The life and times of Gen. Francis Marion : with an appendix containing biographical notices of Greene, Morgan, Pickens, Sumpter, Washington, Lee, Davie, and other distinguished officers of the Southern Campaign, during the American Revolution

THE

LIFE AND TIMES

OF

GEN. FRANCIS MARION

WITH

AN APPENDIX.

CONTAINING:

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF GREENE, MORGAN, PICKETS,

SUMPTER, WASHINGTON, LEE, DATIE, AND OTHEB

DISTINGUISHED OFFICERS OF THE SOUTHERN

CAMPAIGN, DURING THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTION.

BY H. N. MOORE.
EMBELLISHED WITH EIGHT ENGRAVINGS.

PHILADELPHIA:
PUBLISHED BY LEAEY, GETZ & CO.,

224 NORTH SECOND STREET.

according to act of Congress, in the year 1845, by

JOHN B. PERRY,
In the office of the Clerk of thn Eastern District of Penn'a.

THE LIFE AND TIMES

OF

FRANCIS MARION.

CHAPTER I.

Some account of Mar toil's family — his birth — early life
— his voyage to sea, and shipwreck — remains at home
a planter. Indian insurrections. Marion' s first cam
paign against the Chcrokees— frightful picture of In
dian warfare. Marion's letter. Marion among the
first to espouse the cause of his country in its struggles
with British tyranny — his active measures — elecled a
captain under the gallant Moultrie — bombardment of
Fort Sullivan by the British fieet — gallant defence of
the fort — anecdotes, etc.

As a man and a patriot, bright is the example we have
in the career of Francis Marion. Asa soldier, his name,
more than any other, is identified with the stratagic wis
dom, heroic exploits and military successes of the parti-
zan war in the Carolinas, during the Revolution ; a war
in which he " and his brigade were so distinguished,"
says Dr. Ramsay, " and at the same time so detached
in their operations, as to merit and require particular
notice." In following him through the trying times in
which he acted, much cause as we shall have to glory
in him as a military chieftain, we shall have no less
reason to admire the self-command, rectitude, and ever*
active humanity of his character.

(7)

8 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

The family of Marion was one of the many Pro
testant ones who who fled from France in consequence
of the persecutions they experienced under the reign of
Louis XIV. These dissenters from the Catholic reli«
gion were termed Huguenots, and our hero's grand
lather, towards the close of the seventeenth century,
left France and emigrated to the shores of America.
His son, Gabriel Marion, was the father of Francis
Marion, whose birth occurred at a place called Winyah,
(S. C.) in the year 1732 or 1733. Biographers differ
as to the year, but we are inclined to receive the earlier
date as the more correct of the two. Francis Marion
was the youngest of several children. He had four
brothers and two sisters. " I have it from good author
ity,'1 says Weems,* " that this great soldier, at his birth,
was not larger than a New-England lobster, and might
easily enough have been put into a quart pot." And
all the accounts we have, concur in regard to the fact,
that he was a puny and sickly infant ; so much so, that
it was thought he would never survive till manhood.
He however, lived through infancy, and at the age of
sixteen, such had been the change of his constitution,
he was an active and daring boy, who had already con
ceived a strong notion of leaving the farmer's life he
had been brought up to, and entering upon that of a
sailor. The quiet life of the farmer was not one suited
to his disposition, and though his mother endeavored
to dissuade him from his inclination, his mind was de
termined, and she finally yielded a reluctant consent.
He started, as a sailor before the mast, upon a voyage
to the West Indies, and had the .misfortune to be ship
wrecked. The ship foundered, says tradition, from the
injury done her by the stroke of a large whale. The

* Weems' Life of Gen. Francis Marion,

INDIAN INSURRECTIONS. 9

crew escaped from the sinking vessel in the jolly-boat,
and were tossed about on the ocean in a helpless condi
tion for more than a week, when they were picked up
by a passing vessel. While in the boat, they were
without provisions, and had subsisted on the raw flesh
and blood of a dog, which, as the ship was sinking,
jumped into the boat. Six persons had entered this
boat, but only four were taken from it by the passing-
vessel. The captain and mate, in a state of phrenzy,
produced from exposure to the rays of a scorching sun,
and the use of salt-water, had the day before thrown
themselves overboard, and perished. Marion and three
others finally reached their homes. Marion, in com
pliance with the earnest entreaties of his mother, re
sumed his occupation of farming, at which he indus
triously continued, and, at the death of his father in
1758, he settled himself, at the age of twenty-six, upon
a place that is called Pond Bluff.

The colony of South Carolina, like other provinces
of North America, was much harrassed by the preda
tory incursions of Indians, and in the beginning of the
year 1759 a war broke out between the colonists and
the Cherokee tribe, and Marion turned out with the
militia ; but a treaty of peace was soon concluded, the
Indians not finding matters in the train they expected,
and by which they anticipated a butchering conquest
over the white men. Scarcely were the militia dis
banded before the treacherous Cherokees again showed
signs of hostility, and, such were their agressions upon
the frontier settlements, that it was the next year decided
that the country of the Indians should be invaded. The
command of the whole forces now raised was given to
Col. Grant of the British army, and Marion was ap
pointed lieutenant of a native regiment, under the imme-

10 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

diate command of Col. Moultrie, himself under the
command of Col. Middleton.

The combined forces under Colonels Grant and Mid
dleton advanced (in June 1761) into the Indian. country.
The approach was of course, from the kind of warfare
carried on by the enemy, conducted with caution, and
finding that the adversary was advantageously posted
behind the thick wood crowning a mountain, through a
dark defile of which the road lay. This, it was re
solved, should be forced rapidly by a small body of
soldiers, whilst the main army passed. For this peril
ous enterprise a " forlorn hope" of thirty men, headed
by Francis Marion, was chosen. Marion, with a heart
undaunted by the almost certain death that awaited him,
took the lead of his chosen band, and advanced with
courageous rapidity, whilst the main army followed to
support him and effect their passage. No sooner had
Marion and his men entered the dark defile, than the
loud war-whoop resounded from all sides, and a de
structive fire blazed forth from behind the trees. Twenty
one of the forlorn hope instantly were killed, and the
hideously painted savages rushed forth in pursuit, with
demonical yells and brandished tomahawks. Marion
and his remnant of men fell back to the main army.

The commanding officers, fully aware that a sangui
nary conflict was at hand, animated their soldiers on,
and represented the peculiar demand there now was for
exertions of valor, inasmuch as if defeated they would
be the victims of an indiscriminate slaughter. The
soldiers cheered, and advanced gallantly to the conflict,
determined to yield then only with their lives — they
knew no quarter would be shown to a prisoner, and that
they must gain the victory or die on the spot. The Indians,
too, were defending the most important pass into their

INDIAN WARFARE. 1 1

country, and it could not be otherwise expected than
that they would fight with signal bravery. And now
followed the sharp crack of rifle after rifle; here, there,
and on all sides, the flash illumed the dark lurking place
of the foe; the bayonet of the soldier would be plunged
into the thicket, its point penetrating the breast of an In
dian, and at the same instant a ball reaches his own
heart, he and his enemy falling dead side by side.
Long the contest continued without any decisive result,
and terrible was the carnage on both sides ; but at last
it could be perceived that victory leaned to the side of
the army ; that the Indian, who repeatedly dislodged,
had as desperately returned to the combat, was now re
luctantly yielding. The battle raged with great spirit
for three hours, and in an hour more the surviving
soldiers of the army had the satisfaction of congratula
ting each other upon a hard-fought victory.

Colonel Grant followed up his victory by pursuing
the flying foe into the heart of their country, burning
their towns, ravaging their corn-fields, and taking all
possible means to punish them for their inhuman ag
gressions upon the frontier settlements. Notso much for
vengeance was the object, but to deter them from future
encroachments by the severe retribution that they must
expect from this precedent. It is said that Marion long
after looked back upon the horrors of this war with a
feeling of sorrow ; and that such was the fact, is corrob
orated by his own words in a letter written to a friend.
He writes as follows : " We arrived at the Indian
towns in the month of July. As the lands were rich,
and the season favorable, the corn was bending under
the double weight of lusty roasting ears and pods of
clustering beans. The furrows seemed to rejoice under
their precious loads ; the fields stood thick with bread.

12 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

We encamped the first night in the woods, near the
fields, where the whole army feasted on the young corn,
which, with fat venison, made a most delicious treat.
The next morning we proceeded, by order of Colonel
Grant, to burn down the Indian cabins. Some of our
men seemed to enjoy this cruel work, laughing very
heartily at the curling flames, as they mounted, loud
crackling, over the tops of the huts. But to me it ap
peared a shocking sight. " Poor creatures !" thought
I, " we surely need not grudge you such miserable
habitations." But when we came (according to orders)
to cut down the fields of corn, I could scarcely refrain
from tears. For who could see the stalks that stood so
stately, with broad green leaves and gaily-tasseled
shocks, filled with sweet milky fluid and flour, the staff
of life ; — who, I say, without grief could see these sa
cred plants sinking under our swords, with all their
precious load, to wither and rot untasted in their mourn
ing fields ?

" I saw everywhere around," continues his letter,
" the footsteps of the little Indian children, where they
had lately played under the shade of their rustling corn.
No doubt they had often looked up with joy to the
swelling shocks, and gladdened when they thought of
their abundant cakes for the coming winter. When we
are gone, thought I, they will return, and peeping
through the weeds with tearful eyes, will mark the
ghastly ruin poured over their homes and happy fields,
where they had so often played. " Who did this ? they
will ask their mothers. " The white people, the Christ
ians did it !" will be the reply.

The disastrous result of this war, (to the Indians)
seems to have broken up all their hopes, and in a mea
sure to have crushed their spirit forever. Marion again

STAMP ACT. 13

retired to private life, fulfilling his duties as a citizen and
a farmer, and for fourteen years he continued this peace
ful life, and by the honesty of his dealings and the pro
bity of his character, he gained the esteem of all that
knew him, and it is said no man was so universally
beloved by his neighbors. Thus we find him when
hostilities commenced between the colonies and Great
Britain.

Everything in South Carolina contributed to nourish
a spirit of liberty and independence. Its settlement
was nearly coeval with the Revolution in England,
(1 688,) and many of its inhabitants had imbibed a large
portion of that spirit which brought one tyrant to the
block* and expelled another from his dominions. f
Every inhabitant was, or easily might be a freeholder.
Settled on lands of his own, he was both farmer and
landlord. Having no superiors to whom he was obliged
to look up, and producing all the necessaries of life
from his own grounds, he soon became independent.

The first statue that roused general and united op
position to British taxation was the memorable Stamp
Act, passed in the year 1765. By this it was enacted,
that the instruments of writing which are in daily use
among a commercial people should be void in law un
less executed on stamped paper, or parchment, charged
with a duty imposed by the British parliament. The
indignation which this roused, induced an uniform line
of conduct to be adopted by the different colonies, and
a congress of deputies from each province was recom
mended. This first step towards Continental Union,
was adopted in South Carolina before it had been agreed
to by any colony to the southward of New England.
The example of this province had a considerable influ-

2
* Charles I. t James II.

14 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

ence in recommending the measure to others who were
more tardy in their concurrence. The colonies on this
occasion not only presented petitions and remonstrances
to the British government, but spiritedly entered into
associations against importing British manufactures till
the Stamp Act should be repealed — and they obtained
their point.

The experiment of taxation, however, was renewed
in the year 1767, but in a more artful manner. Small
duties were imposed on glass, paper, tea, and painter's
colors. The colonists again remonstrated, again asso
ciated to import no more British manufactures. And
a second time did the government make a concession.

In the year 1773 a scheme was adopted by the East-
India company, to export large quantities of tea, to be
sold on their account in several capitals of the British
colonies. The colonists reasoned with themselves, tha,.
as the duty, and the price of the commodity were in-
separably blended if the tea was sold, every purchaser
would pay a tax imposed by the British parliament as
a part of the purchase-money ; *and, determined never
to submit to British taxation, they everywhere entered
into combinations to obstruct the sales of the tea sent
out by the East-India Company. The cargoes sent to
South Carolina were stored, the consignees being re
strained from exposing it to sale. In other provinces,
the landing of it being forbidden, the captain's were
obliged to return without discharging their cargoes. In
Boston a few men, disguised as Indians, threw all the
tea overboard from the ships lying at the wharves.
When the intelligence of this reached England, the
British parliament proceeded to take legislative ven
geance on that city.'

This measure of hostility towards Massachusetts had

15

for its object the dissevering of the other provinces from
her, but its effect was directly contrary. The other
colonies determined to support her, and, as has been
stated, South Carolina was the first southern province
that did so. The whole country resounded with din
of martial preparation. Volunteer companies were or
ganized in every city, town and hamlet, throughout the
provinces. Guns, powder, and the implements of war,
were collected, and carefully treasured from the eyes
of the government's officers and spies ; and liberal sums
of money were contributed by persons of every rank
and age, and the liveliest enthusiasm prevailed for the
cause of liberty.

Marion at once espoused the cause of his country —
his native land ; and that chivalrous feeling which so
unhesitatingly prompted his heart to assert the undeni
able rights of mankind, at the same time rendered him
prompt in action. Not like your milk-and-water pa
triots who only talk of liberty, he went boldly forward
toc?o. Many of his tory-hearted fellow-citizens wavered
between their fears, and doubtful of the issue, desired
to be on the successful side. Policy, not principle,
governed their craven hearts. Marion, unlike these,
convinced of the justice of his cause, was bravely
ready to do and die for it, and was one of the foremost
of those gallant spirits who enlisted in the army raised
by the legislature of his native state. He was also a
member of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina,
which in the exigency of the case was called together,
sitting as a representative from Berkeley County.

No sooner had the news of the battle of Lexington
reached Charleston than the following act was passed.
" The actual commencement of hostilities against this
Continent by the British troops, in the bloody scene

16 MARION AND HIS TIMES,

of the 1 9th of April last,* near Boston — the increase
of arbitrary imposition from a wicked and despotic
ministry — and the dread insurrections in the Colonies
— are causes sufficient to drive an oppressed people to
the use of arms. We, therefore, the subscribers, in
habitants of South Carolina, holding ourselves bound
by that most sacred of all obligations, the duty of good
citizens to an injured country, and thoroughly con
vinced, that under our present distressed circumstances,
we shall be justified before God and man, in resisting
force by force — do unite ourselves, under every tie of
religion and honor, and associate as a band in her de
fence, against every foe — hereby solemnly engaging,
that, whenever our Continental and Provincial Council
shall deem it necessary, we will go forth, and be ready
to sacrifice our lives and fortunes to secure her freedom
and safety. This obligation to continue in force, until
a reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain
and America upon Constitutional principles — an event
which we most ardently desire. And, we hold all those
persons inimical to the liberty of the Colonies, who
shall refuse to subscribe to this association."!

Declarations similar to the above were passed in
most of the Provinces, and we perceive that a final
separation from the Mother Country was not as yet
contemplated, the object in view extended no farther
than to a redress of grievances. (It was not until a year
later that on the 4th of July 1776, delegates from each
state assembled at Philadelphia, and passed that cele
brated Declaration which is now the charter of our
liberties.)

Two regiments were to be raised in South Carolina,

* In the year 1775. t Vide Ramsay, vol 2. page 236.

BATTLE AT FORT SULLIVAN. 17

and Francis Marion was chosen a captain in the
second, of which William Moultrie, under whom Ma
rion had served in the Indian wars, was appointed
colonel. The officers at once set about making re
cruits. Captain Horry, Marion's firm friend through
out all his future career, and who was elected an
officer in the same regiment at the same time, accom
panied Marion on his recruiting exoedition.

Many amusing incidents are recorded as having
occured to these officers in the duty upon which they
were now engaged, but we pass over them to follow
more particularly the momentous and chivalrous deeds
of our hero, merely stating that the officers were suc
cessful in raising (notwithstanding the amount of
Tory opposition they encountered) two regiments of
South Carolinians.

The erection of Fort Sullivan on Sullivan's Island
was now commenced and rapidly proceeded with. The
defence of this- fort was confided to the gallant Moul
trie, with about four hundred men, and thirty pieces of
cannon. Daily in expectation of a British fleet, the
men worked with untiring industry, and on the 31st of
May,* a fleet appeared in sight. And now, for nearly
a month, tides, calms and baffling winds, conspired to
frustrate the fleet, and they were not enabled to get
within the bar till the 27th of June. In the meantime
the works of the fort were carried on, and indefatigable
preparations made to receive the enemy. On the
morning of the 28th, the fleet, commanded by Sir Peter
Parker, came up with a fine breeze, and all sails set,
before the fort and dropped anchor. Instantly the
bombardment commenced. The British outnumbered

* 1776.
2*

18 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the Americans in men and guns. From the port
holes of nine ships was an unceasing fire kept up,
whilst the defenders of the fort, stripping off their coats,
(the weather was very hot) fired their guns, loaded,
fired again, and worked like men brave in a righteous
cause. For eleven hours the action lasted, in which
time such terrible destruction was made upon the
enemy's fleet that Sir Peter Parker moved off, and the
gallant defenders of the fort found themselves victorious
over a foe that battled in the cause of tyranny. Con
spicuous throughout the action was Marion, and he
often leveled the guns himself. He, Moultrie, and
several of the officers, (such was their coolness in the
midst of the balls that everywhere fell around them)
smoked their pipes, laying them down only when their
duties called them to give orders, or, as we said of
Marion, when they relieved a soldier at a gun.

During the action a ball from the fleet struck the
flag-staff, which fell on the beach, outside of the breast
work, Jasper, a serjeant of grenadiers, immediately, in
face of the enemy's fire, leaped over the ramparts,
picked it up, regained the inside of the fort in safety,
and restored the flag to its place.

At one period of the action, the want of powder was
severely felt by the Americans, and Marion, with a
small party left the fort, seized upon an armed schooner,
(it is said, and we have no reason to disbelieve the
tradition) and thus obtained a supply of powder suffi
cient to keep up the fire until a quantity was received
from Charleston.

Tradition also awards to the aim of Marion the tremen
dous effect of the last shot that was fired from the fort.
It was aimed at the Bristol, (the commodore's ship) and
entering one of the cabin windows, struck down two

THE BRITISH DEFEATED 19

officers who were drinking, and, ranging through the
bulk-heads and steerage, killed three sailors. This in
formation was got from five sailors of the British fleet,
who that night deserted and came to the Americans.

The loss of the British in this engagement, by their
own account, was 113 killed and sixty wounded. Sir
Peter Parker lost an arm upon the occasion. On the
other side their was but about 12 killed arid 25
wounded.' The vessels of the British, two of them
especially, were greatly damaged, and one, called the
Acteon run a ground and was afterwards burnt.

This defence of Fort Sullivan (or Fort Moultrie, as
it was subsequently named in honor of the brave man
who so successfully commanded it upon this occasion)
is one of the most brilliant achievements that the his
tory of our country records, and it was of incalcuable
importance to the cause of liberty throughout the colo
nies. Moultrie was promoted to the rank of Brigadier
General ; Marion to that of Lieutenant Colonel in the
regular service.

CHAPTER II.

Declaration of Independence. The British at Savannah
— arrival of the French Fleet — activily oC Marion — the
battle — deaths of Count Pulaski and Serjeant Jasper
— Charlestown besieged by the British — anecdote of
Marion — surrender of Charleston — massacre of the
Americans at the Waxhaw settlements — hair-breadth
escapes of Marion ; he retires to North Carolina, and
joins the army under Gates. A description of Marion
and his men. Battle. Gates defeated — brave conduct
- and glorious death of De Kalb. Marion and his men
burning boats.

THE Declaration of Independence, proclaimed in
Philadelphia on the 4th of July, was hailed in Charles-
ton with great rejoicings, and the news of the battle of
Fort Moultrie was welcomed in return with corres
ponding manifestations of joy at Philadelphia, and
throughout the confederated colonies.

The inhabitants of all the colonies, while colonies,
admitted themselves bound by their allegiance to the
king ; but they disclaimed, altogether, the authority of
parliament; holding themselves, in this respect, to re
semble the condition of Scotland and Ireland, before
the respective unions of those kingdoms with England,
when they acknowledged allegiance to the same king,
but each had its separate legislature. The tie, there
fore, which our revolution was to break, did not sub
sist between us and the British parliament, or between
us and the British government, in the aggregate ; but
directly between us and the king himself. The colo-

20

SERJEANT JASPER. 21

nies had never admitted themselves subject to par
liament. That was precisely the point of the original
controversy. They had uniformly denied that parlia
ment had authority to make laws for them.*

The South Carolianians expected another visit of the
British, but they kept their fleet otherwise employed
on the Northern coast, and it was not until the close of
the year 1778 that the fleet again came south, and
their destination turned out to be Savannath instead
of Charleston. In December four thousand men were
disembarked from their fleet of upwards of thirty sail.

The great number of these loyalists in Georgia,
encouraged the British, and, after the disembarkment
of their troops and the fall of Savannah into their
hands, they rapidly possessed themselves of Ebenezer,
Abercorn, and other posts in the interior. General
Lincoln commanded the forces of the Americans, but,
so small was his number, he was unable to oppose the
enemy with any degree of effect.

While the main army of the British was encamped
at Abercorn, the Americans lay but a few miles
from them, on the Savannah, at a place called Purys-
burg. And while at Purysburg, there occurred an
adventure, the hero of which was one of Marion's men,
and the gaJlant William Jasper, of whom we had occa
sion to speak in account of the defence of Fort Sullivan.
" Jasper was a perfect Proteus, in ability to alter his
appearance, perpetually entering the camp of the
enemy without detection, and invariably returning to
his own, with soldiers he had seduced, or prisoners he
had captured. "f " He often went out," is the lan
guage of Moultrie, " and returned with prisoners

* Daniel Webster, t Garden's Anecdotes.

22 MAHION AND HIS TIMES.

before I knew that he was gone. I have known of his
catching a party that was looking for him. He has
told me that he could have killed single men several
times, but he would not ; he would rather let them off.
He went into the British lines at Savannah, as a de
serter, complaining, at the same time, of our ill-usage
of him. He was gladly received, (they having heard
of his character) and caressed by them. He stayed
eight days, and after informing himself well of their
strength, situation and intentions, he returned to us
again ; but this game he could not play a second time.
With his little party he was always hovering about the
enemy's camp, and was frequently bringing in pris
oners."

Jasper had a brother who had espoused the other
side of the contest, and was at this period in the British
garrison at Ebenezer, holding the rank of a ser-
jeant. Wishing to see this brother, Jasper made his
appearance in the British garrison, much to the alarm
of the other.

" What brings you here, William ! Your name is
well known ! You will be hung for 'a spy !" agitatedly
remarked the Tory brother.

"Give yourself no uneasiness, brother," cooly re
plied Jasper — " I am no longer an American soldier."

" I am glad to hear you say so, brother — glad to
find you ready to serve the King !" exclaimed the Tory.

"You mistake," said Jasper. " You presume 1
have come to enlist myself under the flag of England,
but it is not so. Little as is the encouragement I have
in fighting for my country, yet I have not the heart to
fight against her, brother !"

PRISONERS IN THE FORT. 23

Jasper remained two or three days with his brother,
and there is no doubt he took notice of all that invited
his observation in the garrison. Bidding his brother
adieu, he stole out of the garrison at night, and re
joined the Americans, reporting the amount of informa
tion he had picked up.

Some weeks after this, Jasper took it into his head
to pay his brother another visit at Ebenezer, taking
along with him serjeant Newton, a comrade, a
strong and active man, and fully his own match in
feats of daring and enterprize. The Tory brother
received Jasper and Newton kindly, and the three
passed away the time quite agreeably in the garrison.

One day a party of prisoners were brought into the
fort, on their way to Savannah, to which place a
British officer was conducting them for trial. In
speaking of the matter, " It will go hard with them,"
said Jasper's Tory brother. "It's my opinion they'll be
hung certain, for they took arms with us and received
the King's bounty; but when the American army raised,
they broke their faith to the King and joined them."

The prisoners were hand-cuffed, and presented a
pity-impressive sight to both Jasper and Newton, and
the wife of one of the prisoners, with her child, followed
her husband, deeply sympathizing in his misfortunes.
Moved by this scene of distress, Jasper and Newton
were deeply affected ; tears trickled from their eyes,
and their emotions were of more than ordinary feeling.
That distressed mother and her child, how could they
look on them unmoved? The poor wife gazing with
tear-streaming eyes upon the sad countenance of her
hope-forsaken husband, appealing with her looks for
pity and assistance !

From this distressing sight, the two friends stepped

24 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

aside and conferred together. That the prisoners,
under the circumstances in which they had been taken,
would be tried, convicted and executed, was a matter of
certainty, unless they were rescued from the hands of
the guard before they reached Savannah. Talking
over the matter, Jasper and Newton determined to
risk their lives in an attempt to rescue the priso
ners.

Presently, the prisoners, under a guard of eight men, a
serjeant and corporal, left the fort and proceeded on their
route to Savannah. Soon after their departure, Jasper
and Newton took leave of their Tory friend, and set out
from the fort, taking a direction different from that
upon which the guard had started with the prisoners.
When they considered themselves beyond sight, the
two friends struck into the forest and travelled hard
after the guard, in sight of whom they came, and re
maining unseen themselves, dogged them mile after
mile, eager for a chance to strike a blow for the un
happy captives. But, sanguine as they had been, the
difficulty of accomplishing their object began to be
apparent to them, for what could two unarmed men do
against a guard of ten, each armed with a musket ?
Notwithstanding this hopeless aspect of matters, the
two friends followed on.

Within two miles of Savannah there is a spring,
famous for its good water, and at which travellers
almost invariably stopped to drink and refresh. It oc
curred to Jasper that most likely the guard would halt
at this spring ; and the hearts of the two friends were
instantly animated with a revived hope that an oppor
tunity to rescue the captives might yet present itself.
Immediately they hastened on by a short cut through

RESCUE OF THE PRISONERS. 25

the woods and reached the spring before the guard
came in sight. Hiding themselves amidst the foliage
and shade of shrubbery growing close to the spring,
they lay waiting for the appearance of the guard
which shortly came along, and, as Jasper had expect
ed, the serjeant commanded a halt. The corporal,
with four men, conducted the prisoners to the spring ;
the serjeant, with the other four, after grounding their
arms near the road, following.

The long walk had fatigued the hand-cuffed prison
ers, and they were granted permission to rest them
selves on the earth. They availed themselves of this,
and the woman, with her child, sat next to her
husband. Two men were ordered to keep guard ;
the others were to supply the captives with water
from the spring. These last, stood their muskets
against a tree, and having drank themselves, refilled
their canteens to supply the prisoners. Now was the
time for Jasper and his friend, and bursting out from
their concealment, they seized upon the two muskets,
and at once shot down the two men that were keeping
guard. Clubbing their guns, the daring friends rushed
forward upon the astonished foe, and a conflict for the
loaded guns of the fallen soldiers ensued. The brains
of the sergeant and corporal were beaten in, and Jas
per and Newton secured the muskets. Such was the
panic of the guard, growing out of the audacity and bold
decision of the two Americans, that, without any
farther resistance, they surrendered.

The handcuffs of the captives were now broken off,

and a musket was placed in the hands of each. With

the captured British, and the released Americans, the

brave Jasper and his friend now hurried away from

3

JJ0 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the spring, and reached the army at Purysburg in

safety.

The war was carried on with various success, until
September, 1779, when a French fleet, under Count
D'Estaign made its appearance on the coast. A junc
tion between the French and American forces was
effected before the walls of Savannah, which resulted
disastrously to the Americans in consequence of the
ill-advised measures adopted by the French admiral.
It is generally believed that if the action had at once
commenced, the besiegers would have conquered, or
that the alarmed garrison would have struck their
colors without firing a single bullet; and we are war
ranted in this supposition by the words of several of
the English officers who subsequently became pri
soners. Marion, and the officers of the Americans,
advised a sudden attack, but the French commander
thought proper to send a flag, " very politely" as the
indignant VVeems sarcastically expresses it, " inviting
the town to do him the extreme honor of receiving
their surrender" In reply, the British commander
asked twenty-four hours to consider upon the matter.
The courtly D'Estaing committed the fatal error of
granting this request, and there was but one opinion
throughout the American ranks in regard to this indul
gence upon the part of the Frenchman, fully con
vinced as they were that the situation of the besieged
was in no condition to resist the attack, but that the
time granted them for deliberation would be energeti
cally employed in fortifying themselves. And such
was the case. The British commander promptly sent
for reinforcements to Sunbury and Beaufort, from both
of which places he was supplied, and his fortress so

SIEGE OF SAVANNAH. 27

well manned that he boldly defied the combined French
and Americans.

The course pursued by Count D'Estaing highly ex
asperated Marion. "My God !" he exclaimed,* "who
ever heard of any thing like this before ? First allow
an enemy to entrench, then fight him ! See the de
struction brought upon the British at Bunker's Hill!
And yet our troops there were only militia ! raw half-
armed clodhoppers, and not a mortar, or carronade ;
not even a swivel, but only their ducking-guns ! What
then are we to expect from regulars, completely armed
with a choice train of artillery, and covered by a
breast-work? For my own part, when I look upon
my brave fellows around me, it wrings my heart to
think how near most of them are to their bloody
graves !"

