronic Text. Appendix B. Song of Marion's Men. By William Cullen Bryant [1794-1878].
Note.
In preparing this biography, the following works have been consulted:
1. A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion, and a History of his Brigade, &c. By Wm. Dobein James, A.M. Charleston, S.C. 1821. 2. The Life of Gen. Francis Marion, &c. By Brig. Gen. P. Horry, and M. L. Weems. Philadelphia. 1833. 3. A MS. Memoir of the Life of Brig. Gen. P. Horry. By Himself. 4. Sketches of the Life and Correspondence of Nathanael Greene, &c. By William Johnson. Charleston. 1822. 5. Memoirs of the American Revolution, &c. By William Moultrie. New York. 1802. 6. Anecdotes of the Revolutionary War in America (1st and 2d series). By Alex. Garden. 1822 and 1828. 7. Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States. By Henry Lee, &c. Philadelphia. 1812. 8. Memoirs of the American Revolution, &c., as relating to the State of South Carolina, &c. By John Drayton, LL.D. Charleston. 1821. 9. The History of South Carolina, &c. By David Ramsay. Charleston. 1809. 10. The History of Georgia, &c. By Capt. Hugh M'Call. Savannah. 1811. 11. A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America. By Lieut. Col. Tarleton, Commandant of the late British Legion. London. 1797. 12. Strictures on Lieut. Col. Tarleton's History, &c. By Roderick Mackenzie, late Lieutenant in the 71st Regiment, &c. London. 1787. 13. History of the Revolution of South Carolina from a British Province to an Independent State. By David Ramsay, M.D. Trenton. 1785. 14. An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia. (Hewatt.) London. 1779. 15. A New Voyage to Carolina, &c. By John Lawson, Gent., Surveyor-General of North Carolina. London. 1709. 16. The History of the Rise, Progress, and Establishment of the Independence of the United States of America, &c. By William Gordon, D.D. New York. 1789. 17. Five volumes of MS. Letters from distinguished officers of the Revolution in the South. From the Collection of Gen. Peter Horry.
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 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 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.
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