The suspicions of Marion and his brother officers as
to a ruse de guerre intended by the British commander
were fully verified, for at the expiration of the twenty-
four hours, he announced his determination to defend
the place. The siege was now commenced, and con
tinued for several days with little or no effect. It was
not until the 9th of October that it was resolved to
storm the British entrenchments, when " the whole
army then marched towards the skirt of the wood in
one long column, and as they approached the opeh
place, was to break off into different columns, as or
dered for the attack. But, by the time the first French
column had arrived at the open space, the day had
fairly broke; when Count D'Estaign, without waiting
until the other columns had arrived at their position,
placed himself at the head of his first column, and

* Weems.

28 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

rushed forward to the attack. The column was so
severely galled by the grape-shot from the batteries, as
they advanced, and by both grape-shot and musketry,
when they reached the abbatis, that, in spite of the
efforts of the officers, it got into confusion, and broke
away to their left, toward the wood in that direction ,
the second and third French columns shared, suc
cessively, the same fate, having the additional discour
agement of seeing, as they marched to the attack, the
repulse and loss of their comrades who had preceded
them. Count Pulaski, who, with the cavalry, preceded
the right column of the Americans, proceeded gallantly
until stopped by the abbatis ; and before he could
force through it received his mortal wound. "*

•Great valor was displayed in this attack, but so
strongly posted were the British, and so deadly was
their fire, the French and Americans were finally
obliged to retreat, with great loss, upwards of six hun
dred Frenchmen, and four hundred and fifty Ameri
cans, being left dead upon the field and in the ditches.

Serjeant Jasper, who so gallantly replaced the flag
on the ramparts of Fort Moultrie, received a mortal
wound in this engagement. A set of elegant colors,
(presented to the army after the defence of Fort Moul-
Irie by Mrs. Bernard Elliot) during the heat of the con
test, were planted on the enemy's entrenchments, and
near where they floated in the air, the rage of the bat
tle was hottest. Jasper was in thickest of the fight,
and conducted himself throughout the action with
signal bravery. At the moment the retreat was sound
ed, he thought of the colors, and sprang upon the ene
my's works to sieze them and bear them off. He sue-

* Garden' s Anecdotes of the Revolution.

ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH. d

ceeded, but received a mortal wound in the act. His
death was deeply lamented, as was that of Count Pu
laski, Lieut. Bush, Lieut. Grey, Alexander Hume,Esq
and others.

After the action a flag was sent to the garrison, the
Americans and French asking permission to bury their
dead, which sad office to the remains of the brave men
who had perished, was done by digging pits in the
earth of a size to contain a great number of corpses,
which, stripped of their clothes, were promiscuously
consigned to their rest. So soon as the burying of the
dead was concluded, Count D'Estaign, with his artil-
Wy and troops, hurried aboard the French fleet, and
sailed from the coast. The Americans returned to
South Carolina.

The city of Charleston was now threatened by the
enemy. General Lincoln, commander of the Ameri
cans, proceeded to the city, leaving Marion in com
mand at Sheldon. In February, 1780, Marion was
ordered to Bacon's bridge on Ashley river, where
troops were daily accumulating to defend the city. The
drilling and disciplining of the militia devolved upon
him, and the citizens generally exhibited a prompt
alacrity in acquiring a knowledge and practice of the
duties of military life. That the British would make
the attack upon Charleston, scarcely a citizen doubted,
so many matters conjoined to incite them on to the
undertaking. Their late victory at Savannah, and un
controlled sway of Georgia, together with the nume
rous tories in North Carolina and Florida ready to as
sist them, gave them so much encouragement, that
early in the year, Sir Henry Clinton, with ten thou
sand troops and a heavy train of artillery, arrived
from New York, and invested the city. There were

32 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

of the Americans, in all, four thousand to defend the
fortifications, two thousand regular troops, and two
thousand militia ; and the small-pox having made its
appearance in the city, the country militia were de
terred from coming in, dreading the disease much
more than they did the formidability of the British.
With this small number opposed to the ten thousand
of the enemy (the latter fully armed, the former but
scantily supplied with arms and ammunition) the be
sieged held out for six weeks, yielding rather by fam
ine than the arms of the besiegers.

It is most probably owing to the following accident
that Marion was not among the captured when the
city was taken. During the siege, he was one day
dining at the house of a friend, who, having drank too
much himself, pressed his mistaken hospitality upon
Marion and other of his guests, with the avowed ob
ject of making all of his company as inebriated as
himself. Marion did not fqel in a humor to submit to
this species of social slavery, though at the same time
anxious to avoid giving offence; and, in this strait, he
bethought him of the window — the door of the apart
ment having actually been locked by the host, and the
key secured in his pocket, so determined was he to
gorge his companions with liquor. Marion, having
military duties to perform, and unwilling to insist upon
being permitted to take his departure by the door,
thought of the window, and at once, notwithstanding
the dining-room was on the second story, rose from the
table, threw up a window and leaped out. Each au
thor who has written of Marion relates this anecdote,
and in Weems we have the name of the host (Alex
ander M'Queen) and the street (Tradd) mentioned.
By this leap, Marion broke his ankle, which entirely

ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION. 33

incapacitated him for service, and General Lincoln
ordered him to retire into the country until his lame
ness should be healed, and he should be able to return
to active duty. So severe was the hurt he had received,
he was taken from the city in a litter, and retired to
his seat in the parish of St. Johns, Berkeley county.

This accident to Marion is regarded as a fortunate
occurence for his country; Charleston and its defen
ders falling into the hands of the British, and the prob
ability that he would have been among those that
were captured, had he been in the city at the time of
its surrender.

It was on the 12th of May, 1780, that Gen. Lin
coln, who had confidently expected hope from the
country militia, finding his hopes vain, surrendered ;
the terms of capitulation being that " the militia were
to be permitted to return to their respective homes, as
prisoners on parole, and while they adhered to their
parole, were not to be molested in their persons or
property." Sir Henry Clinton now turned his atten
tion to the business of re-establishing the authority of
George III. in the province. As a first step to this
object he issued a proclamation, dated June 1, 1780,
the purport of which was an offer to the inhabitants,
on condition of theirsubmission, pardon for past offences,
a reinstatement in their rights, and exemption from taxes
excepting those passed by their own legislature. This
proclamation was followed by the disposition of gar
risons in different parts of the country, to overawe the
patriots and shelter the tories. At the same time over
2000 soldiers were marched towards North Carolina.

The inhabitants were encouraged to stay on their
plantations, with the prospect of neutrality ; but in a
very short time these delusive hopes vanished. Tn-

34 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

stead of drawing off the people gradually from an
attachment to their late constitution, the conquerors
were so far mistaken as to suppose that men could be
instantly transformed from obstinate rebels to zealous
royalists.

The British confined some of their first prisoners in
the vaults with the dead. When the number of priso
ners multiplied, they were crowded on board prison-
ships, where they suffered every inconvenience that
could result from putrid air, and want of the com-
forts of life. This was done not only to those who
surrendered at discretion, but also to the private
soldiers who were entitled to the benefit of the capitu
lation of Charleston. The condition of these unfor
tunate men was truly deplorable. They were crowded
on board these prison-ships in such numbers that seve
ral were obliged to stand up for want of room to lie
down. The state of South Carolina r»ould afford them
no supply ; Congress could not at that time command
hard money for their relief. Wine and such like
comforts, particularly necessary for the sick in south
ern climates, were denied them from the British
hospitals.

In the meantime a Continental expedition, under
command of Col. Beaufort, was advancing from Vir
ginia to the relief of Charleston. Beaufort had reach
ed Camden ere he was aware of the surrender of the
city, the tidings of which induced him to retreat. Corn-
wallis, who commanded the British force on its way to
North Carolina, sent forward the notorious Col. Tarle-
ton, with 700 men, infantry and cavalry. The Ameri
cans, under Beaufort, were but 400 in number Tarle-
ton overtook the Americans at the Waxhaw settle
ments, summoned them to surrender, and before Beau fort

MARION AND HORRY. 35

had time to reply, the British, brave because a weak
opponent was before them, made an impetuous attack,
and mercilessly massacred every man that surren
dered. " Tarleton's quarters" became a byword here-
after, and in subsequent battles, the recollection of
this massacre embittered the hostility with which the
patriots of the south regarded their enemy.*

The butchery of these men, and the cruelties of the
British after the fall of Charleston, exasperated the
patriots so deeply that, far from accommodating them
selves to the measures of Sir Henry Clinton, whose
object was, as has been stated, the re-establishment
of British authority in the province, they collected to
gether in squads throughout the country, and, putting
themselves under the command of such of their officers
as escaped becoming prisoners of war, bade defiance
to British arms. Moultrie and others were prisoners,
but Sumpter, Horry and Marion were at large, and
were each as ready to take command as were the in
dignant patriots to enlist themselves. Marion, whose
skill and intrepidity had made him particularly objec
tionable to the lories, was now eagerly sought for by
the British, and no measures were left untried to cap
ture him. He suffered much from the hurt he received
by leaping from Mr. M' Queen's dining-room, and in
this state he was necessitated to take refuge amid the
swamps and forests, surrounded as he was by malignant
enemies who were eager to give him up to the enemy.
But, after passing through innumerable hardships and
perils, often within an inch as it were of being captured,
he finally escaped into North Carolina with a few de
voted friends, and there fell in with his gallant friend

* Vide Lee's Memoirs of the Southern War.
Q

36 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Horry. Without money and without resources, the
two friends made their way to the American army,
raised by Congress for the purpose of recovering South
Carolina. This army, which had set forward under
command of De Kalb, was now placed under Gates,
whose victory at Saratoga,* had given him a brilliant
reputation. He was ordered by Congress to take the
chief direction of the southern campaign. It is gene
rally conceded that Horatio Gates was a man of but
moderate abilities ; that he was vain, and fond of
parade and external show. Col. Horry (vide Weems)
says of him : "As a gentleman, few camps or
courts ever produced his superior. But, though a per
fect Chesterfield at court, in camp he was certainly
but a Paris. 'Tis true, at Saratoga he got his temples
stuck round with laurels as thick as a May-day queen
with gaudy flowers. And, though the greater part of
this was certainly the gallant workmanship of Arnold
and Morgan, yet did it so hoist General Gates in the
opinion of the nation, that many of his dear friends,
with a prudent regard, no doubt, to their own dearer
selves, had the courage to bring him forward on the
military turf and run him for the generalissimoship
against the great Washington."

When Gates joined the army, he was advised to
proceed southward by a circuitous route, where pro
visions would be plenty; but, turning a deaf ear to
counsel, he determined to rush on with all speed to
encounter the British. From the pen of Col. Otho
Williams, an Adjutant General in Gates' army, we
have the following description of him and his men.
" Col. Marion, a gentleman of South Carolina, had

* October, 1777.

MARION BURNING BOATS. 37

been with the army a few days, attended by a very
few followers, distinguished by small leather caps, and
the wretchedness of their attire : their number did not
exceed twenty men and boys, some white, some black,
and all mounted, but most of them miserably equip-
ped ; their appearance was in fact so burlesque, that
it was with much difficulty the diversion of the regu
lar soldiery was restrained by the officers ; and the
General himself was glad of an opportunity of de
taching Col. Marion, at his own instance, towards the
interior of South Carolina, with orders to watch the
motions of the enemy, and furnish intelligence."

Marion and his men accordingly received orders to
penetrate South Carolina in advance of the army, with
instructions to destroy scows, burn boats, and do every
thing that could tend to prevent the escape of the
enemy, so confident was Gates of a victory over the
British. Marion and his friend Horry set forward
through a country thickly infested by tories, and vigor
ously prosecuted their business of boat-burning. The
main army took up its line of march through a dreary
tract of country, and hunger and fatigue were the con
sequences. General Gates, whether he perceived his
error or not, pushed straight forward for Camden, and
" his only resource for meat was the lean beasts which
were accidentally picked up in the woods. Meal and
grain were also very scarce ; and as substitutes for
bread, the soldiers were obliged to have recourse to
the green corn and fruits which they met with. The
consequence of unwonted diet was, that the army was
thinned by dysentery and other diseases usually caused
by the heat of the weather, and by unwholesome
food." *

« Frost's Hist. United States.
4

38 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Gates, on reaching the frontiers of South Carolina,
issued a proclamation, " inviting the inhabitants to
join his standard, and offering an amnesty to such of
them as, under the pressure of circumstances, had pro
mised allegiance to the British government." This
proclamation was . riot without effect, but it did not
bring forth the numbers he calculated it would, and he
could muster in all not 5000 men. Yet he determined
to persevere, and marched about 10 o'clock at night
on the 15th of August (leaving his position near Ruge-
ley's mills, twelve miles from Carnden) to surprise the
enemy. The same movement was made by Cornwal-
lis, who at 2 o'clock that night set forward to surprise
the-Americans in their camp. Mutual was the aston
ishment of both armies at this encounter. Some firing
took place, rather to the advantage of the British, but
was soon discontinued, both parties willing to leave the
matter to be decided by daylight. De Kalb now ad
vised that the army should fall back to its position at
Rugeley's mills, and await an attack from the enemy.
His counsel was over-ruled, however, and early on
the next morning both sides prepared for action, which
commenced " by the advance of 200 of the British in
front of the American artillery, who received them
with a steady fire. Gates then ordered the Virginia
militia to advance under the command of Colonel Ste
ven's, who cheerfully obeyed the orders of his com-
mander-in-chief, and when he had led his men within
firing distance, urged them to charge the enemy with
their bayonets. This portion of the army, however, did
not emulate the gallantry of their leader. Lord Corn-
wallis, observing their movement, ordered Colonel Web
ster to attack them. This order was obeyed with a
loud cheer," and the Americans yielded before the se-

DEFEAT OF THE AMERICANS 39

verity of the British fire, many of them panic-struck
and flying without even discharging their muskets.
Gates hurried from the field to rally the militia, whilst
the brave De Kalb and his Continentals alone kept
their ground, and stood -the fury of the charge. The
gallant De Kalb, at the commencement of the battle,
had leaped from his horse, drawn his sword, and led
his command on foot. Never did men battle with more
bravery than he and his handfull of Continentals, sus
taining the shock of an overpowering host, amidst the
death-dealing cannon and muskets that slaughtered
their ranks. Cheering and animating his men, De
Kalb received eleven wounds, and at last, faint from
the loss of blood, fell to the ground.

" The whole of the baggage and artillery of the
Americans fell into the hands of the enemy, and the
fugitives were pursued by the British cavalry for the
space of twenty miles. So complete was this defeat
that, on the second day after the engagement, General
Gates could only muster 150 of his soldiers at Charles
ton, a town in the south of North Carolina, whence he
retreated farther north to Salisbury, and afterwards to
Hillsborough.

" To add to the misfortunes of the Americans, the
defeat of Gates was immediately followed by the sur
prise and dispersion of Sumpter's partisan corps. This
brave officer had succeeded in capturing the convoy
with the British stores, but hearing of Gates's defeat,
he began to retreat with his prisoners and stores.*
Tarleton, with his legion and a detachment of infantry,
pursued with such celerity as to overtake and surprise
him at Fishing creek. All the artillery and stores fell

* Forty wagons of booty and three hundred prisoners.

40 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

into the hands of the British, and the whole detach
ment was either killed, captured or dispersed. Their
prisoners were of course all retaken." *

Marion and his men were busy executing orders in
destroying boats when the disastrous tidings of the
army's defeat reached them.

* Frost's United States.

CHAPTER III.

British atrocities. Proclamation of Sir Henry Clinton.
Major James sent to Captain Ardesoijf ; interview be
tween them ; insulting language of Ardesoijf and its
consequences. Rising of the patriots at Williams-
burg. Tarleton retreats from Capt. M'Cottry. Mr.
Bradley"1 s house burned and himself taken prisoner —
his inhuman treatment. Marion leaping the barrier
— Sumpter's chivalry — Genera] Pickens. — Col. Dame
routs the British — British again repulsed — battle of
King's mountain — a large force of the British surren
der to five Americans — desperate conflict between the
Whigs and Tories — death of Capt. Falls.-Marion — de
scription of his personal appearance. Marion defeats
a party of Tories under Capt. Gainey. Marion at
Post's Ferry — rescue of prisoners at the Blue House.
Defeat of Wemyss. Gallant victory of Marion and
his brigade over the Tories at Black Mingo.

" THE sickliness of the season prevented Lord Corn-
vvallis from attempting to pursue the remains of General
Gates' army ; but he employed the leisure now afforded
him in inflicting vengeance on such of the inhabitants
of South Carolina as had been induced to join the Ame
rican standard. The military men he doomed to
the gallows. The property of the fugitives, and of
the declared friends of Independence, he confiscated ;
and he seized a number of the most respectable citi
zens of Charleston, and most of the military officers
residing there under faith of the late capitulation, and
sent them to St. Augustine."*

* Frost.
4*

42 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Of those confined in the prison-ships, upwards of
eight hundred, nearly one-third of the whole, exhaust
ed hy a variety of sufferings, expired after a short
captivity. The citizens of the town, who adhered to
their paroles, were treated with great severity. Though
they were not allowed rations, yet they were debarred
from trade, and from exercising any profession ; and
the king's subjects were strictly enjoined not to employ
them on any pretence.

Reduced to desperation by these injudicious severi
ties, and British treachery rendering them indignant,
(for in less than a month after his first proclamation
Sir Henry Clinton issued a second which rendered
nugatory the privilege granted by the other) the bold
and active patriots formed themselves anew into parti
san bands under different chieftains, among whom
Marion and Sumpter were most distinguished by their
spirit and enterprize. The first proclamation suffered
the people to remain undisturbed upon parole, and
such of the Carolinians as had accepted it, were now,
by this second proclamation, not suffered to remain in
this condition of allegiance, but actually commanded to
rake up arms in support of His Majesty's government.
At this the majority revolted. They had resigned
themselves to the prospect of being lookers-on, but to
shed the blood of brothers with whom they had hitherto
fought side by side — that they could not be brought to.
The following is an anecdote illustrative of this crisis.

In the month of June 1780, a British captain, named
Ardesoiff, arrived at Georgetown and published a pro
clamation, inviting the people to come in, swear alle
giance to king George, and take protection. Many of

* Ramsay's History of South Carolina.

MAJOR JAMES AND CAPT. ABDESOIFF. 43

the inhabitants of Georgetown submitted. But there
remained a portion of that district, stretching from the
Santee to the Pedee, containing the whole of the present
Williamsburg and part of Marion district, into which
the British arms had not penetrated. The inhabitants
of it were generally of Irish extraction, and very little
disposed to submission. At this crisis there was a
meeting of this people to deliberate on their situation.
Major John James, who had heretofore commanded
them in the field, and represented them in the state
legislature, was selected as the person who should go
down to Captain ArdesoifF and know from him upon
what terms they would be allowed to submit. Accord
ingly he proceeded to Georgetown in the plain garb
of a country planter, and was introduced to the cap
tain at his lodgings.

After Major James had explained the nature of his
mission, Capt. ArdesoifF, surprised that such an em
bassy should be sent to him, answered " that submis
sion must be unconditional." To an inquiry from
Major James as to whether the inhabitants would be '
allowed to stay at home upon their plantations in peace
and quiet, ArdesoifF replied, " Though you have re
belled against his majesty, he offers you a free par
don, of which you are undeserving, for you ought all
to be hanged ! As he offers you a free pardon, you
must take up arms in his cause."

" The people I represent will never submit to such
terms," said Major James, boldly.

" Represent /" ArdesoifF emphatically repeated —
" Represent ! You rebel ! if you speak in such lan
guage, I will immediately cause you to be hanged up
to the yard-arm !" And the irritated captain pointed

44 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

through the window, at which he was sitting, to the
ship which he commanded lying in the river and within
sight.

Major James, not relishing this language, and his
blood being up, sprung in an instant to his feet, arid
seizing the chair he had been sitting on, dealt a blow
at Ardesoiff that sprawled the insolent tool of tyranny
upon the floor. " Take that, d — n you !" exclaimed
the justly indignant major, as he struck the blow. In
another instant, before Ardesoiff had time to recover
and give the alarm, he was out of the house, had
mounted his horse, and was far enough away from
Georgetown before pursuit could be attempted.

As soon as the major reached Williamsburg, the
whole adventure was related, and the spirit displayed
by him acted like an electric-shock in arousing
others ; and it was unanimously determined by the
citizens that they would again take up arms in defence
of their country and not against her. Major James
was desired to command them as heretofore, and they
"arranged themselves under their revolutionary cap-
tains, William M'Cottry, Henry Mouzon, and John
James, Junior. The latter was a cousin of the major.

The small band thus resolved on further resistance
to British tyranny consisted of but about two hundred
men. It was agreed to despatch a messenger to Gen.
Gates, who about this time had arrived upon the con
fines of the state, requesting him to send them a com
mander.

Shortly after this, Col. Tarleton, with a force of
British, crossed the Santee at Lenad's ferry, and
hearing of the late proceedings in Williamsburg, ap
proached at the head of his cavalry to surprise the

TREACHERY OF TARLETON. 45

party of major James ; but Capt. M'Cottry, as soon as
he received notice of his movements, marched his
company of fifty men to give him battle. Tarleton
was posted at King's Tree bridge, on Black river ; and
M'Cottry approached him at midnight ; but by means
of the wife of one of the loyalists of that part of the
country, Tarleton gained intelligence of M'Ccttry's
movements, and marched away a few hours before the
latter arrived. M'Cottry pursued him, but without effect.

In this route Tarleton burned the house of Capt.
Mouzon, and took Mr. James Bradley prisoner. He
took this gentleman by stratagem. He came to his house
and passed himself off for Col. Washington of the
American army. Bradley made much of his guest, and
without suspicion freely communicated to him the
plans and views of himself and the Carolinians for co
operating with their countrymen against the British.
When the interview and its hospitalities were ended,
Tarleton requested Bradley to accompany him as a
guide to a neighboring place. This service was cheer
fully performed. On their arriyal, Tarleton's party
appeared in full view, and took charge of Bradley as a
prisoner. The host thus taken by order of his late
guest was sent to Camden jail, and there confined in
irons.*

Marion, when in service, rode one of the fleetest and
most powerful chargers the south could produce. When
in fair pursuit, nothing could escape, and when retreat
ing, nothing could overtake him. Being once nearly
surrounded by a party of British dragoons, he was com
pelled, for safety, to pass into a corn-field, by leaping
the fence. This field, marked with a considerable de-

* See Appendix A.

46 MARION AlfD HIS TIMES.

scent of surface, had been, in part, a marsh. Marion
entered it, at the upper side. The dragoons, in chase,
leapt the fence also, and were but a short distance be
hind him. So completely was he now within their
power, that his only mode of escape was to pass over
the fence at the lower side.

But here lay a difficulty, which, to all but himself,
appeared insurmountable. To drain the groun^l of its
superfluous waters, a trench had been cut around this
part of the field, four feet wide, and of the same depth.
Of the mud and clay, removed in cutting it, a bank
had been formed on its inner side, and on top of this
was erected the fence. The elevation of the whole
amounted to more than seven feet perpendicular height ;
a ditch, four feet in width, running parallel with it, on
the outside, and a foot, or more, of space intervening
between the fence and the ditch.

The dragoons, acquainted with the nature and extent
of this obstacle, and considering it impossible for their
enemy to pass it, pressed towards him, with loud shouts
of exultation and insult, and summoned him to surren
der, or perish by the sword. Regardless of their
rudeness, and empty clamor, and inflexibly deter
mined not to become their prisoner, Marion spurred
his horse to the charge. The noble animal, as if con
scious that his master's life was in danger, and that
on his exertion depended its safety, approached the
barrier, in his finest style, and with a bound that was
almost supernatural, cleared completely the fence and
ditch, and recovered himself without injury, on the
opposite side.

Marion, now facing his pursuers, who had halted at
the fence, unable to pass it, discharged his pistols at
them, without effect, and then, wheeling his horse, and

ENTHUSIASM OF 8UMPTEE. 49

bidding them " good morning," with an air of triumph,
dashed into an adjoining thicket, and disappeared in an
instant.

Astonished at what they had witnessed, and scarcely
believing their foe to be mortal, the dragoons immedi
ately abandoned the pursuit.*

In another district of the same state, more elevated,
drier, and therefore, more healthy, but less suited to
partisan and predatory operations, because less abun
dant in fortresses and retreats, flourished General
Sumpter, a second warrior of freedom, terrible in ac
tion, and peculiarly fitted for the place he occupied.
Greatly superior to General Marion in personal
strength, and trusting less to stratagem and skill, he
placed his fortune much more exclusively on his
daring resolution and the execution of his sword.
Warm in temperament, and devoted to his country,
whatever could contribute to rescue her from the in
vader, and establish her independence became an ob
ject of his ardent affection. He was also enamored
of brilliant achievement for its own sake. To victory,
and the glory attending it, he would cut his way through
every danger, regardless alike of his own blood and
that of his enemy. Into his brave associates, the
hardy and powerful sons of the hilly country, he
infused an abundant portion of his own spirit.
Attached to his person, and inflamed by his enthu
siasm, this dauntless corps followed him with alac
rity through every difficulty and every peril. To
them, as to himself, the sight of an enemy be
came an object of pleasure. Accustomed to con
quer, even when greatly outnumbered, they regarded

* Caldwell's Life of Green.
5

50 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the order to prepare for battle as little else than an
invitation to triumph. This was peculiarly the case
when none but royalists were the object of their attack.

Thus formidable in himself and his followers, the
tories of his district began to tremble at the approach,
and even the name of Sumpter; and the British, them
selves, were compelled to respect him. His only object
being the conquest or destruction of his enemy, and
the liberation of his country, he was not very scrupu
lous in his mode of warfare. Retaliation, in every
form, he deemed justifiable. Hence, he sternly re
torted on his adversaries whatever means they em
ployed against him. If they inhumanly resorted to
conflagration or the gibbet, he was not very reluctant
to avenge the outrage by similar measures. The en
tire annihilation of an invading foe, whose end was
subjugation, and every form of violence their means,
as well as of the miscreant inhabitants who flocked to
their banner, he held to be a duty.

Possessing this general fitness for the crisis, his ca
reer was fertile in enterprise and deeds of heroism.
If, from a want of due precaution, or from an exuber
ance of courage, misfortune and defeat sometimes as
sailed him, they neither broke his spirit nor enfeebled
his hopes. Unmoved as the firmest Roman in the
best times of the commonwealth, he never despaired
of the arms of his country. With an inflexible resolu
tion to witness her triumph, or not to survive her
overthrow, he pressed towards his object with direct
aim and unrelaxing vigor, and would have reduced his
district to the condition of a desert rather than suffer
the enemy to be master of it.

In brigadier General Pickens appeared a third cham
pion of freedom, worthy of the glorious cause he had

BRIGADIER GENERAL PICKENS. 51

espoused. Without so much experience in war, and
with a character less strongly marked than his two
cotemporaries, because he was younger, he rendered,
notwithstanding, to his suffering fellow-citizens very
important services. Gallant, enterprising and sensible;
of a popular deportment, devotedly attached to the in
dependence of his country, and possessing no incon
siderable share of natural eloquence, he drew around
him, like Sumpter, from another district of the hilly
region, a band of followers, hardy, active and enamored
of danger.

At the head of these, capable himself of great exer
tion, and uncommonly patient of privation and toil, he
was indefatigable in his movements, traversing an ex
tensive circuit of country, intercepting scouts, striking
at foraging parties, and attacking, and sometimes car
rying, posts, until he rendered himself exceedingly
formidable to his enemies. In the worst times, he
was at once a rallying point and a source of reliance
to the friends of freedom in a large district ; he illustrated
his career with numerous achievements of usefulness
and renown, and proved himself an able partisan officer.
But, successful as he was, in many of his enterprises,
his most substantial services consisted, not so much in
the work of his sword, as in keeping alive a spirit of
resistance, and saving the people from despondency
and submission. For it is, in the political, as in the
animal body — while a spark of life remains, resuscita
tion is possible ; but, in either, real death is absolute
despair.

In another district of country, still further from the

sea-board, composed of sections of North and South

Carolina, where those two states join, arose a fourth

partisan officer, of high character and merit, who, at

R

52 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the gloomiest period of the southern disasters, did much
to prevent and punish the atrocities of the royalists, cir
cumscribe the range and influence of British detach
ments, and sustain the wavering spirits of his friends.
This was Colonel Davie, afterwards Governor of North
Carolina, one of our embassadors to France at a very
portentous conjuncture, and afterwards a private gentle
man, reposing in the lap of science, resident on his
estate in the same tract of country which he had
protected. This distinguished leader, although younger
by several years, possessed talents of a higher order,
and was much more accomplished in education and
manners, than either of his three competitors for fame.
For the comeliness of his person, his martial air, his
excellence in horsemanship, and his consummate powers
of field eloquence, he had scarcely an equal in the
armies of his country. So sonorous and powerful was
his voice, so distinct his articulation, and so command
ing his delivery, that the distance to which he could be
heard was almost incredible. But his chief excellence
lay in the magnanimity and generosity of his soul, his
daring courage, his vigilance and address, and his un-
relaxing activity and endurance of toil. So ardent was
his attachment to the cause of freedom, and so disin
terested his efforts to promote it, that, in equipping for
the field his corps of followers, he expended his whole
patrimonial estate.

At the head of these, his exertions were unremitting,
and his efficiency great. If he was less frequently
engaged in actual combat than either of his three
more southernly compeers, it was not because he was
inferior to them in enterprise or love of battle. His
district being more interior, was at first less frequently
invaded by British detachments ; and the terror of his

PATRIOTISM OF COL. DAVIE. 53

arms, either kept the royalists from embodying, or
compelled them to scatter and fly at his approach.
When, however, Lord Cornwall is ultimately advanced
into that quarter, his scouts and foraging parties found
Col. Davie and his brave associates as formidable an
enemy as they had ever encountered. At the two
gloomiest epochs of the southern war, soon after the
fall of Charleston, and the overthrow of Gates, it was
the good fortune of Col. Davie to be the first to shed a
gleam through the surrounding darkness, and give
hope to the country, by the brilliancy of his exploits.
In one instance, without loss or injury on his part, he
entirely destroyed an escort of provisions, taking forty
prisoners, with their horses and arms. In the other,
under the immediate eye of a large British force, which
was actually beating to arms to attack him, he routed
a party stronger than his own, killing and wounding
sixty of the enemy, and carrying off with him ninety-
six horses and one hundred and twenty stand of arms.
The only injury which he himself sustained, in his com
mand, was one man wounded. This affair occurred at
Wahab's farm, in the Waxhaw settlement.*

When Lord Cornwallis entered Charlotte, a small
village in North Carolina, Colonel Davie, at the head
of his detachment, threw himself in his front, deter
mined to give him a specimen of the firmness and gal
lantry with which the inhabitants of the place were
prepared to dispute with his lordship their native soil.

Colonel Tarleton's legion formed the British van, led
by Major Hanger, the commander himself being con
fined by sickness. When that celebrated corps had
advanced near to the centre of the village, where the

* Caldwell's Life of Greene.

5*

54 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Americans were posted, Davie poured into it so destruc
tive a fire, that it immediately wheeled and retreated
m disorder. Being rallied on the commons, and again
led on to the charge, it received, on the same spot,
another fire, with a similar effect. Lord Cornwallis,
witnessing the confusion thus produced among his
choicest troops, rode up in person, and in a tone of dis
satisfaction, upbraided the legion with unsoldierly con
duct, reminding it of its former exploits and reputation.

Pressed on his flanks by the British infantry, Col.
Davie had now fallen back to a new and well selected
position. To dislodge him from this, the legion cavalry
advanced on him a third time, in rapid charge ; in full
view of their commander-in-chief, and still smarting
from his pungent censure — but in vain. Another fire
from the American marksmen killed several of their
officers, wounded Major Hanger, and repulsed them
again with increased confusion. The main body of
the British being now within musket-shot, the American
leader abandoned the contest.

That they might, if possible, recover some portion
of the laurels of which they had this day been shorn,
colonel Tarleton's dragoons attempted to disturb co
lonel Davie in his retreat. But the latter, choosing his
ground, wheeled on them with so fierce and galling a
fire, that they again fell back, and troubled him no
further.

It was by strokes like these that he seriously crip
pled and intimidated his enemy, acquired an elevated
standing in the estimation of his friends, and served
very essentially the interests of freedom. With the
resolution of Sumpter, and the coolness and military
policy of Marion, he exhibited in his character a happy
union of the high qualities of those two officers.

BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN. 55

Thus, did these four great partisan leaders, created
by the exigency of the times, and springing each out
of the nature of his own instinct, tend, by their vigilance,
and unremitting action, to limit not a little the ravages
of the enemy, and to preserve from extinction the em
bers of resistance. But, although the most regular
laborers in the sacred cause in which they co-operated,
they and their immediate followers did network alone.
By the occasional association and exertion of other par
tisan warriors in different places, sundry enterprises
of rare and distinguished lustre were successfully
achieved.

Every reader of history must be familiar with the
celebrated and romantic feat of arms achieved on
King's mountain, where the British bayonet, under
colonel Ferguson, yielded to the American rifle, pointed
by Cleveland, Shelby and Campbell. In number, the
troops, on either side, were nearly equal. The British
detachment was in high discipline, selected for a par
ticular service, and encamped in a position chosen on
account of its security and strength. The Americans
were fresh from their homes, had no pretension to dis
cipline, and most of them now for tRe first time faced
an enemy in the field. Notwithstanding this, they ad
vanced to the attack, with the steadiness and cool de
termination of veterans. The resistance they en
countered was firm and terrible ; yet fifty minutes con
ducted them to triumph.

The following brief, but picturesque account of this
battle, is given by general Lee. " Our brave country
men were formed into three divisions, under their
respective leaders, and coolly ascended the mountain
in different directions. Colonel Cleveland first reached
the enemy, and opened a destructive fire from behind

56 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the trees. Ferguson resorted to the bayonet : Cleve
land necessarily gave way. At that instant, from an
other quarter, colonel Shelby poured in his fire ; alike
sheltered and alike effectual. Upon him Ferguson
furiously turned, and advanced with the bayonet ; gain
ing the only, though immaterial, advantage in his
power, of forcing Shelby to recede. This was scarcely
effected before colonel Campbell had gained the sum
mit of the mountain; when he too commenced a deadly
fire. The British bayonet was again applied, and
produced its former effect. All the divisions now
returned in co-operation, and resistance became
temerity."

The trophies of the day were dazzling and glorious.
The British party was annihilated. Colonel Ferguson
himself was among the slain ; three hundred of his
troops were killed and wounded ; and upwards of
eight hundred surrendered at discretion. Fifteen hun
dred stand of arms passed, also, into the possession of
the conquerors.

Never was victory more opportune ; nor, for the
number of combatants, engaged in the conflict, more
important in its immediate consequences. It broke
the plan of the British campaign, rescued North Caro
lina, from an invasion which would have devastated, and
held in check, its strongest and best disposed district,
disappointed the expectations of the royalists in various
parts of it, preventing their intended co-operation with
the invaders, and revived the sinking hopes, and in
vigorated the exertions, of the friends of freedom.
Further to the South occurred another affair of parti
san gallantry, which although not very momentous in
its consequences, was notwithstanding so extraor
dinary, in its nature, conducted with so much address,

EXPLOIT OF FIVE AMERICANS. 57

marked with such a chivalrous spirit of enterprise,
and so honourable to the officer who conceived and
executed it, that it deserves to be much more generally
known, than it has heretofore been.*

On the river Ogechee, in the state of Georgia, was
stationed captain French, with a detachment of about
forty British regulars. At the same place lay five
British vessels. Of these four were armed, the lar
gest mounting fourteen guns. Colonel John White, of
the Georgia line, meditating the capture of this station,
was able to call to his assistance, but four individuals,
captain Etholen, and three privates. Resolute in their
purpose, notwithstanding the disparity of force they
would be obliged to encounter, these five soldiers of for
tune, boldly advanced on the enemy's post.

Having arrived in the neighborhood of it at night,
they kindled numerous fires, the light of which reached
their adversaries, so arranging them as to represent
by them, the lines of a considerable camp. To render
their stratagem the more imposing, they then rode
hastily about, in various directions, in imitation of the
staff of an army, disposing their sentinels, and issuing
their orders in a loud voice. The artifice succeeded,
and convinced captain French that he was menaced by
a large body of Americans. Accordingly, on being
summoned by colonel White, he surrendered his de
tachment, the crews of the five vessels, amounting to
near fifty in number, with the vessels themselves, and
one hundred and fifty stand of arms. But the difficulty
of the enterprising captors was not yet terminated.
The British soldiers and sailors might discover the im
position that had been practised on them and attempt

* Caldwell's Life of Greene.

58 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

a rescue ; and five armed men were not sufficient to
restrain by force near a hundred without arms.

The same genius, however, that had planned the first
part of the adventure, was comoetent to the completion
of it. With great seriousness and some emotion in
his manner, colonel White told captain French that
in consequence of certain recent enormities, perpetrated
by a detachment of British and royalists, his troops
were so deeply exasperated that he was afraid they
would advance on the captured party, and, in violation
of his commands, put them all to the sword ; that he
had already experienced great difficulty in restraining
them ; and, should they be placed as a guard over the
prisoners, he was convinced their rage would become
ungovernable. He, therefore, directed the British cap
tain to follow, with his whole party, captain Etholen,
and two of the soldiers as guides, who would conduct
them without delay to a place of safety and good
quarters.

For his kindness and humanity, colonel White re
ceived the thanks of his prisoners, who immediately
marched off in a body with their small escort, anxious
to hasten their pace, lest the enraged Americans should
advance on them and cut them to pieces. The colonel
and one soldier remained behind, with a view, as he in
formed captain French, to restrain by his presence
any improper violence his troops might be inclined to
offer ; and to conduct their march at some distance in
the rear.

In the mean time, with the aid of the soldier retained,
he took active measures to collect, as expeditiously as
possible, a body of militia from the neighboring dis
trict. Placing himself at the head of these, who were
mostly mounted on good horses, he soon overtook his

WHIGS AND TORIES. 59

prisoners, whom he found safe under their guides, and
rejoicing in the generous treatment they had experienced.

Equally, perhaps, unknown to most of the inhabi
tants, and singularly neglected in the history of our
country, is another very gallant partisan adventure,
achieved on the 22d of June 1780. Neither Ameri
can regulars nor British soldiers had any concern
in this spirited affair ; it was fought entirely by raw
militia-men, of the whig and tory parties. About
twelve hundred of the latter, having assembled un
der the command of Colonel Moore, encamped in
a strong position at Ramsaour's mill, a few miles
westward from the Catawba river, and in the vicinity
of the line which separates North from South Carolina.

In addition to rapine, and the production of general
distress, a favorite object of this party was to overawe
and weaken the adjacent country by capturing and
carrying within the British lines a number of its most
influential inhabitants. Besides being thus prevented
from taking a lead in active measures of resistance,
these were to be held as hostages for the good conduct
and neutrality of their friends.

To defeat the mischievous purposes of this party, and
to dislodge them from their strong hold, the most spir
ited of the whigs from Tredell, a neighboring county,
assembled to the amount of three hundred men, under
the command of colonel Locke. These consisted
principally of foot ; but, in part, of a small corps of
mounted infantry, armed with rifles, pistols and sabres,
led by captain Falls, an officer of peculiar gallantry
and worth.

This hasty levy of soldiers presented a spectacle
eminently interesting. They were fresh from their
homes, their private habits unbroken, no discipline or

60 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

concert of action established among them, and all their
domestic feelings clinging around their hearts. They
were, in the true sense of the expression, a band of
friends and neighbors, being all from the same settle
ment, and perfectly known to each other in private life.
In the whole party there was not an individual who
had not repeatedly united with the others, in rural sport
and social enjoyment. As citizens, they were all of
the same rank, and all respectable. They were mas
ters of the soil they had assembled to defend.

Of this corps of patriots, the military prowess was
entirely untried ; not one of them, with the exception
of captain Falls, having ever confronted an enemy in
the field. Their only warlike acquirement was great
expertness and skill in the use of the rifle. In that
qualification they had few superiors. Being all dressed
in their common apparel, they exhibited no uniformity
of appearance. To remedy this, and to distinguish
them from the tories, who were known to be dressed in
the same way, they fastened over the crowns of their
hats, from back to front, descending to the rims, on
each side, strips of white paper about two inches broad.
Each one brought to the place of rendezvous his own
rifle, fifty rounds of powder and ball, a week's provision,
and a light blanket. That they might be perfectly un
encumbered, neither baggage-wagon nor pack-horse
was attached to the party.*

Thus accoutred, eager for battle, and panting for
glory, without waiting for a considerable force that was
assembling in Rowan, a neighboring county, under
general Rutherford, to join them, they moved, in haste
and silence, towards the scene of action. The second

* Caldwell's Life of Greene.

VALOR OP CA.PT. FALLS. 61

day's march brought them into the immediate vicinity
of their object. They encamped for the night, deter
mined to strike, and hoping to surprise, the enemy, in
the morning. But, in this, they were disappointed.
On advancing to the attack, about break of day, they
found the foe on the alert, and ready to receive them.
They, therefore, resolved to wait, until it should be
completely light, that the aim of their rifles might be
the more deadly.

The morning opening, disclosed to them a prepara
tion for defence and resistance, much more formidable
than they had expected to find. The enemy were
posted on top of a hill, covered with timber, which af
forded them a shelter. Their flanks were protected
on one side by a mill-dam, and on the other by a
swamp, a small stream of water flowing in the rear.
In front of their encampment, was erected of stakes
and brush-wood, a breastwork so compact as to be
proof against small arms, and to impede, in a great
measure, the operation of cavalry. A strong de
tachment of the foe was stationed in advance of the
breast-work, armed with rifles, and concealed behind
trees.

At. first sight, this array of men and means was
somewhat appalling. But the Rubicon was passed.
Retreat would be ruin, accompanied with disgrace.
Battle might also be ruinous, but could not be dishon
orable. Without hesitation, therefore, the latter was re
solved on. At his own request, captain Falls, with his
mounted infantry, led the attack. When at the distance
of about eighty paces, he received the fire of the ene
my's advance. Returning this with considerable effect,
he rushed, sword in hand, into the midst of them, threw
them into confusion, and forced them to fall back.

6

62 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Pressing his fortune with too much ardor, he received
a ball through his breast, and fell dead from his horse.

His party, however, undismayed by the loss of their
leader, continued the action, with great gallantry, until
the foot advanced to their support, when the enemy was
driven behind his breastwork. Here ensued a most
murderous conflict. The whigs, having so far levelled
the obstruction, as to render it passable, rushed over it,
mingled with the enemy, and, in many instances,
grappled with them, man to man. Every instrument
and means of death was now resorted to. The bullet,
the sword, the rifle-but, and even the hatchet, with
which some were provided, were abundantly employed.
Rarely, in any case, has blood been more inexorably,
or, by the same number of combatants, more prodigal
ly, shed.

For a time, the issue was doubtful. Pressed, by su
perior numbers, the whigs were once compelled to give
ground, some of them retreating across the breastwork.
But resolutely bent on victory or death, they returned
to the charge, with such fierce impetuosity, and decisive
effect, as bore down all resistance. The tories broke,
and fled in confusion, the whigs for some distance
hanging on their rear with terrible slaughter.

Thus terminated an affair, in which so many gallant
spirits made their first, and, too many of them, alas !
their last, essay in arms. In the course of it, the
whigs performed prodigies ; and the royalists mani
fested a degree of resolution and valor worthy of a
better cause. The latter lost, in killed, wounded, and
prisoners, upwards of six hundred men. The prison
ers and wounded were paroled, and liberated, on the
field of battle. The numerical loss of the former was
exceedingly heavy, nearly half of them being killed or

MARION AND HIS BRIGADE. 63

wounded. But the actual loss, which consisted in the
character, rather than the number, of those that fell,
was incalculable. On that fatal day some of the
choicest blood of the south was heroically offered, on
the altar of freedom.

The death of captain Falls, in particular, was deeply
lamented. In the ranks of his country, he did not leave
behind him a purer patriot, or a more gallant soldier.
His son, a youth of fourteen, had accompanied him to
battle. When the captain fell, this high minded stripling
moved by an instinctive impulse of affection, sprang
from his horse, to embrace the body, and protect it
from insult. One of the enemy, believed to be the
same that had shot captain Falls, advancing, with a
view to plunder the corpse, the son, suddenly snatch
ing the sword of the deceased, plunged it into the
bosom of the marauder, and thus, at once, punished
audacity and nobly revenged his father's death.

So deadly was the aim of the tory riflemen, at the
commencement of the action, before the smoke of their
own fire had obstructed their view, that many of them
placed their balls in the lower end of the strips of
paper, which the whigs wore over the crowns of their
hats. Every shot of this description, passing through
the brain, was instantly fatal.*

The messenger despatched to Gates returned with
the glad information that Francis Marion was to take
command, commissioned by Gov. Ruttledge ; and a
few days previous to the defeat of Gates, Marion
reached the post where M'Cottry had taken his
position, and, as we have stated, he and his brigade
were on the Santee river destroying boats when

* Caldwell's Life of Greene.

64 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the news of the last battle was received. Such
was the origin of " Marion's Brigade." Of Ma
rion's personal appearence at this time, we have the
following graphic account from the pen of Judge
James, a son of the major, and who at the early
age of fifteen served under him. " He was a stranger
to the officers and men, and they flocked about him to
obtain a sight of their future commander. He was
rather below the middle stature, lean and swarthy
His body was well set, but his kness and ankles were
badly formed, and he still limped upon one leg. He
had a countenance remarkably steady ; his nose was
aquiline, chin projecting ; his forehead large and high,
and his eyes black and piercing. He was then forty-
eight years of age, with a frame capable of enduring
fatigue and every privation. He was dressed in a
close round-bodied crimson jacket, of a coarse texture,
and wore a leather cap, part of the uniform of the
second regiment, with a silver crescent in front, in
scribed with the words, ' Liberty or Death.' "* Weems
describes him as a " little, swarthy, French-phizzed
Carolianian."

We now approach the exciting part of Marion's
career; and as captain of his brigade we will follow
him through his perils, adventures, stratagem and ex
ploits. We equally admire the boldness of his deeds
and the never-failing resources that he commanded
within himself. At a moment when the cause for
which he battled seemed to be given over, he alone
kept the field as its champion. A few others there
were who assisted in keeping alive the hopes of the
Southern patriots, but the name of Marion was the
only rallying cry which inspirited effectual confidence.

* A sketch of the Life of Marion and History of his Brigade,
by Wm. Dobein James, A. M. 1821.

TORIES DEFEATED AT BRITTON's NECK. 65

Equally without the means of warfare and of com
fort, he and his brigade despaired not, but with such
weapons as they had fought, and with such sustenance
as they could get existed. LIBERTY OR DEATH was
the motto worn by Marion, and, for Liberty,toil and
hardships were cheerfully endured with an unwavering
resolution that it should be Death rather than the
cause of Liberty should be relinquished.

In a few days after taking command, Marion led his
men across the Pedee at Post's ferry, to disperse a
large party of tories commanded by Major Gainey,
collected between the Great and Little Pedee. This
Gainey was a great champion of the tories and stood
high in their estimation as a partizan officer. He and
his band of tories were encamped at a place called
Britton's Neck. In secrecy, Marion formed his plan,
marched rapidly all night, and came upon the tories
at day-break. He paused not an instant, but rigorously
attacked their camp, and the surprise and disaster
was complete ; one of the tory captains and several
of their privates were slain. Of Marion's men not one
was lost, and only two wounded.*

Being informed that another body of tories were
strongly posted in the neighborhood, under command
of Capt. Barfield, he resorted to a stratagem, placing a
part of his men in ambush, and with the other part
pretending a retreat. This feint had the desired effect,
for Barfield pursued the retreating party, whilst those
in ambush came upon his rear, and the defeat of the
tories was entire.

After this, Marion returned to Post's Ferry, and
threw up a redoubt on the east bank of the Pedee,

* Ramsay's Hiat. of South Carolina.
6*

66 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

manning his little fortification with two field-pieces
which he captured in his successes against the tories.
Whilst thus employed, he heard of the defeat of Gen.
Gates at Camden, Aug. 16, 1780. Fearful of the
effect this tidings might have upon the spirits of his
brigade, he kept it concealed from them, and, getting
advice that a British force, with a great number of
American prisoners, was on its way from Camden to
Charleston, he resolved to attempt a rescue. He im
mediately marched ibr Nelson's Ferry on the Santee,
and near Nelson's he learned that the British, with
their prisoners, — the former ninety strong; the prison
ers two hundred, — had stopped at a house on the east
side of the Santee. Just after dark, Marion and his
brigade crossed the river. He directed Col. Horry to
gain possession of the road at the entrance of a
swamp, and led the main body himself by a circuitous
route to attack the rear of the enemy.

" The Blue House" was the name of the tavern at
which the British halted with their prisoners. Col.
Horry in taking his position, advanced too near a sen
tinel, who fired upon him. No time was now to be
lost. The word was given for an attack. The sen-
tinels fled towards the house, the Americans following.
The surprised enemy surrendered at once, and Marion
was by this achievement well supplied with muskets.
" After securing their arms," writes Weems, " 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 his men should not know
where he had concealed himself.

Notwithstanding this gallant success, the defeat of
Gates at Camden, which now became generally known,

RESCUE OF PRISONERS. 67

damped the ardor of the people throughout the coun
try, and instead of rallying under the flag of Marion,
the dastardly Continentals he had released from the
British, replied that it would be risking life without any
hope of success, and all, with one or two exceptions,
returned to their homes. Marion and his unconquer
able brigade kept the field, however, and the severi
ties practiced by the British, after the fall of Camden,
drove many indignant men into his ranks. Corn-
wallis issued a proclamation, ordering positively that
''all the inhabitants of this province who have sub
scribed, and have taken part in the revolt, should be
punished with the greatest rigor ; and also those who
will not turn out, that they may be imprisoned and
their whole property taken from them or destroyed ;"
and "that every militia man, who has borne arms
with us, and afterwards joined the enemy, shall be
immediately hanged." Many men were hanged, and
the property of a number of families confiscated.

The audacity and skill of Marion, necessarily ren
dered the British commander desirous of taking him,
and Tarleton, and Major Wemyss, and a strong force
of tories, were despatched against him. The tories
were commanded by Major Harrison. Marion had
under his command but a very small body of men.
Hearing of the expedition that had been set in motion
against him, he despatched Major James, with a choice
band of volunteers, to reconnoitre the enemy and as
certain their force. Major James concealed himself in
a swamp on the line of the enemy's march, and having
satisfied himself in regard in their numbers, returned
to Marion, reported the British force to be double that
of the patriots, while the tories in the rear were alone
s

68 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

estimated at five hundred men. This intelligence was far
from encouraging, inasmuch as they had no force that
could possibly contend with such a host. About half
of Marion's men left him, considering it useless to
keep the field under these circumstances, dropping off
one by one on the route towards North Carolina, he
and his officers having commenced a retreat. Those
that remained with him were colonels Peter and Hugh
Horry, colonels John Erwin and John Baxter, major
John James, major Benson, and about sixty men.
Marching night and day, they soon reached the eastern
bank of Downing creek in North Carolina.

.From this place the gallant Major James obtained
leave to return at the head of a few volunleor.s, to gain
intelligence, watch the movements of the British, and
do his best to rouse the spirit of the country, now over
run and desolated by the British and Tories. Farms
and plantations were laid waste, and Wemyss swept
the land with fire and sword. Houses were consigned
to the flames, and thousands of the inhabitants were
plundered by the tories, who revelled and rioted in the
destruction they made. Cattle were wantonly shot,
and grain ruthlessly destroyed. All who were in the
slightest identified with the patriotic cause suffered
from the depredations committed by Wemyss. Many
of Marion's party were reduced from easy circum-
, stances to poverty.

In the meantime, Marion had pitched his camp at
Whitemarsh, near the ' source of the Waccawaw,
where he and his brigade submitted to hardships and
necessities of more than ordinary rigor.

Major James, and many scouting parties, returned
to the camp with the tidings of Wemyss' destructive
progress over the country, and the indignant feelings

BATTLE AT BLACK MINGO. 69

that had been roused among the inhabitants. Marion
at once took up his line of march back to South Caro
lina, and on his way he was everywhere joined by the
roused militia. He found his men in the proper spirit
to do battle, and he determined to strike while the iron
was hot. Arrived at Lynch's creek, he was informed
that a great body of tories, under a Capt. Ball, lay at
Black Mingo, fifteen miles below. Every voice was
enthusiastically loud for the attack. " Lead us on !
Lead us on !" was the unanimous cry. There was a
spirit of justifiable vengeance breathing through the
entire command, officers and men.

The tories were strongly posted at Shepherd's ferry,
on the south side of the Black Mingo. This was the
passage of the stream, and Marion, to approach them,
was obliged to cross a plank-bridge a mile above.the
ferry. As soon as the front files of his advance had
struck the bridge, an alarm-gun was heard from the
Tory camp. Rapidity was now necessary. Marion
and his officers urged forward their men. The Tories
were not unprepared to receive them, and a severe con
flict ensued. Some of the patriotic troops fell back
with confusion, but were soon rallied and led on to the
charge. So near were the parties engaged for a part
of the fight, that the wads of their guns struck on each
side, and both fired balls and buckshot. In an interval
of platoons, Marion was heard to call out, " Advance
cavalry and charge on the left." Instantly the tories
broke, and ran for Black Mingo swamp.

In this conflict, if either party had had bayonets they
would have used them, so close were they to each
other in the struggle. Captain Logan and one private of
Marion's party were killed, and nearly one half of his
ttien wounded. Two gallant officers, Capt. Mouzon,

70 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

and his lieutenant, Joseph Scott, were rendered unfit
for further service. The tories, who were twice as
strong as the patriots, lost their commander, leaving
two-thirds of their number killed or wounded. " The
surprise and destruction of the tories," says Col.
Horry, " would have been complete, had it not been
for the alarm given by our horses, that 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."

After this victory, Marion, without delay, marched
to Williamsburg, and, such was the magic of his name,
numbers flocked to his standard, and the few with
which he had gained his success at Black Mingo, was
in a. short time greatly increased.*

* Marion's Brigade, by W. D. James. — Ramsay's Hist.
South Carolina. See Appendix B.

CHAPTER IV.

Marion sets forward to chastise the Tories under Har
rison — Surprises the Tories under Col. Tynes. Hard
ships of Marion and his men. Tarleton in pursuit of
Marion. Sumpter defeats Maj. Wemyss. Tarleton
relinquishes his pursuit of Marion and goes after
Sumpter — battle — defeat of the British. Marion's
enterprize against Georgetown — death of Gabriel
Marion. Marion's encampment at Snow's Island — •
martial law — the flag of truce — Marion dines a
British officer, ect. etc.

The victory at Black Mingo was followed by a re
spite to the soldiers, who were allowed to visit their
families, necessitated as they were to provide for their
wives and children. Marion would have kept them
together and followed up the tories, but consented to
their request on their promising to return as soon as
called upon. True to their word, after looking to the
care of their families, all returned to the command of
their leader. Marion now set forward to chastise the
tories under Harrison, posted at Lynch's creek. On
his march he learned that a certain Col. Tynes was
collecting a large body of tories in the fork of Black
river, distant about thirty miles. This Col. Tynes was
a man of valor, and generally very much upon his
guard, though he was at last caught napping by Ma
rion. He had brought arms and ammunition with
him, and had them in abundance to supply those
who joined him. Marion felt it his duty to check him
before he should have an opportunity to make much
headway. Marching with extreme rapidity, he came
up with the camp of the tories at night, whilst they

71

72 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

were feasting, drinking and gaming. He quickly made
his arrangements for the attack. Those that slept
were awakened by the guns of the assailants, and in
an instant the patriots were among them, hewing them
down, and the surprise and discomfiture of the tones
was complete. Captain Gaskens, one of the plunder
ing companions of Wemyss, was killed with a card in
his hand. Many were killed. Col. Tynes, and two
of his officers, were captured ; a great number of
horses, and all the baggage was taken ; the larger
number fled to a neighbouring swamp, from which
some emerged the next day, and joined the ranks of
Marion, whilst others fled to their homes. This victory
was achieved by Marion without the loss of a single
man upon his own side.*

Is it to be wondered that these brilliant achieve
ments, so rapidly following each other, should make
the name of Marion dear to every heart that partici
pated with love of country ? In all these forced
marches, Marion and his men lay in the open field,
with little covering, and with little other food than
sweet potatoes, and meat mostly without salt. The
general fared worse than his men ; for his baggage
having caught fire by accident, he had literally but half
a blanket to shelter him from the dews of the night,
and but half a hat to shelter him from the rays of the
sun. Tea or coffee he seldom tasted, and liquor as
rarely passed his lips. Thus suffering deprivations,
thus enduring fatigue, Marion and his men continued
to hold out against the combined forces of the British
and Tories ; and so great was now his influence
throughout South Carolina, that the British commander

* Ramsay's Hist. South Carolina.

TARLETON IN PURSUIT OF MARION. 73

found it impossible to reduce the province to loyalty
whilst he kept the field. To capture him, however,
was a matter that would necessarily entail much diffi
culty ; one day in one part of the country, the next
fifty miles distant, as he constantly was when avoiding
pursuit ; hardened to every trial, yet ever in undis
mayed spirits. But he must be captured, the British
commander resolved ; no point must be left unstrained
until he was taken ! Who was the officer to accom
plish it ? Who but Tarleton ? But he was lying ill
of a fever at Charleston. Sick as he was, Tarleton
signified his willingness to seize upon the first moment
of returning health, and carry into effect the desire of
his commander.

Accordingly, as soon as he was able, he set for*
ward with a troop of horse, to meet his legion at a de
signated place on the Wateree. Marion, apprized of
his having set out from Charleston, and presuming that
he intended to force his way to Camden, started in
pursuit of him. But, in consequence of defective in
formation from his scouts, Marion did not succeed in
overtaking his foe. Tarleton met his legion, and
Marion was first apprized of his whereabouts by the
burning of the mansion on the plantation of General
Richardson, one of the patriots. Gen. Richardson in
person presented himself to Marion, giving intelligence
of the enemy's great force. Marion, thus finding his
enemy so strong that the prospect of an engagement
was utterly hopeless of success, and one of his own
men having deserted to the foe, retired from his posi
tion, crossing an extensive swamp. Tarleton pursued,
day after day ; but Marion constantly changed his
ground, until he wearied out his pursuer, who turned
his legions in search of Sumpter, who had now got to-
7

74 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

gether a force of about five hundred men, and encamp
ed within twenty-eight miles of Cornwallis, who lay
at Winnsboro'.

Thus, while Marion engaged the attention of Corn
wallis, whose cavalry and artillery were drawn to the
east of the Santee, Sumpter hovered on the west of
the river, searching for some valuable point to assail.
This officer, equally enterprizing and indefatigable as
Marion, had the mountainous country of the Caro-
linas to draw upon for assistance. He had therefore
the advantage of Marion in numbers ; commanding
five hundred sometimes, and at others eight hundred
men. When Cornwallis became acquainted of Sump-
ter's approach, Major Wemyss was detached to sur
prize him, which he thought possible from the fact that
Sumpter, on past occasions, had displayed more bold
ness than vigilance. Wemyss directed his march with
great secrecy to Broad river, where Sumpter was en
camped. The silent celerity with which he advanced,
brought him, sooner than he intended, to the vicinity
of his enemy ; and, apprehending that Sumpter might
be apprized, before morning, of his proximity, he de
termined on an attack by night. His corps was im
mediately formed for battle, and advanced on Sump-
ter's camp. Anxious to observe the condition of his
foe, Wemyss placed himself with the van officer, who
soon fell on Sumpter's piquet, and threw them back on
the main body. Only five muskets were discharged*
and two balls pierced the major, disabling him from
further exertion.

The command devolved upon a subaltern, who, al
though unacquainted with the ground, and uninformed
as to the plan, determined to press the attack. He
found Sumpter prepared to receive him ; and very soon

TARLETON IN PURSUIT OF SUMPTER. 75

the contest terminated in the repulse of the British, who
retired, leaving their commandant and twenty men on
the ground.*

Sumpter, satisfied with his success, did not pursue
it, but crossed the Broad river. Cornwallis, chagrined
at the defeat of Wemyss, and provoked by the daring
of Sumpter, directed Tarleton to proceed without delay
and chastise the audacious rebel. Quick were the
movements of Tarleton, and he arrived in the neigh
borhood of Sumpter before the latter had even heard of
his advance. Pushing up the Ennoree river, Tarleton
hoped to place himself in his enemy's rear, but Sump
ter became apprized of his adversary's movements,
immediately drew off, passed the Ennoree, and contin
ued to retreat, having the Tyger, one of the most rapid
and obstructive rivers, in his front. Tarleton, foresee
ing that should his adversary pass the Tyger, there
would be little prospect of bringing him to action, re
doubled his exertions to overtake him. Well knowing
the character of his foe, he had preserved his force in
compact order; but his apprehension that Sumpter
might escape, his ardor in pursuit, and desire to con
tinue the success with which his zeal had been generally
crowned, impelled him to deviate from that prudent
course. In the evening of the 20th of November,
(1780) at the head of his cavalry, about one hundred
and seventy in number, and eighty mounted infantry
of the 63rd regiment, he dashed forward to bring Sump
ter to battle, before the latter had passed the Tyger,
and soon came in sight of his enemy, who had selected
a strong position on Blackstock hill, on the eastern
banks of the river.

* Lee's Memoirs of the Southern War.

76 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Here, prudence would have dictated to Col. Tarleton
a pause. The residue of the 63rd regiment, the legion
and light infantry, were following with all possible
despatch, and in one hour might have joined him. But
delay did not comport with the ardent zeal or experi
ence of Tarleton, and he boldly advanced to the assault.
That part of the hill to which the attack was directed,
was nearly perpendicular, with a small rivulet, brush
wood, and a rail fence in front. The rear of the Amer
icans, and part of their right flank, was secured by the
river Tyger, and their left was covered by a log barn,
into which a considerable division of their force had
been thrown, and from which, as the apertures between
the logs served for loop-holes, they fired with security.

British valor was conspicuous in this action ; but no
valor could surmount the obstacles that here stood in
its way. Of the 63rd regiment, the commanding offi
cer, two others, and one third of the privates, fell.
Tarleton, observing their situation, charged with his
cavalry ; but, unable to dislodge the enemy, either
from the log barn on his right, or the height on his left,
he was obliged to fall back, leaving Sumpter in quiet
possession of the field. Sumpter occupied the ground
several hours, but having received a severe wound, and
knowing the British would be reinforced before next
morning, he thought it hazardous to wait. He accord
ingly retired, and taking his wounded men along with
him, crossed the rapid river Tyger. Sumpter's wound,
unfortunately for his country, long detained him from
the field ; but useful consequences continued to result
from the deep impressions of his example, and from the
spark he had infused, and the experience gained under
his guidance.

Tarleton was no sooner recalled from the east of the

ATTEMPT UPON GEORGETOWN. 77

Santee, than Marion emerged from his concealed re
treat, traversed the country from Georgetown to Cam-
den, and endangered the communication between them.

Thus, in this gloomy period, was resistance in the
South continued ; embarrassing to the enemy, exhilira-
ting to the hopes of the patriots. It produced in Con
gress, and in the nation, a solacing conviction that the
spirit of the people was not subdued.*

The British post at Georgetown was one of consid
erable strength, and Marion, who was bare of supplies,
meditated an ingenious attack upon it, in order to fur
nish himself with clothing and ammunition ; and being
now supported by Lieut. Col. Lee, he disclosed his enter-
prize to that officer, who readily consented to join in
the undertaking. General Greene had arrived and
taken command of the Southern army. To him Ma
rion disclosed his plan. Gen. Greene approved of it.
The plan of the assault was founded on the facility with
which the assailant might convey down the Pedee a
part of his force undiscovered, and land in the water
suburb of the town, which is situated on the bay into
which the river empties. This suburb, being always
deemed secure, was consequently unguarded. After
this body should have reached the wharves, it was to
move in two divisions. The first was to force the com
mandant's quarters, known to be a place of parade,
then to secure him and all who might flock thither on
the alarm. The second was to be charged with the
interception of such of the garrison as might attempt to
gain the fort, their chief point of safety in annoyance.
The militia and cavalry of the legion, under Marion
and Lee, were to approach near the town in the night

"•See Appendix C.

78 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

and when the entrance of the infantry, passed down by
water, should be announced, they were to rush into it
for co-operation and support.

Agreeably to this plan, the infantry of the legion
were embarked in boats, under command of Captain
Games, with orders to fall down the Pedee to a desig
nated island, during the first night ; to land and lay
concealed there the ensuing day ; to re-embark at an
early hour of the night following, and to reach George
town between one and two in the morning.

Marion and Lee proceeded to their destination, hav
ing taken all the requisite precautions to prevent any
intimation to the enemy of their approach. At twelve
o'clock on the second night, they occupied, unperceived,
a position in the vicinity of the town, and awaited
anxiously for the annunciation of Game's arrival.
This officer met with no difficulty in descending the
river, and reached the appointed island before dawn.
He remained there the ensuing day without discovery.
Gaining his place of destination, with precision in point
of time, he landed in the suburb unperceived, and in
stantly advanced to the quarters of the garrison's com
mander, Col. Campbell, who was secured; and Carnes
judiciously posted his division for seizing such parties
of the garrison as might flock to the parade ground.
The other division, with equal good fortune, gained the
vicinity of the fort, and arranged themselves ready to
arrest any fugitives. On the first fire, which took
place at the commandant's quarters, the militia of
Marion, and the dragoons of Lee, rushed into the town,
prepared to bear down all resistance. To the astonish
ment of these officers, every thing was quiet ; the legion
infantry holding its assigned stations, and Col. Camp
bell a prisoner. Not a British soldier appeared ; not

MARION'S NEPHEW BUTCHERED. 79

one attempted either to gain the fort, or repair to the
commandant. Having discovered their enemy, the
troops of the garrison kept close to their respective
quarters, barricaded the doors, and determined there to
defend themselves.

The assailants, unprovided with the requisite imple
ments for battering doors and scaling windows, were
compelled to retire with but a partial accomplishment
of their object. Col. Campbell was suffered to remain
on parole.

An accident, in the highest degree distressing to
Gen. Marion, resulted from this attack upon George
town. A nephew of his, Gabriel Marion, a lad who
shared the fatigue and danger of his uncle, fell into the
hands of the tories, who, in spite of the intercession of
the British soldiers, called loudly for the boy's death.
The soldiers represented to them the inhumanity of
putting to death a mere boy, but the sanguinary tories,
because he bore the name of Marion, were deaf to their
intercessions, and hewed him to pieces.

Unsuccessful in his attempt upon Georgetown, Marion
took a position on Snow's island, where he pitched his
camp. Snow's island is situated at the conflux of the
Pedee and Lynch's creek, is of a triangular form, and
is bounded by the Pedee on the east, by Lynch's creek
on the north, and by Clark's creek, a branch of the
latter, on the south and west. Here, by having the
command of the rivers, he could be abundantly supplied
with provisions, and his post was inaccessible except by
water. It was in December (1780) that he went into
winter quarter's on this island, a post particularly ele-
gible for his purpose of carrying on the war with the
tories. He actively went to work, sending forth his
officers and scouts in all directions. He laid the coun-

80 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

try under martial law, too, with commands to his sub
alterns to destroy boats and canoes, take horses, arms,
ammunition, and to prohibit all persons from transport
ing any kind of provisions into Georgetown, or to any
place where the British could get them.

A popular anecdote, the incidents of which occurred
while the camp was on Snow's island, may be here in
serted. A flag of truce was sent from the British post
at Georgetown, and brought by a young British officer,
the object of which was some arrangements in regard
to an exchange of prisoners. The young officer was
met at some distance from the camp, and, after being
blindfolded, conducted into the encampment. The
bandage taken from his eyes, he found himself sur
rounded by a motley throng of tattered fellows, bare
legged, bareheaded, some asleep on the ground, some
roasting potatoes, and others variously employed.
What a contrast these to the gaily-dressed soldiers of
the garrison at Georgetown ! Not a little was the
young officer surprised, and his surprise was doubled,
when, asking to be presented to General Marion, a
little, swarthy-featured man stood before him. His
manner expressed his astonishment. What this Ma
rion ? This diminutive, unprepossessing, ill-clad —
could this be Marion, — the celebrated, adventurous,
skillful, victorious Marion ?

" General Marion," says Lee in his Memoirs of the
Southern War, vide vol. I. appendix, page 396, " was
in stature of the smallest size, thin ns well as low
His visage was not pleasing, and his manners not cap
tivating. He was reserved and silent, entering into
conversation only when necessary, and then with mo
desty and good sense. He possessed a strong mind,
improved by his own reflections and observations, not

MARION DINING A BRITISH OFFICER. 81

by books or travel. His dress was like his address —
plain, regarding comfort and decency only. In his
meals he was abstemious, eating generally of one dish,
and drinking vyater mostly. He was sedulous and
constant in his attention to the duties of his station, to
which every other consideration yielded. The pro
curement of subsistence for his men, and the contri
vance of annoyance to his enemy, engrossed his en
tire mind."

Nor is the surprise of the young officer to be won
dered at, accustomed as he was to the large persons,
and cavalier carriage of the commanders of the Bri
tish army, whose dress glittered with ornaments of
gold. The prowess that the name of Marion carried
with it, had led him to expect in the man a person of
lofty stature, and commanding appearance.

The story goes, that the young officer, as soon as
the business upon which he came was satisfactorily
arranged between Marion and himself, took up his hat
to retire. Marion requested him to be in no hurry.
" Dinner is preparing, and you shall stay and dine
with us, sir."

At mention of dinner, the officer looked round to
see where the preparations were. Marion observing
his looks, smilingly ordered a black servant to serve
up the meal. The servant at once commenced poking
with a stick among the ashes and embers of a smoul
dering fire upon the ground, and roused up several
roasted sweet potatoes, cleaning off the ashes by blow
ing them with his breath, and rubbing them upon his
sleeves. These potatoes were presently served up to
Marion and his guest on pieces of bark, and placed on
the trunk of a fallen tree.

82 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Marion apologized for the humbleness of the fare,
but said it was the best he had to offer, and trusted his
guest would take it in as complimentary a view as if
he were placing before him all the luxuries of a din
ner and dessert.

The mild and dignified simplicity of Marion's man
ners had already produced their effects, and, to pro
long so interesting an interview, the invitation was ac
cepted. They sat down on the log, and began to eat
and converse ; the young officer asking many ques
tions, which Marion frankly answered. He asked
Marion if this was not merely an accidental dinner.
" You do not always fare thus '/"

" Generally worse," said Marion.

" Worse ?" repeated the officer.

" Indeed, sir," continued Marion, " we are fortu
nate on this occasion, entertaining company, to have
more than our usual allowance. Poor as our fare is,
sir, poor as you see it, it is not always we have enough
of even this to satisfy our hunger."

u But you are paid well ?' said the officer.

" Not a penny," answered Marion.

" Neither paid nor fed — what in Heaven's name do
you keep the field for then ?"

" For liberty!" Marion emphatically replied. "It
is for the blessings of freedom," he added, " that I
fight — bessings I may never live to see in the soil of
my birth, but for which I nevertheless contend, trust
ing as I do that the day is not far distant when your
king shall be forced to yield the independence of my
country — and the proud thought now swells my heart,
that though my bones may rest in the earth, posterity
will cherish with gratitude the remembrance of one

FEELINGS OF THE BRITISH OFFICER. 83

who has never a moment ceased in his struggle for the
freedom of his native land !"

It is said that the young officer retired from this in
terview deeply impressed with a conviction of how
utterly hopeless was the object of British arms — re
ducing a country to its former allegiance — when offi
cers and men, without pay, and literally but half-clad,
would endure privations and toils of the roughest kind.
Indeed, so deep was the impression made upon his
feelings by this interview with Marion, that he shortly
afterwards threw up his commission, and retired from
the service.

CHAPTER V.

Gen. Greene. — Gen. Morgan — his birth; his early ca
reer ; his valor at the assault on Quebec ; his capture ;
is exchanged, and is at the battle of Saratoga ; receives
ill treatment from Gen. Gates ; joins the Southern
Army — Greene's estimation of Marion — description of
him by Col. Lee. Marion destroys the waggons and
baggage of the British at Keithjield. — Morgan — Col.
Washington — Rudgely, the tory, and his garrison cap
tured. Distressed situation of the inhabitants of Ninety-
Six. Tarleton in pursuit of Morgan. The battle of
Cnwpens. Tarleton is pursued. Narrow escape of Col.
Washington. Marion a terror to the Tories. Col.
Watson despatched in pursuit of Marion — some of Ma
rion's men butchered by the tories. Watson's expedi
tion to surprise Marion — death of the tory, Harrison —
Marion fording Black River — the bridge jired — retreat
of Watson — skirmish at Wither spoon's ferry, etc., etc.

General Greene, a soldier of great firmness and pru
dence, directed his whole attention to the high duties of
his command. He found the army not more than two
thousand, and but scantily supplied with provisions and
ammunition. But the unfavorable aspect did not dis-
curage him. A wide sphere of intellectual resource
enabled him to inspire confidence, to rekindle courage,
to decide hesitation, and infuse a spirit of exalted patrio
tism in the citizens of the State. By his own example,
he showed the value of obedience, of patience, vigilance
and temperance. Dispensing justice with an even
hand to the citizen and soldier ; benign in heart, and
happy in manners ; he gained the attachment and esteem
of all. He collected around his person able and re-

84

SKETCH OF GEN. MORGAN. 85

spectable officers ; and selected, for the several depart-
ments, those who were best qualified to fill them. His
operations were then commenced with a boldness of
design, well calculated to raise the drooping spirits of
his country, and to excite the respect of his enemy.

Eldest among his officers, and at this period fore
most in renown, was General Morgan. As much as
is the case with any mortal, this veteran's reputation
and fortune were the work of his sword. His mind, of
perfect Roman texture, its firmness and valor, which
originally nothing could shake, had been still further
strengthened by much severe and dangerous service.
Nor were his corporeal qualities less adapted to the toils
of war and the exertions of battle. His frame being
large, and his person muscular, early labor and exten
sive practice in athletic, more especially pugilistic exer
cises, had rendered him exceedingly strong and capable
of enduring great fatigue; and had further taught him
the art of using his strength when engaged in combat
with the deadliest effect.

He was born in New Jersey, where from his poverty
and low condition he had been a day-laborer. To early
education and breeding therefore, he owed nothing.
'But for this deficiency his native sagacity and sound
judgment, and his intercourse with the best society,
made much amends in after life. Enterprizing in his
disposition even now, he removed to Virginia in 1755,
with a hope and expectation of improving his fortune.
Here he continued at first his original business of day
labour; but exchanged it afterwards for the employ
ment of a wagoner.

His military novitiate he served in the campaign
under the unfortunate Braddock. The rank he bore is
not precisely known. It must however have been hum-
8

86 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

ble; for, in consequence of imputed contumely towards
a British officer, he was brought to the halbert, and re
ceived the inhuman punishment of five hundred lashes ;
or, according to his own statement, of four hundred and
ninety-nine ; for he always asserted that the drummer
charged with the execution of the sentence miscounted,
and jocularly added " that George the third, was still
indebted to him one lash." To the honor of Morgan,
he never practically remembered this savage treatment
during the revolutionary war. Towards the British
officers whom the fortune of battle placed within his
power, his conduct was humane, mild and gentlemanly.

After his return from this campaign, so inordinately
was he addicted to quarrels and boxing matches, that
the village of Berrystown, in the county of Frederick,
which constituted the chief theatre of his pugilistic ex
ploits, received from this circumstance the name of
Battletown. In these combats, although frequently
overmatched in personal strength, he manifested the
same unyielding spirit which characterised him after
wards in his military career. When worsted by his
antagonist he would pause for a time to recruit his
strength, and then return to the contest again and again
until he rarely failed to proye victorious. Equally
marked was his invincibility of spirit in maturer age,
when raised by fortune and his own merit to a higher
and more honorable field of action. Defeat in battle
he rarely experienced ; but when he did, his retreat was
sullen, stern and dangerous.

The commencement of the American revolution
found Mr. Morgan married, and cultivating a farm,
which by industry and economy he had been enabled
to purchase in the county of Frederick. Placed at
the head of a rifle company raised in his neighbor

MORGAN SUPERIOR TO TEMPTATION. 67

hood in 1775, he marched immediately to the Ameri
can head-quarters in Cambridge, near Boston. By
order of the Commander-in-chief, he soon afterwards
joined in the expedition against Quebec, and was
made prisoner in the attempt on that fortress, where
Arnold was wounded and Montgomery fell. During
the assault, his daring valor and persevering gallantry
attracted the notice and admiration of the enemy. The
assailing column to which he belonged was led by
Major Arnold. When that officer was wounded and
carried from the ground, Morgan threw himself into*t he
lead, and rushing forward, passed the first and second
barriers. For a moment victory appeared certain. But
the (all of Montgomery closing the prospect, the assail
ants were repulsed and the enterprise abandoned.*

During his captivity, Captain Morgan was treated
with great kindness and not a little distinction. Me
was repeatedly visited in confinement by a British offi
cer of rank, who at length made an attempt on his
patriotism and virtue by offering him the commission
and emoluments of Colonel in the British army on con
dition that he would desert the American and join the
royal standard. Morgan rejected the proposal with
scorn ; and requested the courtly and corrupt negocia-
tor " never again to insult him in his misfortunes by an
offer which plainly implied that he thought him a vil
lain." The officer withdrew and did not again recur
to the subject.

On bejng exchanged, Morgan immediately rejoined
the American army, and received, by the recommenda
tion of General Washington, the command of a regi
ment. In the year 1777, he was placed at the head of

* Caldwell's Life of Greene.

88 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

a select rifle corps, with which in various instances he
acted on the enemy with terrible effect. His troops
were considered the most dangerous in the American
service. To confront them in the field was almost cer
tain death to the British officers.

On the occasion of the capture of Burgoyne, the ex
ertions and services of Colonel Morgan and his rifle
men were beyond all praise. Much of the glory of the
achievement belonged to them. Yet so gross was the
injustice of General Gates, that he did not even men
tion them in his official despatches. His reason for
this was secret and dishonorable. Shortly after the
surrender of Burgoyne, General Gates took occasion to
hold with Morgan a private conversation. In the course
of this he told him confidentially, that the main army
was exceedingly dissatisfied with the conduct of Gene
ral Washington ; that the reputation of the Commander-
in-chief was rapidly declining; and that several officers
of great worth threatened to resign unless a change
were produced in that department.

Colonel Morgan, fathoming in an instant the views
of his commanding officer, sternly and with honest in
dignation replied, " Sir, I have one favor to ask. Ne
ver again mention to me this hateful subject ; under no
other man, but general Washington as commander-in-
chief, will I ever serve."

From that moment ceased the intimacy that had
previously subsisted between him and General Gates.
A few days afterwards the general gave a dinner to
the principal officers of the British, and some of those
of the American army. Morgan was not invited. In
the course of the evening that officer found it necessary
to call on general Gates, on official business. Being
introduced into the dining-room, lie spoke to the gene-

MORGAN AND GATES. 89

rai, received his orders, and immediately withdrew, his
name unannounced.

Perceiving from his dress that he was of high rank,
the British officers inquired his name. Being told that
it was Colonel Morgan commanding the rifle corps, they
rose from the table, followed him into the yard, and in
troduced themselves to him, with many complimentary
and flattering expressions, declaring that on the day of
action they had very severely felt him in the field.

In 1780, having obtained leave of absence from the
army, on account of the shattered condition of his
health, he retired to his estate in the county of Freder
ick, and remained there until the appointment of gene
ral Gates to the command of the Southern army. Be
ing waited on by the latter, and requested to accompany
him, he reminded him, in expressions marked by resent
ment, of the unworthy treatment he had formerly ex
perienced from him in return for the important services
which he did not hesitate to assert he had rendered him,
in his operations against the army of Gen. Burgoyne.

Having received no acknowledgment, nor even
civility for aiding to decorate him with laurels in the
north, he frankly declared that there were no consider
ations, except of a public nature, that could induce him
to co-operate in his campaigns to the south. " Motives
of public good might influence him ; because his
country had a claim on him in any quarter where he
could promote her interest ; but personal attachment
must not be expected to exist where he had exper'enced
nothing but neglect and injustice."

The two officers parted mutually dissatisfied ; the
one on account of past treatment, the other of the re
cent interview.

In the course of a few weeks afterwards, Congress

00 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

having promoted colonel Morgan to the rank of bri
gadier-general by brevet, with a view to avail themselves
of his services in the south, he proceeded without delay
to join the army of General Gates. But he was pre
vented from serving any length of time under that
officer, by his defeat near Camden before his arrival ;
and his being soon afterwards superseded in command
by General Greene.

Such were the qualifications, and such had been the
services of general Morgan, when Greene took com
mand of the Southern army. His conduct in the battle
of the Cowpens will be stated hereafter. There existed
in his character a singular contradiction which is
worthy of notice. Although in battle, no man was
ever more prodigal of the exposure of his person to
danger, or manifested a more deliberate disregard of
death, yet so strong was his love of life at other times,
than he has been frequently heard to declare, " he
would agree to pass half his time as a galley-slave
rather than quit this world for another."

The following outline of his person and character is
from the pen of a military friend who knew him
intimately. " Brigadier General Morgan was stout and
active, six feet in height, strong, not too much encum
bered with flesh, and was exactly fitted for the toils and
pomp of war. His mind was discriminating and solid,
but not comprehensive and combining ; his manners
plain and decorous, neither insinuating nor repulsive ;
his conversation grave, sententious, and considerate,
unadorned and uncaptivating. He reflected deeply,
spoke little, and executed with keen perseverance what
ever he undertook. He was indulgent in his military
command, preferring always the affections of his troops,

91

to that dread and awe, which surround the rigid dis
ciplinarian."

A considerable time before his death, when the pres
sure of infirmity began to be heavy, he became seriously
concerned about his future welfare. From that period,
his chief solace lay in the study of the scriptures, and
in devotional exercises. He died in the belief of the
truths of Christianity, and in full communion with the
Presbyterian church.*

Gen. Greene fully appreciated the value of an officer
like a Marion, in a country full of deep rivers and im
passable creeks and swamps, where Whigs and Tories
were hourly butchering each other. " Spies are the
eyes of an army," Greene wrote to Marion, " and
without them a general is always groping in the dark,
and can neither secure himself, nor annoy his enemy.
At present I am badly off for intelligence. It is of the
highest importance that I get the earliest intelligence of
any reinforcement which may arrive at Charleston. I
wish you, therefore, to fix some plan for procuring such
information and conveying it to me with all possible
despatch. The spy should be taught to be particular in
his inquiries, and get the names of the corps, strength,
and commanding officer's name — place from whence
they came and where they are going. It will be best
to fix upon some body in town for doing this, and have
a runner between you and him to give you the intelli
gence ; as a person who lives out of town cannot make
the inquiries without being suspected. The utmost
secrecy will be necessary in the business."

Of Marion and his movements at this time, we have
the following description from the pen of Col. Lee.

* CaldwelPs Life of Greene.

92 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

" Marion was about forty-eight years of age, small in
stature, hard in visage, healthy, abstemious and taciturn.
Enthusiastically wedded to the cause of liberty, he de
plored the doleful condition of his beloved country.
The commonweal was his sole object ; nothing selfish,
nothing mercenary, soiled the ermine of his character.
Fertile in stratagem, he struck unperceived ; and retir
ing to those hidden retreats, selected by himself, in the
morasses of Pedee and Black river, he placed his corps
not only out of the reach of his foe, but often out of
the discovery of his friends. A rigid disciplinarian, he
reduced to practice the justice of his heart ; and during
the difficult course of warfare, through which he passed,
calumny itself never charged him with violating the
rights of person, property or humanity. Never avoid
ing danger, he never rashly sought it ; and acting for
all around him as he did for himself, he risked the lives
of his troops only when it was necessary. Never
elated with prosperity, nor depressed by adversity, he
preserved an equanimity which won the admiration of
his friends, and exacted the respect of his enemies.
The country from Camden to the sea-coast, between
the Pedee and Santee rivers, was the theatre of his
exertions."

When Lee joined Marion, previous to the assault on
Georgetown, (detailed in the preceeding chapter) an
officer, with a small party, was sent in advance to find
out Marion, who was known to be constantly changing
his position among the swamps of Pedee, sometimes in
South Carolina, sometimes in North Carolina, and
sometimes on the Black river. With the greatest diffi
culty did this officer learn how to communicate with
him ; and did it by the accident of hearing among our
friends on the north side of the Pedee, of a small pro-

PREDATORY WARFARE. 93

vision party of Marion being on the same side of the
river. Making himself known to this party, he was
conveyed to the general, who had changed his ground
since his party left him, which occasioned many hours
search even before his own men could find him.*

While at Snow's island, Marion kept himself busy
in annoying the enemy. In January 1781, he sent
two small detachments of militia, under the command
of Major Postell and Cap. Postell, to cross the Santee.
The former destroyed a great quantity of valuable
stores at Manigault's ferry ; the latter did the same at
another place in the vicinity. Marion himself marched
to Keithneld, near Monk's corner, where he destroyed
fourteen wagon-loads of soldier's clothing and baggage ;
besides several other valuable stores, and took forty
prisoners, chiefly British regulars, and effected the
whole without any loss. In the course of these desul
tory operations, he killed and captured a number of
British and Tories, more than double his own force.f

Gen. Greene, conscious that it would be madness to
encounter the superiority of the British forces in a
pitched battle, encouraged this predatory warfare, and
many skillful and gallant successes were obtained over
the enemy in these skirmishes. On one occasion, Bri
gadier Morgan penetrated the country between the two
armies, after a foraging party of British. But the
vigilant adversary eluded the blow, and returned in
safety to Camdea. Lieut. Col. Washington,:): at the
head of the cavalry, having taken a more extensive

* Lee's Memoirs. t Ramsay.— See Appendix D.

t Lieut. Col. William Washington, eldest son of Baily Wash
ington, of Stafford county, Va.

MARION AND HIS TIMES. 94

range than the infantry, discovered that a party of loy
alists were stationed at Rudgley 's farm, about twelve miles
from Camden. He moved instantly towards them, in
expectation of carrying the post by surprise ; but in this
he was disappointed, as they occupied a barn, surround
ed by an abattis, and secure from an attempt of calva
ry. Rudgley and his friends were delighted with the
safety their precaution had produced, and viewed the
approach of horse with indifference. Short was their
repose. Col. Washington, well informed of the char
acter of his enemy, shaped the trunk of a tree in imita
tion of a field piece, and, bringing it up in military
style, affected to prepare to cannonade the barn. To
give solemnity to the device, he sent in a flag, warning
the garrison of the impending destruction, which could
only be avoided by submission. Not prepared to resist
artillery, Rudgley seized with promptitude the oppor
tunity, and, with his garrison of one hundred men,
surrendered at discretion !

Gen. Greene, understanding that the inhabitants of
the district of Ninety six, who had submitted to the royal
authority, were severely harrassed by the acts of plun
der committed by the King's troops and the Tories, des
patched Gen. Morgan into that quarter with a small de
tachment, which, on its arrival, was speedily increased
by the oppressed inhabitants, who were highly indig
nant and burning for revenge.*

The British commander-in-chief, hearing of this
movement, despatched Col. Tarleton with a command
of 1100 men to drive Morgan out of the district. This
detachment, after a fatiguing progress of some days,
at about ten o'clock, on the evening of the 16th January,

* See Appendix E.

THE BATTLE OP COWPENS. 95

(1781) reached the ground which Morgan had quitted
but a few hours previous. The pursuit commenced at
2 o'clock next morning, and was rapidly continued
through marshes and broken grounds till day-light.

Morgan, having been accustomed to fight and con
quer, did not relish this eager pursuit of Tarleton ; and
sate down at a place called the Cowpens, near Pacolet
river, to give rest and refreshment to his troops, with
a resolution no longer to avoid action, should his enemy
persist in pressing it. The British, beside their field
pieces, had the superiority in infantry, in the proportion
of five to four, and in cavalry of more than three to
one. Beside, nearly two-thirds of the troops under Mor
gan were militia. Morgan drew up his men in two
lines. The whole of the North and South Carolina
militia present, were put under the command of Col.
Pickens, and formed the first line, which was advanced
a few hundred yards before the second, with orders to
form on the right of the second when forced to retiree.
The second line consisted of the light infantry under
Lieut. Col. Howard, and the Virginia riflemen.
Lieut. Col. Washington, with his cavalry, and about
forty-five militia, mounted and equipped with swords,
under Lieut. M'Call, were drawn up at some distance
in the rear of the whole. The open wood in which
they were formed, was neither secured in front, flank
or rear.*

On the verge of battle, Morgan availed himself of
the short and awful interim to exhort his troops. First
addressing himself, with his characteristic pith, to the
line of militia, he extolled the zeal and bravery so often
displayed by them, when unsupported with the bayonet

* Gordon's History.

96 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

or sword ; and declared his confidence that they would
not fail in maintaining their reputation, when supported
by chosen bodies of horse and foot, and conducted by
himself. Nor did he forget to glance at his own unva
rying fortune, and superior experience ; or to mention
how often, with his corps of riflemen, he had brought
British troops, equal to those before him, to submission.
He described the deep regret he had already experienced
in being obliged, from prudential considerations, to re
tire before the enemy ; exhorted the line to be firm and
steady, to fire with good aim, arid if they would pour
in but two volleys at killing distance, he would take
upon himself to secure victory. Then, taking post with
his line, he waited in stern silence for the enemy.*

The British, led by Tarleton himself, advanced with
a loud shout to the attack, and poured in an incessant
fire of musketry. Col. Pickens directed the militia not
to fire until the British were within forty or fifty yards.
This order, though executed with great firmness, was
not sufficient to repel the enemy. The British ad
vanced rapidly and engaged the second line. The
Continentals, after an obstinate resistance, were com
pelled to retreat to the cavalry. Col. Ogilvie, of the
enemy, had been ordered to charge the right flank of
the Americans, and was engaged in cutting down the
militia ; but being exposed to a heavy fire, and charged
at the same time by Col. Washington's dragoons, he was
forced to retreat in confusion. A great number of the
British infantry officers had already fallen, and nearly
a proportionable one of privates. Col. Howard seized
this favorable opportunity, rallied the Continentals, and
charged with fixed bayonets, nearly at the same mo-

* Lee's Memoirs.

VICTORY OF THE AMERICANS. 97

ment when Col. Washington made his successful at
tack. The example was instantly followed by the
militia. Nothing could exceed the astonishment of the
British, occasioned by these unexpected charges.
Their advance fell back, and communicated a panic to
others, which soon became general. Two hundred
and fifty horse, which had not been engaged, fled
through the woods with the utmost precipitation, bearing
down such officers as opposed their flight ; and the
canon were soon seized by the Americans, the detach
ment from the train being either killed or wounded in
their defence. The greatest confusion now followed
among the infantry. In the moment of it, Lieut. Col.
Howard called to them to lay down their arms, and
promised them good quarters. Some hundreds accepted
the offer and surrendered. The first battalion of the
71st. regiment, and two British light-infantry com
panies, laid down their arms to the American militia.
The only body of infantry that escaped was a detach
ment left at some distance to guard the baggage.
Early intelligence of the defeat was conveyed, by some
Tories, to the officer commanding that corps. What
part of the baggage could not be carried off, he imme
diately destroyed ; and with his men mounted on the
wagons and spare horses, he retreated to Lord Corn-
wallis. The British had 10 commissioned officers and
upwards of a 100 rank and file killed ; 200 wounded;
29 commissioned officers, and above 500 privates fell
into the hands of the Americans, besides two pieces of
artillery (first taken from the British at Saratoga, then
retaken by them at Camden, and now recovered by the
Americans) two standards, 800 muskets, 35 baggage
wagons, and upwards of 100 dragoon horses.

Col. Washington pursued Tarleton's cavalry for sev-
9

98 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

era! miles, but the far greater part of them escaped.
In the eagerness of pursuit, Col. Washington advanced
nearly thirty yards in front of his regiment. Observing
this, three British officers wheeled about, and made a
charge upon him. The officer on his right was aim
ing to cut him down, when a sergeant came up and
intercepted the blow by disabling his sword arm. At
the same instant, the officer on his left was also about
to make a stroke at him, when a waiter, too small to
wield a sword, saved him by wounding the officer with
a ball discharged from a pistol. At this moment the
officer in the centre, who was believed to be Tarleton,
made a thrust at him, which he parried ; upon which
the officer retreated a few paces, and then discharged
a pistol at him, which wounded his knee.*

In this battle the Americans had only 12 men killed
and 60 wounded.

In the meantime General Marion actively followed
up his operations against the British and Tories on the
Pedee river, and he so effectually thwarted the schemes
of the enemy, that to drive him out of the country be
came again a favorite object of Lord Cornwallis. He
and his brigade were the terror of the Tories. A. new
and well-concerted attempt to destroy, or disperse, the
brigade was made early in 1781. Tarleton and others,
as we have seen, were engaged in pursuit of Marion
without success ; and now a Col. Watson was sent
with a body of picked men, amounting to five hundred,
with orders to search him out and destroy him and his
brigade. This march was to be conducted with great
caution, and was remarkably well planned.

Meanwhile Marion, Col. Horry, Major and Captain

* Marshall's Life of Washington.

INHUMANITY OF THE TORIES. 99

Postell, M'Cawley, and others, continued their opera
tions against the British posts and the Tories. The
warfare was various and bloody. Marion always felt
the want of ammunition. Often did he go into an en
gagement when he had not three rounds to each man
of his party. At other times he brought his men into
view, though without a particle of ammunition, that he
might make a show of numbers to the enemy. To
provide swords for his brigade, the saws of the mills
throughout the country were put into the hands of
blacksmiths and converted into sabres. He and his
men slept in the open air, and sheltered themselves in
the thick recesses of deep swamps ; from whence he
sallied out whenever an opportunity of harassing the
enemy presented itself.

Lieut. Roger Gordon, of Marion's party, being on a
scout upon Lynch's creek, stopped at a house for re
freshments. While there, the house was beset and
fired by a Capt. Butler and a party of Tories, greatly
superior in numbers. Gordon's party surrendered
upon a promise of quarters, but after laying down their
arms, Butler fell upon them and butchered ihemincold
blood. In consequence of this massacre " No quarters
for Tories" was hereafrer the cry of Marion's men
when going into action. Still, however, the regular
British forces were treated with lenity, and agreeably
to the generally received rule^of war, when they laid
down their arms.

Whilst the brigade were encamped at Snow's island,
Major John Postell was stationed to guard the lower
part of the river Pedee. While there, Capt. James
Depeyster of the royal army, with 29 grenadiers,
having taken post in the house of the major's father,
the major posted his small command of 28 militia men
u

100 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

in such positions as commanded its doors, and demand
ed their surrender. This being refused, he set fire to
an out-house, and was proceeding to burn that in which
they were posted ; and nothing but the immediate
submission of the whole party restrained him from
sacrificing his father's valuable property to gain an
advantage for his country.

As has been stated, careful preparations were in em
bryo for the surprise and capture of Marion and his
brigade. Col. Watson, to whom this expedition was
entrusted, left Fort Watson early in the spring, with
five hundred men ; and at the same time Col. Doyle,
at the head of a British regiment, left Camden, to join
Watson at Snow's island, as it is supposed. Watson
moved down the Santee. Of his movements Marion
had ample information, but the slow approach of Doyle
was in a measure unsuspected.

Marion called in his scouting parties, and marched
with his whole force to encounter Watson. He laid
the first ambuscade for Watson, at a swamp nearly
opposite the mouth of the present Santee canal, on the
east side of the river. Marion had but very little am
munition ; not more than two rounds to each man. His
orders were to give two fires and retreat ; and they
were executed by Col. Peter Horry with great effect.
Watson made good the passage of the swamp, and sent
Major Harrison, with a*corps,of Tory cavalry and
British, in pursuit of Horry. This had been forseen
by the cautious Marion ; and Cap. Daniel Conyers, at
the head of a party of cavalry, was placed in a second
ambuscade. As soon as the Tories and British came
up, Conyers, in a spirited and well-directed charge
killed with his own hands the officer who led the oppo
site charge, (Harrison,) and his men followed his gal-

MARION FOBBING THE RIVER. 101

lant example. Many of Harrison's party were killed,
and the remainder made their escape to the main body
of the British.

Marion continued to harrass Watson on his march,
keeping just sufficiently ahead of him to place an am
buscade wherever an opportunity presented itself; by
pulling up bridges, and opposing him in like manner
at every difficult pass, until they reached the lower
bridge oh Black river, seven miles below King's Tree.
Here Watson made a feint of marching down the
road to Georgetown. Marion, being too weak to de
tach a party t« the bridge, had taken an advantageous
post on the road ; when Watson, wheeling suddenly
about, gained possession of the bridge on the west side.
This was an important pass on the road leading into
the heart of Williamsburg and to Snow's island. The
river on the west runs under a high bluff; the grounds
on the opposite side are low, and the river, though
generally fordable, was then raised by a freshet nearly
up to the summit of the opposite shore.

Watson still hesitated about passing. Marion, with
out delay, approached the river, plunged into it on
horseback, and called his men to follow. With alac
rity they one and all followed their gallant leader,
reached the opposite shore in safety, and marched for
ward to occupy the east end of the bridge. Marion
detached Major James with forty musqueteers, and
thirty riflemen under M'Cottry, to burn the bridge.
The riflemen were posted to advantage on the river
bank; but as soon as their friends had gained posses
sion of the east end of the bridge, and had applied
fascines to it, Watson opened the fire of his artillery
upon them ; but it was unavailing. The west bank of
the river was so much elevated above the east, that be-
9*

102 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

fore his field pieces could be brought to bear upon the
Americans, his artillerists were exposed to the fire of
the riflemen, who deliberately picked them off as they
advanced to the summit of the hill. In the meantime
Major James's party fired the bridge.

Watson was now completely cut off in his attempt
to pass the river, and he was so much intimidated that
he retreated down the banks of the stream, Marion's
men picking off his men from the opposite shore.
Night put an end to the conflict, and both parties en
camped in the woods. On the following day, Marion
as successfully baffled every attempt of«the enemy to
cross the river, and Watson found himself losing so
many of his men, and the sharp-shooters of the Amer
icans annoyed him so effectually, that he turned and
retreated higher up the river; pitching his camp in the
most open field he could find, dreading the woods, be
hind every tree of which he feared a rifle. Thus he
remained several days, completely surrounded by an
active foe, who cut off his supplies, and his men were
almost hourly perishing in the continued skirmishing
that the Americans kept up. He finally proceeded by
forced marches towards Georgetown. Marion re-
crossed the river, and hung alternately on the rear, the
flanks, or the front of the enemy, until they reached
Sawpit bridge, nine miles from Georgetown, where a
skirmish took place, in which Watson very nearly lost
his life. Watson, fatigued in body, and mortified in
spirits, finally reached Georgetown.

Col. Doyle, meanwhile, had reached Snow's island,
and driven Col. Erwin, who had been left there with a
few men to guard it, from the place, and Marion's
stores had fallen into his hands. This was disastrous
intelligence to Marion, but, much as he grieved over

RETREAT OP DOYLE. 105

the loss of arms and ammunition, he was too well
schooled in adversity to regard it in any other light
than an accident of war, and he promptly marched his
men in pursuit of Doyle. Doyle made his way to
Lynch's creek at Witherspoon's ferry, where he posted
himself. When Marion arrived at the creek, they dis
covered the British on the opposite side busy in scut
tling the ferry boat. M'Cottry advanced in front,
cautiously approaching the water's edge, and gave
them an unexpected fire. A short conflict took place,
the balls of the enemy hitting the branches and tops
of the trees behind which the riflemen of M'Cottry
were sheltered, whilst the well directed aim of the latter
seldom failed of doing execution. Doyle retreated,
pursued several miles by Marion, and finally hurried
as fast as possible back to Camden.

This attempt to capture Marion and disperse his
brigade, proved as successful as the former similar
undertakings of Wemyss and Tarleton.

In addition to these skirmishes, Marion made two
descents upon Georgetown. In the first, he came un
expectedly on a body of Tories whom he charged and
dispersed, killing their captain and several privates. In
the second, he marched to Georgetown, and began re
gular approaches against the British post at that place.
The British evacuated their works, and retreated to
Charleston.

CHAPTER VI.

Cornwallis pursues the American army. Greene joins
Morgan. Crossing of the Catawba — crossing the Yad-
kin — crossing the Dan. Marion's enter prize against
the British and Tories. Gen. Greene returns into
North Carolina. A gathering of the Tories ; Colonel
Lee's manoeuvre by which between 200 and 300 of them
are cut to pieces. Tarleton's retreat. Greene asking
bread of his soldiers. The battle of Guilford Court-
House. Marion besieges Fort Watson — Lee joins him
—novel expedient by which the fort is captured. The
battle of Camden, <SfC.

THE defeat of Col. Tarleton at Cowpens was highly
unexpected to Lord Cornwallis, and he instantly re
solved on a pursuit of the American army, with an
expectation of demolishing Morgan's corps, and re
gaining the British prisoners he had taken. Having
presented to the reader the partizan movements of
Marion, we now proceed to sketch the history of the
army up to the point of time concluding the exploits
of the partizans in the previous chapter.

Morgan, aware of the consequences of delay, sent
on the militia with the prisoners taken at Cowpens, and,
to cover their retreat, manceuvred in their rear with his
cavalry and infantry. Greene concluded that if he
were present with Morgan, he could so order the move
ments of both divisions for forming a junction, ns
would excel any directions which could otherwise be
given. He therefore left the camp, and set forward,
attended by one aid-de-camp, and two or three militia
men armed and mounted. The first intelligence he

106

f.
CROSSING OF THE CATAWBA. 107

gained on the route was that Cornwallis was marching
after Morgan with great expedition. Greene continued
his route, and, on the 31st of January, after a journey
of 150 miles, joined the light troops encamped at
Sherrard's Ford, on the north side of the Catawba.
About two hours after Morgan crossed the Catawba,
the British advance arrived. It rained hard that night,
and the river rose so high as to prevent Cornwallis
from getting over. Had the rise taken place a few
hours earlier, Morgan, with his whole detachment and
five hundred prisoners, would scarcely have had a
chance of escaping. Cornwallis could not cross for
two days, which gave an opportunity of sending the
prisoners forward with safety.

The arrival of Gen. Greene was no less providen
tial than the rise of the river. Gen. Morgan was for
retreating over the mountains, a different route from
what Greene proposed. So attached to his own opin
ion was Morgan, he declared he would not be answer
able for consequences if it was not followed. " Neither
will you," replied Greene, " for I shall take the mea
sure upon myself," and he gave directions accordingly.
The event has shown that the other route must have
proved fatal, and that the junction of the light troops
with the main army could not have been effected
by it.

When the waters subsided, Cornwallis crossed the
Catawba, and hurried on after the Americans, hoping
to overtake them before they should get over the Yad-
kin ; but when he arrived at that river, to his great
mortification, he found that the Americans had crossed
it, partly in flats, and partly by fording, and had se
cured the boats on the other side. Here, as at the

108 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

Catawba, a rapid rise of the river took place, and re
tarded the British.

Unable to cross at the spot where the Americans did,
Cornwallis was obliged to march his troops twenty-five
miles higher up the stream, where he found it fordable.
And whilst he was employed in this circuitous move
ment, time was given for Greene to unite his main army
with the forces of Morgan, on the 7th of February, near
Guilford Court House, where they rested and refreshed
themselves. Greene's forces still being so weak in com
parison to the enemy, he did not choose to risk an en
gagement, but hastened on towards the river Dan ;
whilst Cornwallis, traversing the upper country where
the streams are fordable, proceeded in the hope that he
might gain upon the Americans so as to overtake them,
in consequence of their being obstructed by the deep
water below. But the advantages resulting from the
season of the year, and from the face of a country in
tersected with rivers and creeks, were so improved by
the sagacity and activity of Greene, as completely to
baffle Cornwallis ; and his army crossed the Dan into
Virginia, artillery, baggage and all. So narrow was
the escape, however, that the van of Cornwallis's army
arrived in time to witness the ferrying over the rear.

It was with inexpressible vexation that Cornwallis dis
covered all his exertions had been in vain, that all his
hopes were frustrated. He consoled himself, however, with
the reflection that the American army being driven out
of North Carolina, he was master of the State, and in
a condition to recruit his forces by the accession of
Tories to his ranks. He erected the royal standard at
Hillsborough, and summoned all true subjects of His
Majesty, George III, to repair to it.

During these transactions, Gen. Marion defended

RISING OF THE TORIES. 109

himself with his faithful brigade, in the swamps and
morasses of the settlements near Charleston, and was
frequently sallying out from his hiding-places, and en-
terprizing something in behalf of his country. He in
tercepted the British convoys, infested their out-posts,
destroyed their stores, beat up their quarters, and so
harrassed them with alarms that they were always
obliged to be on their guard.

Cornwallis had long been led to suppose that there
would be a general risingof loyalists in his favor through
out the State of North Carolina. Greene being informed
that numbers had actually joined the royal standard at
Hillsborough, and that many others were repairing to
make their submission, was apprehensive that, unless
some spirited measure was immediately taken, the
whole country would be lost to the American cause.
He concluded, therefore, upon returning into North
Carolina. He re-crossed the Dan on the 21st of Febru
ary, and, the more effectually to alarm Cornwallis and
discourage the Tories, rode with his aid-de-camp twenty-
one miles towards the enemy, and within about fifteen
of his lordship. The report of his being within that
distance soon reached Cornwallis, who inferred that the
American army was equally near; and he despatched
Col. Tarleton with the British legion from Hillsborough
across the Haw river to Major O'Niell's plantation, to
protect a considerable number of loyalists appointed to
meet there on the 24th inst. Gen. Pickens and Col.
Lee, who had intelligence of Tarleton's movements,
concerted measures to bring him to action. Lee's cav
alry were to attack those of Tarleton's command,
while Pickens' militia should disperse the collected
Tories. These Tories got together in a great body, on
the night of February 25th, in a long lane leading
10

110 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

towards O'Neill's house. Lee led his cavalry into the
lane, mistaking the Tories for a part of Pickens' militia,
which he supposed had arrived there before him. After
he discovered the distinguishing red rag in their hats,
he with great presence of mind passed on, intending to
leave them to the treatment of their countrymen under
Pickens. When these came up, and a firing had com
menced between them and the royalists, Lee, with his
cavalry, returned and fell upon the latter, who not see
ing Tarleton's dragoons, mistook Lee's cavalry for
them. While laboring under this mistake, Lee and his
cavalry cut them down as they were making ardenl
protestations of loyalty, and asserting "that they were
the very best friends to the king." A horrid slaughter
was made of them, between 200 and 300 being cut to
pieces.

Tarleton was refreshing his legion about a mile from
the scene. Upon hearing the alarm, he ordered his
men to mount, precipitately re-crossed the Haw, and
returned to Hitlsborough. On his retreat he also cut
down several of the royalists as they were advancing
to join the British army, mistaking them for rebel mili
tia of the country. This event, together with Greene's
having re-crossed the Dan, confused all the measures
of Cornwallis. The tide of public sentiment was no
longer in his favor. The recruiting service declined
and was stopped, which, had it proceeded a fortnight
longer, would have so strengthened his lordship that it
is more than probable he would have been able to keep
possession of the country. The advocates for royal
government were discouraged, and could not be induced
to act with confidence. Considerable numbers who
were on their way to join his lordship, returned home
to await further events.

ACTION NEAR GUILFOED COURT HOUSE 111

While Gen. Greene was in fact unequal to even de
fensive measures, and waited to have his army
strengthened, he lay for seven days within ten miles
of Cornwallis' camp ; but he took a new position every
night, and kept it as profound a secret with himself
where the next was to be ; so that Cornwallis could not
gain intelligence of his situation in time to avail him
self of it. During these manoeuvres, Greene was often
obliged to ask bread of the common soldiers, having
none of his own. Miserable too was the situation of
his men for clothing, " many hundreds of the soldiers
marking the ground with their bloody feet. But not
withstanding their sufferings and excessive fatigue, they
remained in good spirits."*

On the 15th of March an engagement took place
near Guilford Court-house. All the advantages of vic
tory were on the side of the Americans, for although
Cornwallis kept, the field, he had suffered such loss in
the action, that he was unable to act on the offensive
directly after, and was soon compelled to march to
wards Wilmington, (N.C.) leaving his sick and wounded
behind him. On his retreat he was pursued by Gen.
Greene as far as Deep river. f

The prompt resolution of Gen. Greene now was to
carry the war without delay into South Carolina ; there
by to oblige the enemy to follow him, or to endanger

* Letter from Greene to Gen. Washington. — One day, Gen.
Greene, passing a sentinel who was barefooted, said " I fear, my
good fellow, you suffer much from the cold." — " Very much,"
was the reply, "but I don't complain; I know we should fare
better if our general had the means of getting us supplied. They
say, however, we shall have a fight in a few days, and then I shall
take care to secure a pair of shoes for myself."

i See Appendix F.

112 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

their posts in that state. He discharged all his militia,
refreshed his regular troops, collected a few days' pro
visions, marched on the 5th of April towards Camden,
and in the morning of the 20th encamped at Log-town,
within sight of the enemy's works. On this march,
Col. Lee, with his partizan legion, was detached to join
Gen. Marion, on a secret expedition. To secure the
provisions that grow on the banks of the Santee and
Congaree rivers, the British had erected a chain of
posts in their vicinity. One of the most important was
on Wright's Bluff, and called Fort Watson, situated be
tween Camden and Charleston. To take this fort was
a desirable object of the commander of the American
army, and the undertaking was consigned to Marion,
and Lee was to assist.

Lee having arrived within a day's distance of the
Pedee, sent forward an officer, with a small party of
dragoons, to discover in what part of his extensive
range the Swamp Fox then was. The officer, on
reaching the river, learned that Marion, when heard
from a few days before, was in the swamps of Black
river. This was his general quarters when he found
it necessary to retire from active service. It not only
afforded safety, but, there being several fertile plan
tations in one settlement, he was well supplied with
provisions and forage. Marion received with joy Lee's
officer, and furnished boats, which he kept concealed
on the Pedee, for the transportation of the corps across
the river. That the meeting of these military friends
was cordial, we have from various authority. They had
not met since their joint attempt upon Georgetown, and
were rejoiced at being again united in the great object
of wresting South Carolina from the British. The
letter from Gen. Greene, inclosing his plan of opera-

SIEGE OF FORT WATSON. 113

tions, was delivered by Lee to Marion. The evening
was devoted to repose, and on the next day the two
corps quitted the dark and marshy recesses of the
swamp, for the execution of the trust confided to them.

Determined to carry Fort Watson without delay, on
the 15th of April, Marion, with Lee, sat down before it.
Marion commanded the place to surrender, but was
answered by a haughty defiance from Cap. M'Koy, the
commandant. The fort was an Indian mound, gene
rally supposed to have been the burial-place, at some
remote period, of the aborigines inhabiting that region ;
it was at least thirty feet high, and surrounded by
table land.

Marion, from information he had received, did not
doubt but the garrison would soon be compelled to ca
pitulate for want of water, with which it was supplied
from an adjacent lake, ahd from which it was now in
his power to effectually seclude it. Cap. M'Koy, the
commandant, saw at once his inevitable fate, unless he
could devise some other mode of procuring water, for
which purpose he sunk a well within the fort, and baf
fled Marion's expectation upon this point.

Destitute both of artillery and intrenching tools,
Marion and Lee began to be doubtful of success, when
Major Mayham, one of the brigade, suggested a plan,
which was no sooner communicated than adopted. He
proposed to cut down a number of trees, and with
them, piled crosswise, one above the other, to raise a
tower sufficiently high to overlook the enemy's breast
work ; this tower to be covered at the top with a floor
of logs to stand upon ; and protected on the side op
posite the fort with a defence of light timber. Dragoons
were immediately despatched to the neighboring farms
for axes, the only necessary tool, of which a sufficient
10*

114 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

number being soon collected, relays of working parties
were allotted for the labor ; some to cut, some to con
vey, and some to erect.

Major Mayham undertook the execution of his plan,
which was completely finished before the morning of
the 23rd, presenting to the eyes of the besieged a lofty
tower of an elevation higher than their fort. The be
sieged, like the besiegers, were unprovided with artil
lery, arid could not interrupt the progress of the work.

A party of riflemen, being ready, took post in the
wooden tower the moment it was completed ; and a
detachment of musketry, under cover of the riflemen,
moved to make a lodgment in the enemy's ditch, sup
ported by Lee,s legion with fixed bayonets. Such was
the eminence of the tower, the riflemen fired into every
part of the fort, and Cap. M'Koy, finding every re
source cut off, hung out the white flag. It was fol
lowed by a proposal to surrender, which resulted in
capitulation. Marion despatched an official letter to
Gen. Greene, dated the same day, (April 23. 1781,)
detailing the manner in which the fort was taken ; en
closing a list of the prisoners and stores taken, and
announcing his determination of marching to the High
Hills of Santee, there to await his orders. The num
ber of prisoners taken were 114. In the course of the
following day they were brought to the camp of Greene.

Camden was defended by Lord Rawdon with about
900 men, and already straitened for provisions, and
despairing of succor, he resolved to risk a battle.
Giving orders for his troops to make ready, he ad
vanced at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 25th April,
and, avoiding the direct approach to the American
camp, he took a circuitous course, along the margin of
the swamp which lines Pine-tree-creek, and winds with
its meanders.

BATTLE OF CAMDEN. 117

The Americans were most of them cooking their vic
tuals,* and Greene was at breakfast, when some of the
advance sentinels, half a mile in front of the camp, fired
upon the van of the British. The American army,
notwithstanding its short notice, was quickly ranged for
action. All the baggage, as is customary in general
actions, was ordered off. The cavalry, which was un
saddled and feeding on the first alarm, was quickly
ready ; and so certain was Greene of success, he ordered
Lieut. Col. Washington to turn the right flank of the
British, and to charge in their rear. By this time the
fire between the British van, and the American light-
infantry pickets became very lively. Greene in per
son led on two Virginia regiments. The artillery were
well posted and doing great execution, and a small body
of militia was coming into action, when suddenly a
number of the Americans began to retire, though the
danger was not apparently great, and every body
seemed ignorant of the cause. Col. Washington, in
the execution of the order given him, had at one time
possessed himself of near 200 prisoners; but he relin
quished the greatest part on seeing the army retire.
The officers he paroled on the field of battle ; and then
collecting his men, wheeled round, made his own re
treat good, carrying off with him fifty prisoners. The
fortune of the day was irretrievable, but Greene, with
his usual firmness, instantly took measures to prevent
Rawdon improving the success he had obtained. The

* In the morning Carrington joined, with a comfortable supply
of provisions, which had been rather scarce during the late hurried
changes of position. These were issued, and of course engaged a
portion of the troops ; 'while the residue were employed along the
rivulets in washing their clothes, an occupation which had been for
some days past impracticable. Lee' s Memoirs of the Southern War.

118 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

retreat was effected with such good order and delibera
tion, that most of the American wounded, all their artil
lery and baggage were safely carried off, together with
six royal commissioned officers, beside Col. Washing
ton's prisoners. The action was continued with inter
vals till about four in the afternoon, and till the Amer
icans had retreated about four miles ; when a detach
ment of the infantry and cavalry under Col. Washing
ton were ordered to advance and annoy the British.
The British retired to Camden ; the Americans en
camped about five miles from their former position.
The field of battle was occupied only by the dead.

Very soon after the action, Greene, knowing that
the British garrison could not subsist long in Camden
without fresh supplies from Charleston or the country,
detached a reinforcement to Marion, on the road to
Nelson's ferry ; and on the 3rd of May he crossed the
Wateree, and took occasionally such positions as would
most effectually prevent succors from going into the
town from that quarter. On the 7th of May, Lord
Rawdon received a considerable reinforcement under
Col. Watson. With this increase of strength, he at
tempted the next day to compel Gen. Greene to another
action, but found it impracticable. Failing in his design
he returned to Camden, and on the 10th burned the
jail, mills, many private houses, and a great part of
his own baggage. He then evacuated his post, and
retired with his whole army south of the Santee, leav
ing about thirty of his sick and wounded, and as many
of the Americans, taken in the recent action. He offered
every assistance in his power to the friends of the
British government who would accompany him. Seve
ral families accepted his offer, but were cruelly neglected
after their arrival at Charleston.

CHAPTER VII.

Evacuation of Camden — surrender of the garrison at
Orangeburg. Marion beseiges Fort Motte — anecdote
of Mrs. Motte — the roof of her mansion fired by ar
rows — surrender of the fort. Marion rapidly follows
up his successes — Georgetown surrenders to him. Ma
rion and Sumpter dispersing the lories. The seige
of Ninety Six ; the seige is abandoned. Greene offers
battle to Lord Rawdon. Marion and Lee drive Col.
Coates from Monk's corner — gallant pursuit of the
British — battle of Quinby bridge — Col. Armstrong —
fifty of the brigade killed. The execution of Col.
Hayne. Marion defeats the British at Parker's ferry.

- Battle of Eutaw Springs.

THE evacuation of Camden animated the friends of
patriotism, and daily increased their numbers, while
the British posts fell in quick succession. The day
after the evacution, the garrison of Orangeburg consist
ing of 70 British militia, and 12 regulars, surrendered
to Gen. Sumpter.

Marion and Lee, after the capture of Fort Watson,
crossed the Santee, and moved up to the siege of Fort
Motte. This post was the principal depot of the con
voys from Charleston to Camden. A large new man
sion house, belonging to Mrs. Motte, situated on a high
and commanding hill, had been selected by the British.
It was surrounded by a deep trench, along the interior
margin of which was raised a strong and lofty parapet.
To this post had been regularly assigned an adequate
garrison of about one hundred and fifty men, which
was now accidentally increased by a small detachment

119

120 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

of dragoons, — which had arrived from Charleston, a
few hours before the appearance of the American troops,
on its way to Camden, with despatches to Lord Raw-
don. The fort was commanded by Cap. M'Pherson,
with a garrison of 165 men.

Opposite Fort Motte, to the north, stood another hill,
where Mrs. Motte having been dismissed from her
mansion, resided in an old farm house. On this height,
Col. Lee, with his corps, took post, while Marion and
his brigade occupied the eastern declivity of the ridge
on which the fort stood. Very soon the fort was com
pletely invested ; and a six pounder was mounted on a
battery erected in Marion's quarter for the purpose of
raking the northern face of the enemy's parapet, against
which Lee was preparing to advance. M'Pherson was
unprovided with artillery, and depended for safety upon
timely relief, not doubting its arrival before the assail
ant could push his preparations to maturity.

The vale running between the two hills admitted a
safe approach for the Americans to within four hundred
yards of Fort Motte. This place was selected to break
ground. Relays of working parties being provided for
every four hours, and Marion having persuaded some
of the negroes from the neighboring plantations to as
sist, the works advanced with rapidity. It was on the
8th of May, the Americans set down before the fort,
and such was the forwardness of their works on the
10th, that it was determined to summon M'Pherson to
surrender.

A flag was accordingly despatched to the comman
dant ; he replied, that, disregarding consequences, he
should continue to resist to the last moment in his
power. The retreat of Rawdon was known in the
evening to the besiegers ; and in the course of the night

COL. LEE AND MRS. MOTTE. 121

a courier arrived from Gen. Greene confirming that
event, urging redoubled activity, and communicating
his determination to hasten to their support. Urged by
these strong considerations, Marion and Lee persevered
throughout the night in pressing the completion of the
works. On the next day, Rawdon reached the country
opposite Fort Motte ; and in the succeeding night, en
camping on the highest ground in his route, the illumi
nation of his fires gave the joyful annunciation of his
approach to the despairing garrison. But the hour was
close at hand to convert this joy into sadness.

The large mansion of Mrs. Motte in the centre of
the surrounding trench, left but a few yards of the
grounds within the fort uncovered, and burning the
house must force the garrison to surrender. The ex.
pedient of setting fire to the roof by shooting arrows
upon it, was the plan suggested by Marion, and orders
were instantly issued to prepare bows and arrows
with combustible matter.

The devoted house was a large pleasant edifice, in
tended for the summer residence of the respectable
owner, whose deceased husband had been a firm friend
to his oppressed country. Dearly was Mrs. Motte be
loved by the Americans, and it was with somewhat of
reluctance they adopted the measure. Nevertheless,
the imperative obligations of duty must be obeyed ; the
house must burn ; and a respectful communication to
the lady of her destined loss must be made. The next
morning, Col. Lee imparted to Mrs. Motte the intended
measure ; lamenting the sad necessity, and assuring
her of the deep regret which the unavoidable act ex
cited in his own breast and that of those under his
command.

With a smile of complacency, this exemplary lady
11

122 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

listened to the embarrassed officer, and gave instant re
lief to his agitated feelings, by declaring that she was
gratified with the opportunity of contributing to the
good of her country, and that she would view the ap
proaching scene with delight. Learning the manner
in which it was intended to set the house on fire, she
brought forward a bow and arrows, imported from Af
rica, that happened to be in her possession, requesting
their substitution, as probably better adapted for the
object than those already provided.

The lines were now manned, and an additional force
stationed at the battery, lest the enemy, perceiving his
fate, might determine to risk a desperate assault, as
offering the only chance of relief. As soon as the
troops reached their several points, a flag was again
sent to M'Pherson, for the purpose of inducing him to
prevent the conflagration and slaughter which else
must ensue. But the British captain remained immove-
able, repeating his determination of holding out to the
last.

It was now about noon, and the scorching rays of
the sun had prepared the shingles of the roof for con
flagration. The bow and arrows were put into the
hands of a strong-armed member of Marion's brigade.
He drew the bow, and an arrow flew, striking the
roof, and three of the shots communicated fire to the
shingles, quickly kindling it into a blaze. M'Pherson
ordered a party to repair to the roof of the house, and
by knocking off the shingles to stop the flames. As
soon as this was perceived, the fire of the six-pounder
was brought to bear upon them, and they were soon
driven down ; and no other effort, to stop the flames
being practicable, M'Pherson hung out the white flag.

SHIVEES1T7

SIEGE OF NINETY-SIX. 125

Mercy was extended, although policy commanded
death.*

Two days after this surrender, the British evacuated
their post at Nelson's ferry — blew up their fortifica
tions — and destroyed a great part of their stores. The
day following, Fort Granby, about thirty miles to the
westward of Fort Motte, surrendered by capitulation,
and 352 men, a great part of them Tories, were taken
prisoners. On the 21st of May, the British post at
Silver Bluff, called Fort Dreadnaught, surrendered to
a detachment of Americans^; prisoners, and a large
quantity of stores falling into the hands of the captors.

Marion now proceeded against Georgetown ; post
after post of the British had successively yielded, and
Gen. Greene was now ready to advance upon Ninety
Six, the only remaining fortress in the State, besides
Charleston, in the enemy's possession. Marion's ap
pearance before Georgetown was early in June, and the
garrison, after merely a feint of resistance, fled to their
galleys. Marion secured the stores, demolished the
works, and retired.

Ninety-six was strongly garrisoned by the British,
under Col. Cruger of New York, and, assiduous as
were the exertions of Gen. Greene, he was unsuccess
ful in his attempt to reduce it. Lord Rawdon, with a
reinforcement of troops from Ireland, marched from
Charleston and relieved it, compelling Greene to re
treat.

The following is an account of this siege as 4escribed
by Ramsay, in his Hist, of South Carolina, vol. 2. page
423, " Greene proceeded with the main army to Ninety-
Six. This place, being of great consequence, was de-

* Lee's Memoirs.
11*

126 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

fended by a considerable force. Lieut. Col. Cruger
conducted the defence with great bravery and judg
ment. On the left of the besiegers was a work erected
in the form of a star ; on the right was a strong stock
ade-fort, with two block-houses in it. The town, flanked
by these two works, was also picquetted with strong
picquets, and surrounded with a ditch, and a bank near
the height of a common parapet. There were also
several flushes in several parts of the town, and all the
works communicated with each other by covered ways.

" On the 23rd of May, 1781, the main body of the
American army encamped in a wood, within half a
mile of Ninety-Six ; and, on that night, threw up two
flushes within a hundred and fifty yards of the star
fort. The next morning the enemy made a sally, and,
being supported by the artillery and musketry from the
parapet of the star redoubt, drove the besiegers from
them. The next night two strong block batteries were
erected at the distance of three hundred and fifty yards,
which were opened in the morning. Another battery
twenty feet high, erected within two hundred and
twenty yards, was finished within a few days ; and
soon afterwards another of the same height was erect
ed within a hundred yards of the same fort.

" Approaches were gradually carried on against the
redoubt on the left. Col. Kosciusko, a young gentle
man of distinction from Poland,* superintended the

* Thaddeus Kosciusko, a Polish general and patriot, was born
in 1746, in Lithuania. When the American colonies threw off
the yoke of the Mother Country, Kosciusko entered into their
service and was made a colonel of engineers and aid-de-camp to
Washington. After the Independence of America, he returned
to his native country and took an active part in her struggles.
After the fall of Poland he was imprisoned in St. Petersburg un
til the accession of the Czar Paul, who liberated him. The re-

THE BRITISH REINFORCED. 127

operations of the besiegers, and by his assiduity, though
the ground was hard and the situation unfavorable, a
third parallel within thirty yards of the ditch was com
pleted on May 14th ; and a rifle-battery, upwards of
thirty feet high, erected at the same distance. On the
17th, the abbatis was turned, and two trenches and a
mine were extended so as to be within six feet of the
ditch. Few sieges afford greater instances of perseve
rance and intrepidity, than were exhibited on this
occasion by the besiegers and besieged. Riflemen were
employed on both sides, who immediately levelled at
every person who appeared in sight, and very seldom
missed their object. Various success attended the con
flicts between the several covering parties of the
workmen, and those who repeatedly sallied from the
garrison.

" On the 3rd of June, twelve days after the com
mencement of this siege, a fleet arrived at Charleston
from Ireland, having on board, the 3rd, 19th and 30th
regiments of his Britannic Majesty, a detachment from
the guards, and a considerable body of recruits, the
whole commanded by Lieut. Col. Gould. Earl Corn-
wallis had given permission to the commanders of the
British forces in South Carolina, to detain these rein
forcements if they conceived that the service of his
Britannic Majesty required it ; otherwise they were to
be sent forward to join his lordship. On the 7th of
June, Lord Rawdon marched from Charleston, with
these newly arrived troops, for the relief of the gar
rison at Ninety-Six. Great were the difficulties they

maining part of his existence was spent in America, France and
Switzerland, but chiefly in France. He died at Soleure, Oct.
17. 1817. — Biographical Dictionary.

128 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

had to encounter in rapidly marching under the rage
of a burning sun through the whole extent of South
Carolina.

" The American army had advanced their approach
es very near the critical point, after which further re
sistance on the part of the garrison would have been
temerity. At this interesting moment, intelligence was
received that Lord Rawdon was near at hand. An
American lady, who had lately married a British officer
then in the British garrison at Ninety-Six, had been
bribed by a large sum of money to convey a letter to
Col. Cruger with the news of the approaching relief.
The vicinity of this large force made it necessary for
the Americans either to raise the siege, or attempt the
reduction of the place by a coup-de-main. This last
was agreed. upon, and the necessary dispositions were
made on the 18th of June. Col. Lee, with his legion
of infantry, and Cap. Kirkwood's light infantry, made
the attack on the right. Col. Campbell, with the first
Maryland and first Virginia regiments, were to have
stormed the redoubt, the ditch of which was eight or
nine feet deep, the parapet eleven or twelve feet high,
and raised with sand-bags near three more.

" The forlorn-hopes were led on by lieutenants Du-
val and Sheldon, and were followed by a party with
hooks and intrenching tools, to pull down the sand-bags
and reduce the parapet. Had this been effected, the
beseiged could not have annoyed the assailants without
exposing themselves to the American marksmen. The
artillery soon made sufficient breaches bn the fortified
redoubt on the right, for the infantry under the com
mand of Col. Lee to assault the garrison. It was
therefore abandoned, and the Americans took posses
sion without loss. The parties, led by Duval and Shel-

CAPTURE OF BRITISH DRAGO fJS. 129

don entered the ditch, and, though galle J by an inces
sant fire, made every effort to get down the sand-bags.
Both these gallant officers were wounded, and not
more than one in six of their party escaped.

" The near approach of lord Rawdon, and the uncer
tainty of final success, induced Greene to raise the
siege, and retreat over the Saluda ; after having lost
about one hundred and fifty men."

It was a mortifying circumstance to the Americans,
to be obliged to abandon the siege when in the grasp
of victory. On this sudden turn of affairs, Greene
was advised by some persons to leave tne state, and
retire with his remaining force to Virginia. To such
suggestions he nobly answered — " I will recover the
country, or die in the attempt."

On the 20th of June, the American army crossed
the Saluda, and retired towards Broad River. They
reached the Enoree on the 24th. Thus far Lord Raw
don pursued them; when finding it impossible to over
take them, he faced about and returned. He consoled
himself with the imaginary advantage of having driven
the rebels out of the country, supposing they had gone
to North Carolina or Virginia. But Greene halted and
refreshed his army ; and, being informed that Raw
don, with about half his army, was marching to the
Congaree, all the effective infantry marched by way of
Winnsboro, to encounter the British. The -cavalry
was previously detached to watch the motions of Raw
don, and did it so effectually, that a part of them
charged and took a captain, a lieutenant, a cornet, and
forty-five privates of British dragoons, with all the
horses and accoutrements, one mile from their en
campment.

In the meantime,' Marion and Sampler were follow.

130 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

ing up their success in dispersing the Tories wherever
they got information of their gatherings. On the 12th
of July, Gen. Greene, having called in the militia un
der Marion and Sumpter, and attaching them to the
Continentals, offered Lord Rawdon battle. But his
lordship, secure in his strong position at Orangeburg,
would not venture out, and Greene was too weak to
attack him with any prospect of success. Greene now
detached the cavalry of the legion, the state troops,
and the militia, to make a diversion towards Charles
ton, and the rest of the army was ordered to the High
Hills of Santee. Sumpter was placed in command of
this detachment, with Lee, Marion, Taylor, Horry,
Mayham, Hampton, and others, acting under him.
This detachment was sent off to Monk's Corner, and
Dorchester, and moved by different roads to the scene
of operations.

Col. Lee broke up the post at Dorchester, and inter
cepted and captured all the wagons and horses belong
ing to a convoy of provisions, on its way to the Bri
tish. Col. Wade Hampton, with the state cavalry,
pressed on to within five miles of Charleston, fell in
with some mounted Refugees, dispersed the whole, and
made forty or fifty prisoners. He also took fifty pri
soners at Strawberry Ferry, and burned four vessels
loaded with valuable stores for the British army.
Sumpter and Marion hastened towards Monk's Cor
ner, where lay the 19th regiment of the British, com
manded by Col. Coates, with a garrison of 500 infan
try, and upwards of 100 cavalry, at Biggen's church,
about a mile distant. Sumpter and Marion arrived
before this post on the same day, and Col. Lee, having
called in his parties, followed on the subsequent morn
ing. Lee expected Sumpter would have seized the

BATTLE OF QUINBY BRIDGE. 133

bridge over Cooper river, near Monk's Corner, which
afforded a direct route to the militia camp. But Col.
Coates, the British commander, had very prudently
occupied the bridge with a detachment from his regi
ment, compelling Lee to take a very circuitous route
through deep sands, in the heat of July, to reach
Sumpter, then ready with Marion to fall upon the
enemy as soon as the desired junction should take
place. The next morning the enemy were to be as
saulted, but during the night Coates decamped, setting
fire to the church which had been used by him as a
magazine and fortress, and where a great quantity of
stores were accumulated. These stores Coates did not
choose to leave for the accommodation of the Ameri
cans, and at about midnight the latter descried from
their camp the roof of the building on fire.

Pursuit of the British was immediately commenced,
led on by Lee's legion and Hampton's state cavalry.
Lee came up with a part of the enemy near Quinby
bridge. With this body of men was the greater part
of the baggage of the British army. The Americans
charged upon them furiously, and so terrified were they
that they threw down their arms, and begged for quar
ters. The cavalry, leaving the captured in care of a
few militia, pressed on for Quinby bridge, and Captain
Armstrong, with the leading section, first came in sight
of Coates, who, having passed the bridge, was care
lessly reposing, waiting for his rear guard, which had
been captured, having determined to destroy the bridge
as soon as it and his baggage should have passed it.
Already he had raised the planks from the sleepers,
lying them on loosely, ready to be thrown into the
stream when the rear should get over.

Armstrong put spur to his horse, and at the head
12

134 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

of his section dashed over the bridge in face of the en •
emy, throwing himself upon the guard stationed there
with a howitzer. So sudden was this charge, he drove
all before him — the guard abandoning their piece.
Some of the loose planks were dashed off by Arm
strong's section, which, forming a chasm in the bridge,
presented a dangerous obstacle. Nevertheless the
second section, headed by Lieut. Carrington, took the
leap and closed with Armstrong. Cap. O'Neal, with
the third section, cowardly halted. The bridge was
densely crowded, and plank after plank sliding from the
bridge into the stream. The creek was deep in water
and deeper in mud, so that the dragoons, who had dis
mounted for the purpose of replacing the planks, could
not get a foothold to stand upon ; nor was it possible to
find any firm ground from which to swim the horses
across.

In this perplexing condition, the victory gained by
the gallantry of Armstrong and Carrington was wrested
from them, when to complete it only a passage across
the creek, not twenty yards wide, was wanting. The
British, discerning the state of matters, took courage
and rallied. Armstrong and Carrington, saw them
selves unsupported, and were compelled to abandon the
unequal contest. They forced their way down the road,
turning into the woods up the stream to rejoin the corps.
Col. Lee continued struggling to replace the planks,
until Coates, relieved from Armstrong, repaired with
the few around him to defend the bridge, where re
mained his deserted howitzer. The most of his men
had fled from the field — Coates himself, with a few
others, had gallantly defended himself at the side of a
wagon, effectually parrying the many sabre strokes
aimed at his head. Col. Lee, having only sabres to

DESTRUCTION AMONG THE BRIGADE. 135

oppose the enemy's fire, and those sabres withheld
from contact by the interposing chasm, was forced to
draw off from the vain contest, after several of his dra
goons had been wounded'.

As soon as he had reached the enemy, Lee des
patched the intelligence to Marion, urging his approach ;
and now foiled at the bridge, he communicated to Ma
rion his having moved some distance up the creek to
a ford. Marion pressed his march with diligence,
bringing with him the legion-infantry ; and having
passed the creek, united with Lee in the afternoon.
By this time the British, after destroying the bridge,
had advantageously posted themselves in the house and
negro huts of a plantation. An attack, however, was
made, the post of danger being taken by Marion and
his brigade, who followed it up for three hours. The
British were too securely posted to be dislodged, and
their fire from the houses was severely destructive
among the ranks of Marion, of whom between forty
and fifty were killed. The loss of the enemy was
seventy.

About this time Lord Rawdon, leaving Lieut. Col.
Stewart in command at Orangeburg, sailed for New-
York, and from there to Europe. Stewart did not es
tablish a post, as was expected, at Orangeburg, but,
moving his whole force towards the Santee, sat down
near the confluence of its two branches, about fifteen
miles from the American army, on the opposite side of
the river.

That we may form a clearer conception of the
miseries attending this war in South Carolina, we have
before us copies of letters transmitted to different per-

138 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

clause which required him to bear arms in support of
the royal government. The commandant of the gar
rison, Brig Gen. Paterson, and James Simpson Esqr,
intendant of the British police, assured him that this
would never be required ; and added further that when
the regular forces could not defend the country without
the aid of its inhabitants, it would be high time for the
royal army to quit it.

Having submitted to the royal government, he was
permitted to return to his family, happy in the expec
tation of preserving it through the prevailing pestilence.
But in this hope he was sorely disappointed ; his wife
and two children fell victims to the fatal malady.
These afflictions were augmented by the fact that the
British authorities, in violation of their contract with
him, repeatedly called upon him to take up arms
against his countrymen, and finally threatened him with
close confinement if he did not comply.

In this situation Hayne was found when Greene forced
the enemy from the upper country. A detachment of
Marion's militia, under Col. Harden, passing to the west
of the Edisto for the protection of their homes, reached
the neighborhood of Hayne. They solicited his co
operation. The success of their cause was the wish of
his heart he said, but stated the change in his political
condition, and that he was bound by his declaration of
allegiance. Yet he assured them -that whenever he
found the royal authority unable to afford its promised
protection, he should consider himself absolved from the
extorted allegiance, and would with joy enrol himself
with the defenders of his country.

Thus did Col. Hayne scrupulously adhere to a
contract which was never obligatory, — having been

COLt HAVNE AND Itt'LAUGHLIlV. 139

coerced by the duress of power, and in palpable violation
of the capitulation of Charleston.

Soon after this occurrence, the British were driven
below the Edisto, and nearly the whole country there
fell under protection of the American arms. Every
person in the recovered country believed himself re
leased from the obligations imposed by the late condi
tion of affairs ; for it was justly thought that the allegi
ance due to a conqueror ceased with his expulsion from
the subdued territory. Under this correct impression,
Hayne and many others repaired to the American camp.
His merit attracted immediate attention, and the militia
of his district honored him with the command of a regi
ment. He immediately took the field, and conducted
an expedition in the enemy's country. Some of his
mounted militia penetrated the neck of Charleston, and,
near the quarter-house, took Gren. Williamson prisoner.
This was the same Williamson who was an active offi
cer in the South Carolina militia from the commence
ment of the war to the surrender of Charleston, after
which event he became a British subject^ and was as
energetic in supporting the royal authority as before he
had been opposed to it.

Such was the anxiety of the British commandant to
rescue Williamson, he ordered out his whole cavalry on
the business. This detachment fell suddenly on the
camp of Flayne ; but was handsomely received and re
pelled by Col. Harden, who, owing to the inferiority of*
his force, did not deem it prudent to push his success
by pursuit. Col. Hayne, (attended by his second lieu
tenant, Col. M'Laughlin) had unfortunately gone to
breakfast with a friend about two miles from camp.
The house was on the Charleston road, and Hayne was
unapprized of the enemy's approach until he saw them

136 MARION AND HIS TIMES*

sons from Gen. Greene at this period, The following
are extracts — " The animosity of the Whigs and Tories
of this state, renders their situation truly deplorable.
There is not a day passes, but there are more or less
who fall a sacrifice to this savage disposition. The
whigs seem determined to extirpate the tories, and the
tories the whigs. Some thousands have fallen in this
way in this quarter, and the evil rages with more
violence than ever. If a stop cannot soon be put to
to these massacres, the country will be depopulated in
a few months more, as neither whig nor tory can live."
Among other atrocities, the murder of Col. Isaac Hayne
roused the indignation of the Americans, and left a
deep disgrace upon the character of the British — a dis
grace so indelible that time can never remove it.

During the siege of Charleston, Col Hayne served
his country in a corps of mounted militia. After
the capture of the city, and the investment of it with
British authority, no alternative was left him, but either
to abandon his family and property, or to surrender to
the conquerors. He concluded, that instead of waiting
to be captured, it would be more safe and honorable to
go within the British lines, and voluntarily surrender
himself. Accordingly he repaired to Charleston, and
offered to bind himself by the honor of an American
officer, to do nothing prejudicial to the British interest
till he should be exchanged. Reports made of his
superior abilities and influence, uniformly exerted in
the American cause, operated with the conquerors to
refuse him a parole, though they were daily granting
that indulgence to other inhabitants. He was told he
must either become a British subject or submit to close
confinement. To be arrested and detained in Charles
ton, was not to himself an intolerable evil, but to aban-

SITUATION OF COL. HAYNE. 187

don his family both to the ravages of the small-pox,
then raging in the neighborhood, and to the insults and
depradations of the loyalists, was too much for the
tender husband and fond parent. To acknowledge
himself the subject of a government which he had from
principle renounced, was repugnant to his feelings ; but
without this he was cut off from every prospect of a
return to his family. To his friend Dr. Ramsay,
(afterwards the historian) who was then a prisoner with
the enemy, he communicated the conflicting emotions
of his mind. " If the British," said he, " would grant
me the indulgence, which we in the day of our power
gave to their adherents, of removing family and proper
ty, I would seek an asylum in the remotest corner of
the United States rather than submit to their govern
ment ; but as they allow no other alternative than sub
mission or confinement in the capital, at a distance
from my wife and family, at a time when they are in
the most pressing need of my support, I must for the
present yield to the demand of the conquerors. I re
quest you to bear in mind, that, previous to my taking
this step, I declare that it is contrary to my inclination,
and forced on me by hard necessity. / never will
bear arms against my country. My new masters can
require no service of me but what is enjoined by the
old militia law of the province, which substitutes a fine
in lieu of personal service. That I will pay as the
price of my protection. If my conduct should be cen
sured by my countrymen, I beg that you would remem
ber this conversation, and bear witness for me, that I
do not mean to desert the cause of America."

In this state of perplexity, this amiable man sub
scribed a declaration of his allegiance to the king of
Great Britain, but not without expressly objecting to the
12*

___

A,

138 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

clause which required him to bear arms in support of
the royal government. The commandant of the gar
rison, Brig Gen. Paterson, and James Simpson Esqr,
intendant of the British police, assured him that this
would never be required ; and added further that when
the regular forces could not defend the country without
the aid of its inhabitants, it would be high time for the
royal army to quit it.

Having submitted to the royal government, he was
permitted to return to his family, happy in the expec
tation of preserving it through the prevailing pestilence.
But in this hope he was sorely disappointed ; his wife
and two children fell victims to the fatal malady.
These afflictions were augmented by the fact that the
British authorities, in violation of their contract with
him, repeatedly called upon him to take up arms
against his countrymen, and finally threatened him with
close confinement if he did not comply.

In this situation Hayne was found when Greene forced
the enemy from the upper country. A detachment of
Marion's militia, under Col. Harden, passing to the west
of the Edisto for the protection of their homes, reached
the neighborhood of Hayne. They solicited his co
operation. The success of their cause was the wish of
his heart he said, but stated the change in his political
condition, and that he was bound by his declaration of
allegiance. Yet he assured them -that whenever he
found the royal authority unable to afford its promised
protection, he should consider himself absolved from the
extorted allegiance, and would with joy enrol himself
with the defenders of his country.

Thus did Col. Hayne scrupulously adhere to a
contract which was never obligatory, — having been

COL» HAYNE AND MCLAUGHLIN. 139

coerced by the duress of power, and in palpable violation
of the capitulation of Charleston.

Soon after this occurrence, the British were driven
below the Edisto, and nearly the whole country there
fell under protection of the American arms. Every
person in the recovered country believed himself re
leased from the obligations imposed by the late condi
tion of affairs ; for it was justly thought that the allegi
ance due to a conqueror ceased with his expulsion from
the subdued territory. Under this correct impression,
Hayne and many others repaired to the American camp.
His merit attracted immediate attention, and the militia
of his district honored him with the command of a regi
ment. He immediately took the field, and conducted
an expedition in the enemy's country. Some of his
mounted militia penetrated the neck of Charleston, and,
near the quarter-house, took Gen. Williamson prisoner.
This was the same Williamson who was an active offi
cer in the South Carolina militia from the commence
ment of the war to the surrender of Charleston, after
which event he became a British subject^ and was as
energetic in supporting the royal authority as before he
had been opposed to it.

Such was the anxiety of the British commandant to
rescue Williamson, he ordered out his whole cavalry on
the business. This detachment fell suddenly on the
camp of Hayne ; but was handsomely received and re
pelled by Col. Harden, who, owing to the inferiority of*
his force, did not deem it prudent to push his success
by pursuit. Col. Hayne, (attended by his second lieu
tenant, Col. M'Laughlin) had unfortunately gone to
breakfast with a friend about two miles from camp.
The house was on the Charleston road, and Hayne was
unapprized of the enemy's approach until he saw them

140 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

a few rods from the door. Being very active and reso
lute, he pushed for his horse, mounted, and forced his
way through the foe. To pass a fence in his route, he
put spur to his horse, who fell in making the leap, and
the entangled rider was overtaken by his pursuers.
M'Laughlin, being cut ofFfrom his horse, died sword in
hand, bravely contending against the surrounding
enemy.

Coi. Hayne was conveyed to Charleston, and lodged
in the prison of the Provost. This prison was the mid
dle part of the cellar under the Exchange. The damp
ness of this unwholesome spot, together with the want
of a fire-place, caused among its unhappy inmates some
deaths and much sickness. In it the American State
prisoner and the British felon shared the same fate.

At first, Col. Hayne was promised a trial, and had
counsel prepared to justify his conduct by the laws of
nations and usages of war ; but this was finally refused,
and he was ordered to be executed on the 31st of July.
This sentence was given by lord Rawdon and Col.
Balfour. The prisoner addressed a letter to the two
British officers, to which the town major returned the
following answer. "I have to inform you, that your
execution is not ordered in consequence of any sentence
from the Court of Inquiry ; but by virtue of the authority
with which the commander-in-chief in South Carolina
and the commanding officer in Charleston are invested :
and their resolves on this subject are fixed and un
changeable."

The royal Lieut. Gov. Ball, and a great number of
the inhabitants, both royalists and patriots, interceded
for his life. The ladies of Charleston generally signed
a petition in his behalf. Mrs. Perronneau, his sister,
accompanied by hi§ children, all clad in the deepest

LAST MOMENTS OF COL. HAYNE. 143

mourning, and manifesting the torture of heart-rending
agony, waited on Lord Rawdon, and on their knees
supplicated for the life of their unfortunate relative.
But all was of no avail; his lordship's "resolve was
fixed and unchangeable."

Disdaining further discussion with relentless power,
Hayne merely solicited a short respite, to enable him
for the last time to see his friends and children. The
respite was granted. He was repeatedly visited by his
friends, and conversed on various subjects with becom
ing fortitude. He particularly lamented that, on prin
ciples of retaliation, his execution would probably be
an introduction to the shedding of much blood. He
requested those in whom the supreme power was vest
ed, to accommodate the mode of his death to the feel
ings of an officer ; but this was refused. On the last
evening of his life, he told a friend that he was " no
more alarmed at the thoughts of death than at any
other occurrence which was necessary and unavoidable."

On receiving his summons, on the morning of the
4th August, (1781) to proceed to the place of execu
tion, he delivered to his eldest son, a youth thirteen
years of age, several papers relative to his case, say
ing, " Present these papers to Mrs. Edwards, with my
request that she forward them to her brother in Con
gress. You will next repair to the place of execution,
receive my body, and see it decently interred among
my forefathers." He then embraced his son, implor
ing the Divine Blessing upon his orphan children, and
took his final leave of the boy. Dressed with his ac
customed neatness, accompanied by a few friends, he
marched with unruffled serenity through a weeping
crowd. The procession began from the Exchange, in
the forenoon. The streets were thronged with thou-

144 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

sands of anxious spectators. He continued on his way
to the place of execution, with such decent firmness,
composure and dignity, as to awaken the compassion
of many, and command respect from all. There was
a majesty in his sufferings which rendered him supe
rior to the pangs of death.

When the city barrier was past, and the instrument
of his catastrophe appeared in full view, a faithful
friend by his side whispered that he " trusted he would
exhibit an example of the manner in which an Ameri
can can die."

" I will endeavor to do so," was the tranquil reply
of the martyr ; and never was an intention better ful
filled. Neither arrogating superiority, nor betraying
weakness, he ascended the cart, with a firm step and
serene aspect. He inquired of the executioner, who
was making an attempt to get up to pull the cap
over his eyes, what he wanted. Upon being inform
ed of the man's object, he replied, " I will save you
that trouble," and pulled the cap over his own eyes.
He then gave the signal for the cart to move, illustra
ting by his demeanour that death in the cause of our
country, even on a gallows, cannot appal the virtuous
and the brave !

Thus perished, in the bloom of his life, a gallant
officer, a worthy citizen, a just and upright man ; fur
nishing an example of heroism that extorted a confes
sion from the British, " that though he did not die in a
good cause, he must at least have acted from the per
suasion of its being so." Unhappily for this virtuous
man, the royal power was fast declining in the South.
The inhabitants were eager to cast off the temporary
allegiance of the conquest ; it was deemed necessary
to awe them into submission by some distinguished se
venty, and Col. Hayne was the selected victim !

MARION RELIEVES COL. HARDEN. 145

Marion and his brigade, though they mourned the
loss of their brave compatriots at the battle of Quin-
by's bridge, were far from being disheartened, and
while the main army was encamped among the High
Hills during the intense heat of the season, we find
them and their leader busy at work among the Tories.
With a body of two hundred men, Marion proceeded
on a secret expedition to the relief of Col. Harden,
who was closely pressed by a very superior force of
British in the vicinity of the Edisto. Marching ra
pidly a distance of over a hundred miles, he arrived in
time to concert an ambuscade in a swamp adjacent to
Parker's Ferry, where he decoyed the enemy, and com
mitted a terrible slaughter upon their cavalry, rescuing
Harden without any loss.

Gen. Greene now concerted measures for forcing the
British from their posts. Though the two armies were
within fifteen miles o'f each other on a right line, yet,
as two rivers intervened, and boats could not be pro
cured, the American army was obliged to make a
circuit of seventy miles, the more conveniently to cross
the Wateree and the Congaree. Soon after crossing
these rivers, they were joined by Pickens, with a party
of militia ; and Marion and his brigade reached them
on the 7th of September, the day before the battle of
Eutaw Springs.* The whole American force being
thus collected, 2000 in all, Greene prepared to give
battle. The force of the British under Col. Stewart,
was about the same in number. They had retired from

* " We moved by slow and easy marches, as well to disguise
our real intention, as to give General Marion an opportunity to
join us, who had been detached for the support of Col. Harden.
Gen. Marion joined us on the evening of the 7th,, at Burdell's
plantation, seven miles from the enemy's camp." — Gen. Greene's
Correspondence.

13

146 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

the Congaree about forty miles, and taken post at
Eutaw Springs, about sixty miles north of Charleston.

Quite early on the morning of the 8th, the Ameri
cans moved to the attack, and fell in with two ad
vanced parties of the British, about four miles ahead
of the main army. These, being briskly charged by
the legion and state troops, soon retired. The front
line advanced, and continued firing, and advancing on
the British legion till the action became general. In
the hottest of the engagement, while great execution
was doing on both sides, Col. Williams and Col. Camp
bell, with the Maryland and Virginia continentals,
were ordered by Greene to charge with trailed arms.
Nothing could surpass the intrepidity of both officers
and men on this occasion. They pushed on in good
order, through a heavy cannonade and shower of mus
ketry, with such unshaken resolution, that they bore
down all before them. Col. Lee, with great address,
turned the left flank of the British, and attacked them
at the same time in the rear. Henderson, being wound
ed early in the action, the South Carolina state troops
were led on by Col. Hampton, the next in command,
to a very spirited charge, in which were taken upwards
of a hundred prisoners. The militia from North and
South Carolina was commanded by Marion, General
Marion, Colonel Malmady, and General Pickens, con
ducted the troops with great gallantry and good con
duct, and the militia fought with a degree of spirit and
firmness that reflected the highest honor upon that
class of soldiers.

The British were routed in all quarters, and were
closely pursued. On their retreat, numbers of them
threw themselves into a strong brick house; others
took post in a picquetted garden among impenetrable
Bhrubs. The eagerness of the Americans urged them

DEATH OP COL. CAMPBELL. 147

to attack the enemy in these positions. Col. Washing
ton made every possible exertion to dislodge them from
the thickets, but failed ; he had his horse shot under
him, and was wounded and taken prisoner.

The battle lasted upwards of three hours, and was
fiercely contested, every corps in both armies bravely
supporting each other. The loss was uncommonly
great, — more than one-fifth of the British, and one-
fourth of the American army, being killed and wound
ed. The British made 60 prisoners, all wounded. The
Americans about 500. The entire loss of the British
amounted to more than 1100. Among the killed of
the American officers, was the brave Lieut. Colonel
Campbell of the Virginia line. After his fall he in
quired who gave way, and being informed the British
were fleeing in all quarters, he added, " / die content
ed," and immediately expired.

The British commander, leaving his dead unburied,
commenced a retreat, and avoided the engagement
which Gen. Greene had determined to renew on the
following day. Pursuit was commenced, and Greene
detached Marion and Lee, with a view of seizing the
first strong pass on the road to Charleston, as well as
to interrupt Stewart, and to prevent any accession of
force which might be detached from the British gar
rison at Charleston ; while he himself continued in
his camp, actively engaged in preparing arrangements
for the conveyance of the wounded to the High Hills.
Marion and Lee, approaching the enemy's left, discov
ered that he had been busily employed in sending off
his sick and wounded. News was received that a de
tachment, from Monk's Corner, led by Maj. M' Arthur,
was hastening to join Stewart. This detachment effected
its junction with the main army, and Marion retired to
a favorite place of retreat in the Santee river swamp.
x

CHAPTER VIII.

Malicious destruction of property by the British ; their
officers speculating in negroes. The fall of Corn-
wallis — rejoicings in the camp. The tories massacre
Cap. Turner and twenty others by a band of tories —
Cunningham's murder of Hayes and others. The
army at Round O — its tattered condition — mutiny — *
execution of Gornell. Marion elected to the legisla
ture — he repairs to Jacksonborough — the British take
advantage of his absence. Marion hastens to the Pedee
country to quell a rising of the Tories under Major
Gainey. Murder of Col. Kolb by the Tories. Treaty
between Marion and Gainey. Marion protects Butler,
the tory. Evacuation of Charleston by the British^
Marriage of Marion. His death.

MARION did not remain in the Santee river swamp
any longer than to refresh his men and call in new re
cruits, for the British commander, well convinced that
the career of British arms in South Carolina was not
to continue much longer, began to lay waste the plan
tations and destroy property. The prospects of gain
from the sale of negroes were too seducing to be re
sisted by the officers of the British army. They
plundered them from the plantations, and shipped them
from Charleston to the West Indies, where they found
a ready market. It has been computed that between
the years 1775 and 1783, the state of South Carolina
lost in this way twenty-five thousand negroes. It was
with a view of profit thus to be gained that the Tories
frequently made a rising, plundered the plantations of
the Whigs, carried off their negroes, and sold them to
148

MASSACRE OP WHIGS BY TORIES. 149

the British officers for small prices. Against Tory
gatherings of this kind Marion and his brigade, every
now and then set forth, dispersing them and keeping
them in check.

The tidings of the capture of Cornwall is at York-
town,* reached the American camp on the 9th Novem
ber, and there was consequently much rejoicing. At
the same time, the thanks of Congress were forwarded
to Marion.

About the middle of November (the 18th) Greene
broke up his camp at the High Hills, and put his army
in motion. The British retreated before him, and such
was the success of the Americans, that the enemy were
completely shut up in the city of Charleston and its
isthmus. At this juncture, a desperate band of Tories
adopted the infernal scheme of taking their last revenge,
by carrying fire and sword into the plantations adjoin
ing the city. To this end, Major William Cunningham,
of the British militia, collected a party ; and having
furnished them with every thing necessary for laying
waste the country, sallied from Charleston. In the un
suspecting hour of sleep, and domestic security, they
entered the houses of solitary farmers, and sacrificed
to their revenge the obnoxious head of the family.
Their cruelties induced some small parties to associate
and arm in self-defence. Cap. Turner and twenty
men, on these principles, had taken post in a house and
defended themselves till their ammunition was expended.
After which they surrendered themselves, on receiving
assurance that they should be treated as prisoners of
war. Notwithstanding this solemn agreement, Turner

* 19th October, 1781.
13*

150 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

and his party were put to instant death by Cunningham
and the men under his command.

Soon after this massacre, the same party of Tories
attacked a number of American militia, in the district
of Ninety-Six, commanded by Col. Hayes, and set fire
to the house in which they had taken shelter. The
only alternative left was either to be burned, or to sur
render themselves prisoners. The latter being preferred,
Col. Hayes and Cap. Daniel Williams were at once
hung on the pole of a fodder stack. The pole broke
and they fell, upon which Cunningham inhumanly cut
them to pieces with his own sword ; then, turning upon
the others, he continued on them his operations of sav
age barbarity, till the powers of nature being exhausted,
and his enfeebled limbs refusing to administer any
longer to his insatiate fury, he called upon his com
rades to complete the dreadful work, by killing which
ever of the prisoners they pi-eased. They instantly put
to death such of them as they personally disliked.
Only two fell in action, but fourteen were deliberately
cut to pieces.*

The further progress of this sanguinary officer and
his butchering followers, was checked by Marion, who
drove him back to Charleston.

The main army under Gen. Greene was now en
camped at Round O, situated between the Edisto and
Ashepoo rivers, about fifty miles from Charleston.
Greene detached Marion with his militia to the east of
Ashley river, with orders to guard the district between
that river and the Cooper.

The tattered condition of Greene's and Marion's
soldiers at this time, and their destitute situation, wag

* Ramsay.

MARION IN THE LEGISLATURE. 151

such " that seven hundred of them were as naked as
they were born, excepting a small slip of cloth about
their waists ; and they were nearly as destitute of meat
as clothing. Though they had abundant reason to
complain, yet, while they were every day marching,
and almost every week fighting, they were in good
health, good spirits, and good humor; but when the
enemy was confined within his fortifications, and they
were inactive, they became sickly and discontented, and
a few began to be mutinous. Their long arrears of
pay, their deficiency of clothing, and their want of
many comforts, were forgotton whilst constant action
employed their minds and bodies ; but when an inter
ruption of hostilities gave them leisure to brood over
their calamities, these evils were presented to their
imaginations in aggravated colors. A plan was seri
ously laid to deliver their gallant and victorious leader
(Greene) into the hands of the British ; but the whole
design was happily discovered and prevented from
being carried into execution. To the honor of the
Continental army, it may with justice be added, that,
notwithstanding the pressure of their many sufferings,
the whole number concerned in the plot did not exceed
twelve."*

Early in the year 1782, Gen. Marion, leaving his
brigade near the Santee river, repaired himself to Jack-
sonborough, there to take his seat in the Legislature,
to which he had been elected a member from the par
ish of St. John's, Berkeley. His absence from the
command, inspired the enemy with the hope that a
corps which had heretofore been invulnerable might
now be struck. A detachment of seven hundred men,

* Appendix G.

152 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

cavalry and infantry, under Col. Thompson,* passed
the Cooper river, near Charleston, late in the evening,
and proceeded towards the Santee» Gen. Greene ob
tained a hint of the approach of this detachment against
the camp of Marion, and sent word to Marion that he
had better hasten to resume the command of his brig
ade. By a circuitous route and rapid riding, Marion
hurried from Jacksonborough, but hearing that the en
emy were retiring, he halted to refresh. This delay
proved fatal to his brigade. It was merely a feint of
the British, who, observing the greatest secresy, and
pushing their march with diligence, fell upon the camp
and completely routed the brigade. Some were killed,
some wounded, and the rest dispersed. Major Benson,
an active officer, was among the killed. Thompson
hastened back to Charleston with his detachment, and
Marion, undismayed by this loss, energetically com
menced reassembling his brigade.

For several months, the inhabitants of South Carolina
had been in the peaceable enjoyment of legal govern
ment, except Charleston, and a small range of country
on the little Pedee, where the British still held the pow
er. Major Gainey, (Marion's old enemy) and a band
of Tories, resided here ; and, insulated as they were,
still resisted, f The absence of Marion from that part
of the country emboldened them, and a rising took place.

* Benjamin Thompson, born in New Hampshire, espoused
the Royal cause, and after the war, was knighted. He subse
quently entered the Bavarian service, and was created Count
Rumford.

t A party of them, commanded by a Cap, Jones, surrounded
and set fire to the house of Col. Kolb, a respectable American
militia officer. He, after receiving assurance of being treated as a
prisoner of war, surrendered, Nevertheless, he was instantly put
to death in the presence of his wife and children.

TREATY BETWEEN MARION AND GAINEY. 153

Marion, arranged his plans for quelling this insurrec
tion, and moved rapidly towards the Pedee country,
and sudden and unexpected was his arrival, and they
were taken by surprise. The very name of Marion
was a terror to them, and his presence doubly so.
They showed no disposition for fighting him. Gainey
sent a flag to Marion, announcing his readiness to re
new the treaty which had been entered into a year
previously. Commissioners were appointed on both
sides. These commissioners could not agree, and sepa
rated in anger ; after which Marion and Gainey met in
person, at a place called Birch's mill, on the 8th of June.
By the treaty which was here signed by the respective
commanders, more than five hundred men laid down
their arms. The treaty was in the following words.

ARTICLES of Treaty between General Marion, in behalf
of South Carolina, and Major Gainey, and the inhabi
tants under his command, which were included in the
Treaty made the 17th day of June, 1781.

" ARTICLE I. Major Gainey, and the men under his
command, to lay down their arms as enemies to the
State, and are not to resume them again until ordered
so to do, in support of the interests of the United
States, and of this State in particular.

ARTICLE II. We will deliver up all the negroes, horses,
cattle, and other property, that have been taken from
this or any other state.

ARTICLE III. We will demean ourselves as peaceable
citizens of this state, and submit ourselve^ to be
governed by its laws, in the same manner as the rest
of the citizens thereof.

154 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

ARTICLE IV. We do engage to apprehend and de
liver up all persons within our district, who shall re
fuse to accede to these terms, and contumaciously
resist in rebellion against this state.

ARTICLE V. We will deliver up as soon as possible,
every man who belongs to any regular line in the
American service, and every inhabitant of North
Carolina, of this, or any other state, who having
joined us since the 17th of June 1781, when the
former Treaty was made, or oblige them to go out
of the district ; and whenever they return, to take
and deliver them into safe custody in any jail within
the state.

ARTICLE VI. Every man is to sign an instrument of
writing, professing his allegiance to the United States
of America, and the state of South Carolina in par
ticular ; and to abjure his Britannic Majesty, his heirs,
successors and adherents ; and promise to oppose all
the enemies of the United States, and the State of
South Carolina in particular.

ARTICLE VII. All arms, amunition, and other warlike
stores, the property of the British, to be delivered up.

ARTICLE VIII. The above seven articles being agreed
on, they shall have a full pardon for treasons com
mitted by them against the state, and enjoy their
property, and be protected by the laws thereof.

ARTICLE IX. Such men as do not choose to accede
to these Articles, shall have leave to go within the
British lines, and to march by the 25th inst, and be
safely conducted, with such of their wives and chil
dren as may be able to travel, and carry or sell their
property, except cattle, sheep and hogs, which they
may dispose of, but not carry with them. Such
women and children who cannot be removed, may

BUTLER, THE TORY, PROTECTED. 155

remain until the 1st of September next. The officers
to keep their pistols and side arms ; all other arms
to be disposed of, and not carried with them. Each
field officer and captain to retain one horse, not
exceeding twelve in the whole ; and no other per
son to take with him any more horses that may be fit
for dragoon service, within the British lines.
We have agreed to the before- mentioned nine articles,
and have signed the same at Birch's mill, on Pedee,
this 8th day of June, 1782."*

Marion now set to work to bring all the inhabitants
of this disaffected district to submission. The wise and
forgiving policy pursued by him, was attended with the
happiest consequences. Bitter enemies were converted
into warm friends ; and many of these reclaimed citizens
enrolled themselves in the corps of Marion, ready to
fight by the side of their countrymen, whose lives they
had sought by night and by day, from the fall of Charles-
ton to the period of this Treaty. Marion granted writ
ten protections to all who came forward and subscribed
to the treaty, and took into custody those, who, unwil
ling to retire within the British lines, remained without
submitting.

Among others who submitted was a certain Capt.
Butler, who had been particularly oppressive upon the
Whig families of the Pedee country. It is said of him
that a more sanguinary being never existed. He had
cruelly oppressed and butchered some persons, whose
surviving friends were in the camp. Irritated to mad
ness at the thought that such a man was, by submission,

* (Signed,) Francis Marion, Brigadier General, State of South
Carolina. Micajah Gainey, Major of Loyalists, Pedee.

156 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

to escape the just reward of his crimes, a hasty and in
temperate message was sent to Marion, purporting that
such a villain ought not to receive protection. To this
Marion calmly replied, — " Confidently believing that
the pardon offered by the Governor would be granted,
the man whom you would destroy has submitted. Both
law and honor sanction my resolution. I will take
him to my tent, and at the hazard of my life protect
him."

A second message now informed him that Butler
should be dragged from his tent and be put to death.
" I am an officer acting under orders," replied Marion,
" and bound to defend him. I will do so though I
perish." He then collected a guard around the tent,
into which he had introduced Butler, and, at an early
hour after night-fall, had him conveyed to a place of
safety.*

Having effectually reduced the Pedee country to sub
mission, Marion, leaving a command of a hundred and
sixty men to maintain the ascendancy, hurried his re
turn to the Santee. Here the militia collected around
him, and he remained the scourge of the British and
Tories until the evacuation of Charleston.

In the summer of 1782 the British announced their
intention of evacuating Charleston. They offered to
pay for rice and other provisions that should be deliv
ered to them before their departure, and at the same
time threatened that if it was with-held, it should be
taken by force, and without compensation. The object of
Gen. Leslie (the British commander) was to provision
his fleet and troops previous to his departure. The
civil authority, incensed at the threat accompanying

* Garden's Anecdotes.

COL. JOHN LAURENS. 157

this proposition, objected to any intercourse being open
ed between the town and country, and issued orders to
Gen. Greene to that effect.

In this state of matters, the British commander
urged to it by the necessity of his case, sent out parties
lo sieze provisions near the different landings, and to
bring them by water to Charleston. One of the most
considerable parties on this service was sent to the
Combakee river, where they arrived on the 25th of
August.

Brigadier General Gist, with about three hundred
cavalry and infantry of the Continental army, was de
tached by Greene to oppose them. The British with
a fleet of boats and schooners, had already rifled many
of the neighboring plantations, and ravaged the pro
perty of numerous persons who, their small means thus
taken from, were left comparatively destitute.

Gen. Gist captured one of their schooners, and in a
great degree frustrated their designs upon the Com
bakee. In this expedition Gist was joined by the young
and gallant Col. John Laurens, who, hearing of it, rose
from a sick bed, and resumed his command in the
brigade, and, emulous of distinction, solicited the post
of danger. The British, defeated by Gist from securing
provisions on the south side of the river, had crossed
it, and being apprized of the movements of Col. Lau
rens, they placed an ambush for him on the road which
he must pass to take command of the post to which he
had been appointed.

Laurens passed the night of the 26th at the planta
tion of a lady, whose house was so nigh the post to
which he was on his route, that it was easily practi
cable for him to spend a few hours in the company of

14

15.8 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

some agreeable ladies at the house, and reach his
post before the break of day. At a late hour the com
pany broke up. Laurens, and his small party, set out ;
The British made an onset from their ambush, and
Laurens was killed at the first discharge.

Never was soldier more beloved by the people of
South Carolina than this gallant young officer. "Na
ture had adorned him," says Ramsey, " with a profu
sion of her choicest gifts, to which a well conducted
education had added its most useful as well as its most
elegant improvements. Though his fortune and family
entitled him to a pre-eminence, yet he was the warm
friend of Republican equality. Generous and liberal,
his heart expanded with genuine philanthropy. Zealous
for the rights of humanity, he contended that personal
liberty was the birth-right of every human being, how
ever diversified by country, color, or capacity. His
insinuating address won the hearts of all his acquaint
ances ; his sincerity and virtue secured their lasting
esteem. Acting from the most honorable principles —
uniting the bravery and other talents of a great officer
with the knowledge of a complete scholar, and the en
gaging manners of a well-bred gentleman, he was the
idol of his country — the glory of his army — and an
ornament of human nature. His abilities shone in the
legislature and in the cabinet, as well as in the field,
and were equal to the highest stations. His admiring
country, sensible of his rising merit, stood prepared to
confer on him her most distinguished honors. Cut
down in the midst of these prospects, he left mankind
to deplore the calamities of war, which in the twenty-
seventh year of his life deprived society of so invalua
ble a citizen."

The evacuation of Charleston took place on the 14th

EVACUATION OF CHARLESTON. 159

of December 1782. On that, and the succeeding day,
the British went on board their shipping, and the city
was entered by Gov. Matthews and the American army,
without any confusion or disorder. Those who re
mained in Charleston felt themselves happy in being
delivered from a garrison life. The exiled citizens ex
perienced sensations more easily conceived than ex
pressed, on returning to their houses and estates. The
patriot exulted in the acknowledged independence of
his country. The soldier rejoiced that the toils of war
were over, and the objects of it fully attained. The
farmer redoubled his industry, from the pleasing con
viction that the produce of his labor would be secured
to him without any danger from British bayonets.
Cheerfulness and good humor took possession of minds
that, during seven years, had been continually occupied
with anxiety and distress.

To this happy result, none had contributed more than
Francis Marion.

The citizens generally, instead of repining at their
losses, set themselves to repair them by diligence and
economy. The continental officers who had served in
the state, and whose bravery and exertions had ren
dered them conspicuous, were so well received by the
ladies,' that several of them had their gallantry rewarded
by the hands of some of the finest women and greatest
fortunes in South Carolina. The adherents to Royal
Government were treated by those in power with mode
ration and lenity. Though the war was ended, some
address was necessary to compose the minds of the
people. Some of those who under every discourage
ment had steadily adhered to the cause of Independence,
took to themselves the appellation of the virtuous few,
and looked down with contempt on such of their fellow-

160 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

citizens as had conformed their allegiance to existing
circumstances. A disposition to proscribe and banish
persons of the latter description showed itself under the
auspices of self-constituted committees ; but the weight
of government, and the influence of the better informed
citizens, was successfully exerted to counteract it.

After the evacuation of the city, the army was dis
banded. Such was the condition of the public treasury
of the United States, that Congress was scarcely able
to defray the expenses of the soldiers in returning to
their homes. The laurels they had dearly earned ; the
applause of their countrymen, which they had eminently
obtained ; and the plaudits of their consciences, which
they honestly possessed ; were almost the only rewards
they carried home at the termination of a war, in which
many had injured their constitutions, and all had dimin
ished their fortunes. Sympathizing with the embar
rassments of their countrymen, sensible of their inability
to pay them their stipulated dues, and confiding in their
justice to make them future retribution, they cheerfully
relinquished the uniform of the military for the plain
garb of the citizen.

After the war was over, Marion retired to his farm
at St. John's, Berkely. This lay within a short dis
tance of the usual routes of the British army, an'd had
been repeatedly ravaged; and furniture, horses, stock,
clothing for his negroes, etc., were now wanting, and
he was without means to purchase. His friends held
out to him the prospect of half-pay, but this was never
granted him. He cheerfully set to work, however, and
with a manly industry retrieved his diminished fortunes
as much as possible.

The people of St. John's knew that his services were
not less valuable in the halls of legislation than in the

MARION IN THE SENATE. 161

camp, and they elected him as their representative to
the Senate of the State, where, by his counsels, he ju
diciously aided the civil operations of a government, to
the establishment of which his sword had so largely
contributed. In his nature there was nothing vindic
tive, and his " poor deluded countrymen," as he termed
the Tories, found in him an advocate, who far from
visiting them with the severities with which others were
ready to retaliate upon them, always gave his voice
and vote on the side of mercy. " It is peace now,"
said he. " God has given us the victory. Let us show
our gratitude to Heaven, which we shall not do by
cruelty to man."

Whilst he was a member of the Senate, the following
resolution was passed on the 26th of February 1783.

" RESOLVED, nem. con., That the thanks of this
House be given to Brigadier General Marion, in his
place, as a member of this House, for his eminent and
conspicuous services to his country.

RESOLVED nem. con., That a gold medal be given
to Brigadier General Marion, as a mark of public ap
probation for his great, glorious, and meritorious
conduct."

The President of the Senate, in conveying to Marion
the sense of the preceding resolutions, spoke of the in
expressible pleasure with which he was filled upon an
occasion so interesting ; " but when I reflect upon the
difficulty of doing justice to your distinguished merit,
I feel my own insufficiency. Your conduct merits the
applause of your countrymen ; your courage, your
vigilance, and your abilities, have exceeded their
most sanguine expectations — and have answered all
their hopes."

To the speech of the President, (of which the quota
14*

162 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

tion is but a brief extract,) Marion replied : " Mr.
President; The approbation which this house have
given of my conduct, in the execution of my duty,
gives me very pleasing and heartfelt satisfaction. The
honor which they have conferred on me this day, by
their thanks, will be remembered with gratitude. I
shall always be ready to exert my abilities for the good
of the state and the liberties of her inhabitants. I
thank you, sir, for the polite manner in which you have
conveyed to me the thanks of the Senate."

In the year 1784, the Legislature of South Carolina
passed a bill for the erecting and garrisoning of Fort
Johnson, in Charleston harbor. Marion was put in
command of this port, with a salary of $2000 per an
num ; the sum being voted him in remuneration for his
losses during the war. But in a year or two, citizens
grumbled their dissatisfaction, and it was finally re
duced to 8500.

At this time, a lady of wealth, who " loved him for
the dangers he had passed," disclosed the state of her
affections to some persons, who were the mutual friends
of either party, and Marion being made aware of the
impression he had made upon the heart of this lady,
solicited her hand, and was accepted. The name of
this lady was Miss Mary Videau, whose ancestors, like
his own, were among the Huguenots that sought liberty
of conscience on the shores of America, being denied
that inestimable privilege in the land of their birth.

Marion was past fifty years of age, and the lady was
not young. They lived happily together ^ and Marion,
" beloved by his friends, and respected by his enemies,
exhibited a luminous example of the beneficial effects
to be produced by an individual, who, with only small

DEATH OF MARION. 163

means at his command, possesses a virtuous heart, a
strong head, and a mind devoted to the comman good."
The death of Marion took place at his residence in
St. John's parish, in the month of February 1795.
On his tomb is an inscription, which reads as follows.
" Sacred to the memory of Brigadier General Francis
Marion, who departed this life on the 27th of February
1795, in the sixty-third year of his age, deeply regret
ted 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 coun
try to Honor and Independence, and secured to her the
blessings of liberty and peace. This tribute of venera
tion 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."

Francis Marion, in the trying times of the Revolu
tion, occupied one of the most difficult situations in
which a man can be placed. The scene of his exer
tions was (as we have seen) in a country where the
inhabitants were by no means unanimous in their oppo
sition to the British government ; but, surrounded as he
was by loyalists, and at the head of a soldiery unac
customed to subordination, he encountered and sur
mounted difficulties in situations that probability rendered
hopeless, and " with a steady hand he steered the vessel
amid the terrors of the storm, and through fearful
breakers safe into port."

To General Marion, as a military chieftain, our
Y

164 MARION AND HIS TIMES.

country is deeply indebted, and, though for many years
he did not receive the approbation his valor had earned,
public conviction has of late become sensible of the
obligations that she owes him ; and it is now conceded,
that we are indebted as much to his untiring persever
ance in subduing the Tories, as to the prowess of Gen.
Greene against the British Armies, in bringing the
Southern war to a successful termination. But, glori
ous as is his name as a soldier, his greatest glory lies
in the moral excellence of his character, his spotless
integrity, disinterested patriotism, and invincible for
titude. He was patient under defeat, moderate in vic
tory. And, if in any matter we see the especial hand
of Providence, surely it is manifest in the remarkable
preservation of him throughout the numerous and im
minent dangers he passed during the Revolution.

The time-enduring fame of the patriot, is too often
lost amid the glitter of military renown, and the splen
dor of actions miscalled great. "Mankind," says Dr.
Channing, " when they hear of battles, the picture
which rises to their view, is not what it should be — a
picture of extreme wretchedness, of the wounded, the
mangled, the slain ! These horrors are hidden under
the splendor of those mighty energies which break forth
amid the perils of the conflict, and which human nature
contemplates with an intense and heart-thrilling delight.
Attention hurries from the heaps of the slaughtered to
the victorious chief, whose single mind pervades and
animates a host, and directs with stern composure the
storm of battle, and the ruin which he spreads is for
gotten in admiration of his power. Thus, war is the
surest and speediest road to renown ; and war will
never cease while the field of glory, and the most lux
uriant laurels, grow from a root nourished with blood."

CHARACTER OF MARION. 165

Alexander — Cesar — Napoleon ! In the halo of ad
miration with which we surround the names of these
conquerors, do we not thoughtlessly lose sight of the
horror and misery which strews the path to their great
ness ? The wars waged by them, what were they but
heaps of slaughter to create for themselves a mon
ument of military fame? Ambition — Self — was the
object of their energies ! Turning from these, how in
finitely more of intrinsic worth and real greatness,
purity of purpose, and love of country, are we called
upon to admire in the character of a Washington and
a Marion ! " The characters of these, judged by pos
terity, have risen in the estimation of men, whilst in
the career of Cromwell, Marlborough, Charles XII,
and other warriors, it is prominently glaring how pat
riotism dwindled as a motive until utterly lost amidst
baser sentiments."

APPENDIX.

A.— PAGE. 45.

AFTER this, Mr. Bradley, was frequently carted to the
gallows to witness the execution of his countrymen as
rebels, and told to prepare for a similar fate next time.
On such occasions, and when interrogated at courts-
martial, he made no other reply than that " I am
ready and willing to die in the cause of my country ;
but remember, if I am hanged, I have many friends in
General Marion's brigade, and my death will occasion
a severe retaliation." Either awed by his virtues, or
apprehensive of consequences, his captors did not ex
ecute their threats. His life was spared, but he was
kept in irons as long as the British had possession of the
upper country. He bore the marks of these rugged
instruments of confinement till the day of his death,
and would occasionally show them to his young friends,
with a request " that if the good of their country re
quired the sacrifice, they would suffer imprisonment
and death in its cause." — Vide RAMSAY, vol. 2. p. 403.

B.— PAGE. 70.

The rapid movements of Marion, and effectual ser
vice he rendered the patriotic cause, at this early period
of his military career, are thus mentioned in his own
official correspondence with Gen. Gates. On the 29th
Aug. 1780, he writes from Pedee — " As the militia

167

168 APPENDIX.

is not under my command, some days I have not more
than a dozen with me. On Sep. 4th, marched with
53 men to attack a body of 200 Tories, who intended
to surprise me: — surprised a party of 45, killed and
wounded all but fifteen, who escaped : — met and at
tacked the main body, and put them to flight, though
they had 200 men."—" Marched to Black Mingo, Sept.
24th, where was a guard of sixty of the [royalist]
militia; — attacked them on the 28th; — killed 3, wounded
and took 13 prisoners. I had 1 captain and 1 private
killed ; 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, and 6 privates wounded;
several of the enemy have since been found dead in a
swamp to which they took. So many of my men were
desirous of seeing their wives and families which have
been burnt out, that I found it necessary to retreat next
morning. The prisoners taken are men of fortune and
family, which I hope will check the militia from taking
arms against us." — Vide GORDON, vol. 3. p. 112.

C.— PAGE. 77.

Marion writes to Gates, Oct. 18th, 1780 — "I have
never yet had more than 70 men to act with me, and
sometimes they leave me to 20 or 30." — " Nov. 4th.
I crossed Pedee the 24th Oct ; the next night came up
with 200 men under Col. Tynes, whom I surprised ;
killed 6, wounded 14, and took prisoners 23, and got
80 horses and saddles, and as many stand of arms.
The Colonel made his escape ; but, sending a party to
the High Hills of Santee, he fell into our hands, with
several other prisoners, and some who have heen very
active against us and great plunderers. The militia
are now turning out better than they have done. At
present I have upwards of 200 men, and expect that

APPENDIX. 169

in three or four days it will be double." — " Black-river,
Nov. 9th, Col Tarieton [with his corps] has burnt all
the houses, and destroyed all the corn, from Camden
down to Nelson's ferry ; has behaved to the poor wo
men with great barbarity ; beat Mrs. Richardson, the
relict of Gen. Richardson, to make her tell where I
was, and has not left her a change of raiment. He
not only destroyed all the corn, but burnt a number of
cattle in the houses he fired. It is distressing to see
the women and children sitting in the open air round a
fire without a blanket, and women of family and that
had ample fortunes ; for he spares neither Whig nor
Tory. Most of the inhabitants to the southward are
ready and eager to take up arms against their task-
masters." — " Nov. 21st, Tarieton retreated to Camden,
after destroying most of the houses and provisions on
the High Hills of Santee. I am obliged to act with so
few, as not to have it in my power to do any thing
effectual for want of men and ammunition." — GORDON,
vol. 3. p. 113.

D.— PAGE. 93.

The distinction of Whig and Tory took its rise
from the very beginning of the Revolutionary struggle.
Both parties in the interior country were then embodied,
and were obliged to impress provisions for their res
pective support. The advocates for Congress prevail
ing, they paid for articles consumed in their camps ;
but as no funds were provided for discharging the ex
penses incurred by the royalists, all that was consumed
by them was considered as robbery.

This laid the foundation of a practical war between
Whigs and Tories, which was productive of great dis-
15

170 APPENDIX.

tress, and deluged the country with blood. After the
capitulation of Charleston, political hatred raged with
intense fury. In numerous instances the ties of nature
were dissolved. Countrymen, neighbors, friends, and
brothers took different sides. In every little precinct,
more especially in the interior parts of the state,
" king's-men" and " congress-men" were names of
distinction. Bad passions on both sides were kept in
continual agitation, and wrought up to a degree of
fury, which rendered individuals regardless not only
of the laws of war, but of the principles of humanity.
While the British had the ascendency, their partizans
gave full scope to their interested and malicious feel
ings. Persons of the worst character emerged from
their hiding-places in the swamps, called themselves
" king's-men," and appropriated to their own use
whatever came in their way. Every act of cruelty
and injustice was lawful, provided the actor called
himself a friend to the king, and the sufferer was
denominated a rebel.

Of those who were well-disposed to the patriotic side
of the contest, few were*, o be found who had not their
houses and plantations repeatedly rifled. Under the
sanction of subduing rebellion, private revenge was in
numberless instances gratified by cold-blooded murder.
In fact, rapine, outrage and murder, became so fre
quent as to interrupt the free intercourse between one
place and another, and people were obliged either en
tirely to abandon their home, or to sleep in woods and
swamps. RAMSAY, vol. 2. p. 446.

APPENDIX. 171

E.— PAGB 94.

IN consequence of the civil wars between Whigs and
Tories, and other calamities, resulting from the opera
tions of the British and American armies, South Caro
lina exhibited scenes of distress which were shocking to
humanity. The single district of Ninety-Six contained
within its limits fourteen hundred widows and orphans:
made so by the war. The American government was
suspended, and the British conquerors were careless of
the civil rights of the inhabitants. They conducted as
though interior order and police were scarcely objects
of attention. The will of the strongest was the law.
Such was the general complexion of those who called
themselves Royalists, that nothing could be expected
of them but outrages against the peace and order of
society. They were an ignorant, unprincipled banditti,
to whom idleness, licentiousness, and deeds of violence,
were familiar ; and others whose atrocities had exiled
them from society, 'attached themselves to parties of the
British ; and encouraged by their example, and insti
gated by the love of plunder, they committed the most
extensive depredations. Under the cloak of attachment
to the old government, they covered the basest and most
selfish purposes. The necessity which their indiscrimi
nate plundering imposed on all good men of defending
themselves, did infinitely more damage to the Royal
cause than was compensated by all the advantages re
suiting from their friendship. — Vide RAMSAY, vol. 2,
p. 452.

172 APPENDIX.

R— PAGE 111.

Lord Corn wall is, after the action with Greene near
Guilford Court House, crossing Deep-river, marched for
Wilmington, and afterwards concluded upon marching
to Virginia. He arrived at Petersburg on the 20th of
May 1781. The young Marquis de La Fayette com
manded the American army, and so superior to the
American force did Cornwallis feel himself, that he ex-
ulted in the prospect of success, and despising the youth
of La Fayette, he unguardedly wrote to Great Britain
" the boy cannot escape me" La Fayette's little army
consisted of 1000 continentals, 2000 militia, and 60
dragoons. Cornwallis proceeded from Petersburg to
James river, which he crossed in order to dislodge La
Fayette from Richmond : it was evacuated on the 27th.
His lordship then marched through Hanover county,
and crossed the South Anna river ; La Fayette con
stantly following his motions, but at a guarded distance
in every part of his progress. His lordship at one time
planned the surprisal of the Marquis ; but was diverted
from his intention by a spy, whom the latter had sent
into the British camp. The following account of the
manner in which this spy got into the camp and out
again is not without interest.

Very desirous of obtaining full intelligence concern
ing the movements of his enemy, La Fayette had con
cluded upon prevailing, if possible, upon one Charles
(generally called Charley) Morgan, a Jersey soldier, of
whom he entertained a favorable opinion, to turn de
serter, and go over to the British army, in order to his
executing the business of a spy the more effectually.
Charley was sent for, and agreed to undertake the haz
ardous employ ; but insisted that in case he should be

APPENDIX. 178

discovered and hanged, La Fayette, to secure his repu
tation, should have it inserted in the Jersey paper that
he was sent upon the service by his Commander. This
was promised him.* Charley then deserted, and, when
he had reached the royal army, was carried before
Corn wallis, who inquired into the reason of his deserting.

" I have been, my lord," said Charley, " with the
American army from the beginning, and while under
Gen. Washington, was satisfied ; but being put under a
Frenchman, I do not like it, and have left the service."

Cornwallis commended and rewarded his conduct.
Charley was very diligent in the discharge of his mili
tary duty, and was not in the least suspected ; but at
the same time carefully observed all that passed. One
day, while on duty with his comrades, Cornwallis, in
close conversation with some of his officers, called
Charley to him and said,

" How long time will it take the Marquis de La Fay
ette to cross James river?"

Charley paused for a moment, and answered, "Three
hours, my lord."

" Three hours ! why it will take three days."

" No, my lord," said Charley, " the Marquis has so
many boats, and each boat will carry so many men.
If your lordship will be at the trouble of calculating, you
will find he can cross in three hours."

Cornwallis turned to the officers, and in the hearing
of Charley remarked, " The scheme will not do."

Charley concluded that this was the time for his re
turning to the American camp. He, as soon as possi
ble, plied his comrades with grog till they were well
warmed, and then opened his masked battery. He
complained of the wants that prevailed in the British
camp, commended the supplies with which the Ameri-
15*

174 APPENDIX.

cans abounded, expressed his inclination to return, and
then asked, " What say you, will you go with me ?"
They agreed. It was left to him to manage with the
sentinels. To the first he offered, in a very friendly
manner, the taking of a draught of rum from his can
teen. While the fellow was drinking, Charley secured
his arms, and then proposed his deserting with them,
to which he consented through necessity. The second
was served in like manner, and Charley by his manage
ment carried off seven deserters with him. When he
had reached the American army, and was brought into
the presence of La Fayette, the Marquis, upon seeing
him, cried out " Ha ! Charley, are you got back ?"

" Yes, and please your Excellency, and have brought
seven more with me," was Charley's respectful answer.

When Charley had related the reason of his return
ing, and' the observations he had made, the Marquis
offered him money. But Charley declined it, and only
desired to have his gun again. The Marquis proposed
to promote him to the rank of a corporal or sergeant.

" I will not have any promotion, your Excellency,"
Charley replied. " I have abilities for a common sol
dier, and have a good character. Should I be promoted,
my abilities may not answer, and I might lose my
character." He, however, nobly requested for his fel
low-soldiers, who were not so well supplied with shoes,
stockings and clothing as himself, that the Marquis
would promise to do what he could to relieve their dis
tress. — Vide GORDON, vol. 3, p. 207.

G.— PAGE 151.

This treason had for its object the purpose of seizing
Gen. Greene and delivering him over to the British.
Four sergeants of the Pennsylvania line, headed by one

APPENDIX. 175

named Gornell, and a few others, were concerned in
this conspiracy. Gornell was a soldier heretofore much
esteemed, and possessed talents adapted to enterprize.
It was discovered, the night before they were to put
their meditated treachery into execution, that Gornell,
and his associates, held continual correspondence with
the enemy. Greene, acting with his customary de
cision, ordered the arrest and trial of Gornell. This
was immediately done ; and the prisoner being by the
court-martial condemned to die, the sentence of the
court was carried into effect on the 22d of April 1782.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

WILLIAM MOULTRIE, was a native of Great Britain,
but emigrated to South Carolina at an early age. He
served with distinction in the Cherokee war in 1760,
and in its last campaign commanded a company.
When difficulties occurred between the Mother Country
and her Colonies in North America, he zealously es
poused the cause of the latter, and, at the commence
ment of the Revolution, we find him a member of the
Provincial Congress, and a colonel of the second South
Carolina regiment. For his brave defence of Sullivan's
Island, he received the thanks of Congress, and the
fort was afterwards called by his name. In 1779 he
gained a victory over the British at Beaufort. He
afterwards received the commission of major-general,
and was second in command to Gen. Lincoln at the
siege of Charleston. After the close of the war he
was repeatedly elected governor of South Carolina.
He published " Memoirs of the Revolution in the Caro-
linas and Georgia," and died at Charleston in 1805.

BENJAMIN LINCOLN, was born at Hingham, Mas
sachusetts, in 1733, and was engaged in agricultural
pursuits until he was forty years old. At the com
mencement of the Revolution, he was elected a mem
ber of the Provincial Congress ; received the commission
of major-general in 1776, and vigorously employed

176

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 177

himself in improving the discipline of the militia. He
was second in command in the army which compelled
the surrender of Burgoyne, at Saratoga, in October
1777. On the day after the battle of Still water, he
received a dangerous wound in one of his legs, and
was confined for several months by its effects. He
was subsequently appointed to the command of the
Southern department, and while in this post attempted
the defence of Charleston, but capitulated in May 1780.
He was a prisoner until the November following, when
he was exchanged, and in the year following he joined
the army on the North River, NT. Y. Gen. Washington
placed great confidence in his military talents, and at
the siege of Yorktovvn he commanded a central division,
sharing largely in the dangers and honors of the day.
In 1781, he was appointed secretary of the war depart
ment, and on several occasions commissioner to treat
with the Indians. Peace being concluded, he returned
to Massachusetts, and in 1786 was appointed to com
mand the troops employed in the suppression of the
insurgents in that state. The insurgents, commanded
by Daniel Shays, were dispersed, and a few killed.
In 1788, he was chosen lieutenant-governor of Mas
sachusetts, and in 1789 he was a member of the con
vention which ratified the constitution of the United
States. He passed his days with honor, and closed
his useful career in 1810. He was the author of sev
eral interesting papers ; was a member of the Academy
of Arts and Sciences, etc.

JOHN RUTLEDGE, one of the earliest patriots of the
Revolution, in which he took an active part, and ren-

178 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

dered his countrymen, the most effecient services. He
was a member of Congress, in 1774; commander-in-
chief of the province of South Carolina, in 1776 ; gov
ernor of it under the new constitution, in 1779 ; judge
of the court of chancery in 1784 ; judge of the Su
preme Court of the United States, in 1789; chief jus
tice of South Carolina, in 1791 ; and chief justice of
the United States, in 1796. His whole life, public and
private, was that of a pure patriot and upright citizen.
His death occurred in 1800.

AUGUSTUS DE KALB, a German nobleman, entered
the French service, and afterwards came to America.
He received the rank of major-general in the army under
Washington, and gained a high reputation as an officer.
He fell, fighting desperately at the head of his soldiers,
at the battle near Camden, in August 1780. As an
officer he was brave and skillful, and universally be
loved by those under his command.

HORATIO GATES, was an Englishman by birth,
(born in 1728,) and, having very early in life entered
the British army, rose by his merits to the rank of
major. He was under the command of Braddock in
that unfortunate officer's expedition against Fort Du-
quesne, and received in the famous battle with the In
dians a severe wound, which debarred him from active
service for some time. He settled in Virginia, where
he resided till the commencement of the Revolution.
Congress appointed him, in 1775, adjutant-general,

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 179

with the rank of brigadier, and in 1776, he received
the command of the army in Canada. In October
1777, he captured the army under Burgoyne. In 1780,
he was appointed to the chief command of the Southern
department, but proved unsuccessful, and was super
seded by Gen. Greene. He was restored to his com
mand in 1782. After the war, he resided on his farm
in Virginia for several years, but removed in 1790 to
New York, where he lived much esteemed and res
pected. He died in 1806.

COUNT PULASKI, was a native of Poland, a celebrated
soldier ; and he made brave, though successful, efforts
to restore his country to independence. During the
Revolution he came to America, and received the rank
of brigadier-general in the American army. At the
attack on Savannah in 1779, he was so seriously
wounded that he survived but a short time. Congress
voted to erect a monument to his memory.

CHARLES HENRY, COUNT D'ESTAIGN, a French ad
miral, born in Auvergne. He was under Lally in the
East Indies, and escaped from an English prison by
breaking his parole. He was commander of the French
squadrons sent to assist the Americans, in their Revo
lutionary struggle, and was gullotined during the Reign
of Terror, arising out of the French Revolution. He
suffered in 1783.

180 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

CHARLES CORNWALLIS, son of the first Earl of
Cornwallis, was born in 1738 ; educated at Westmin
ster, and St. John's College, Cambridge, and then en
tered the British army. In 1761 he succeeded to the
title. During the Revolution, he commanded in the
Southern states, and signalized himself at the siege of
Charleston ; but was surrounded at Yorktovvn and
compelled to capitulate. From 1786 to 1792, he was
governor-general of, and commander-in-chief in, the
British Indies. From 1798 to 1801, he was lord-lieu
tenant of Ireland. The treaty of Amiens, in 1802, was
signed by him. In 1804 he was again made governor-
general of India, and died in the fol'owing year, at
Ghazepore, in the province of Benares. Sound prac
tical sense, not brilliant talent, was the characteristic of
Cornwallis.

SIR HENRY CLINTON, born in England, entered the
British army, served in the Hanoverian war ; he was
sent to America in 1775, with the rank of major-gen
eral. He distinguished himself at the battle of Bunker
Hill, evacuated Philadelphia in 1778, and took Charles
ton in 1780 ; for this last service he was thanked by the
House of Commons. He returned to England 1782,
and soon after published an account of the " Campaign
in 1781 — 83," which Cornwallis answered, and to
which Sir Henry replied. He was governor of Gibral-
ter in 1795, and died soon after.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 181

NATHANIEL GREENE, was born at Warwick, Rhode
Island, in 1741, and though he enjoyed but limited op
portunities of education, he early displayed a love of
study, and industriously applied himself to the acquisi
tion of such knowledge as was within his reach. He
was elected to the state legislature in 1770. In 1774
he enrolled himself as a private in a company called
the Kentish guards, and from this situation he was ele
vated to the command of three regiments, with the title
of major-general. In 1776, he accepted from Congress
a commission of brigadier-general, and distinguished
himself by his skill and bravery at the battles of Trenton
and Princeton. In 1778 he was appointed quarter
master general, and rendered great service in the office
by his talents for business. He presided at the court-
martial which tried Major Andre, and was appointed to
succeed the traitorous Arnold in command at West
Point. But he held this post only a brief time, being
appointed in that year (1780) to the command of the
Southern army. He assumed the command in Decem
ber, and in this situation displayed a prudence, intrepi
dity and firmness that elevated him to the first rank
among the officers of the American Revolution. In
September 1781, he commanded at the famous victory
of Eutaw Springs, for which he received from Congress
a British standard and a gold medal, as a testimony of
their value of his conduct and services. On the termi
nation of hostilities, he returned to Rhode Island, and
in 1785 removed with his family to Georgia, where he
died suddenly in June (the 19th) of the following year.
South Carolina had presented him with an estate worth
£10.000; Georgia, with an estate a few miles from
Savannah, worth £5.000 ; and North Carolina, with
25.000 acres of land in the state of Tennessee.
16

182 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

HENRY LEE, a Virginian, born in 1756, graduated
at Princeton college, and in 1776 was captain of one
of the six companies of cavalry raised by his native
state. These were afterwards embodied into one regi
ment, and added, in 1777, to the main body of the pro
vincials. At the battle of Germantown, Lee was se
lected with his company to attend Washington as his
body-guard. In 1780, with the rank of lieutenant-
colonel, he was sent with his legion to the army of the
south, and continued with it until the close of the war.
In 1786 he was a delegate to Congress from the state
of Virginia, and remained in that body until the adoption
of the present constitution. In 1792 he was honored
with the governor's chair of his native state, and in
1799 was again a member of Congress, and while
there he was selected to pronounce a funeral oration
upon the death of Washington. In the latter years of
his life he became embarrassed in his circumstances.
He was severely wounded during the riot in Baltimore,
1814, and his health declined. His death took place
in 1818. It was while confined for debt within the
limits of Spottsylvania county, that he prepared for
publication his " Memoirs of the Southern War," pub
lished in 1812 ; and from which excellent work a great
amount of information has been obtained for the present
compilation.

THOMAS SUMPTER, a very distinguished soldier of
the war in the southern states, was born in 1735.
Governor Rutledge appointed him brigadier-general in
1780, and his military career was bold and brilliant.
He took his seat in the United States senate, in 1811,
as a senator from the state of South Carolina. He
died at the age of 97 in 1832.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 183

OTHO HOLLAND WILLIAMS, a native of Virginia,
born in 1748. A company of riflemen was raised in
Frederick county at the beginning of the Revolution,
to which he was given the command, and he at once
repaired to the American camp near Boston. At the
capture of Fort Washington in New York, Williams
was taken prisoner. After being exchanged, he com
manded the 6th Maryland regiment, and was detached
to South Carolina, and, with the rank of adjutant-gen
eral, he continued to participate with zeal and activity
in the dangers of the campaign. He was subsequently
promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He died
in 1794.

WILLIAM RICHARDSON DAVIE, was born in Eng
land, brought to America in his childhood, and educated
at Princeton college, where he graduated in 1776. He
studied law for a short time, but such was his interest
in the Revolution, he entered the army as a lieutenant
in Count Pulaski's legion, and distinguished himself by
his efficiency and courage. After the war, he devoted
himself to the practice of law ; and in 1787, he was
chosen a delegate from South Carolina to represent that
State in the Convention which framed the Constitution
of the United States. Unavoidable absence prevented
him from affixing his name to that instrument. He
was afterwards governor of North Carolina, etc. His
death occurred in 1820. His person was dignified ; as
a soldier no man was ever more courageous ; his legal
abilities were more than ordinary.

184 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

JOHN EAGER HOWARD, a native of Baltimore city,
born in 1752. He was one of the most distinguished
officers of the American Revolution, and at the battle
of Cowpens, he had in his hands the swords of seven
British officers, who had surrendered to him personally.
After the war he resided on his estate, near Baltimore,
and the citizens of Maryland subsequently elected him
to the dignity of governor of their state, and he was
also a member of the United States' Senate. He died
at the age of seventy-five in 1827. " As a patriot and
a soldier," said Gen. Greene, " Colonel Howard de
served a statue of gold no less than Roman and Grecian
heroes."

WILLIAM WASHINGTON, born in Virginia, served
in the Revolutionary war from the commencement of
the contest, received a wound at the battle of Trenton,
distinguished himself in the Southern campaigns, and
commanded the cavalry at the battle of Cowpens. For
his bravery and military skill at this battle, Congress
presented him with a sword. It was his misfortune to
be wounded and taken prisoner at Eutaw Springs,
which deprived his country of his services for the re
mainder of the war. He remained a prisoner until the
conclusion of the war, after which he married, and
settled in South Carolina ; in the legislature of which
state he exhibited the talents and virtues of an honest
statesman. His death took place in 1810.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 185

FRANCIS HASTINGS, LORD RAWDON, son of the Earl
of Moira, in Ireland, and born in 1754, educated at Ox
ford, travelled on the continent of Europe, and entered
the British army as an ensign. He was among the
troops sent to America at the commencement of the
Revolution, and took part in the engagement at
Bunker's Hill. He subsequently commanded in South
Carolina, where he displayed considerable valor, and
was perhaps the most efficient of the British officers in
the Southern war. Illness obliged him to embark for
Europe ; on the passage the ship in which he sailed
was captured by the French, and taken into Brest ; he
was soon released, and reached England, and was re
warded for his exertions in America by being created
a peer. In parliament he distinguished himself, and in
1793, upon the death of his father, he succeeded to the
title of Earl Moira. In 1794, with the rank of major-
general, he commanded, under the duke of York, against
the French armies in Holland. The Whigs -wished to
place him at the head of the ministry in 1797, but
were unsuccessful. In 1812, having for several years
previous been employed in political negotiations, he re
ceived the appointment of governor-general of British
India, in which office he evidenced great abilities. He
resigned in 1822, and returned to England. After
which he was appointed governor of the island of Malta.
He died in Nov. 1825.

JOHN LAURENS, son of Henry Laurens, the Ameri
can patriot and statesman, was liberally educated in
England, and, having returned to his native country,
joined the American army in 1777. He displayed pro-
16*

186 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

digies of valor at Brandy wine, German town, Monmouth,
Savannah and Charleston, and was killed at the very
close of the war in a slight skirmish. In 1780, he was
sent as a special minister to France to negotiate a loan,
and, after being subjected to a vexatious delay, he de
termined to present a memorial to the king in person
at the levee. This purpose he carried into effect: the
memorial was graciously received by Louis XVI., and
the object of negotiation satisfactorily arranged. He
was but twenty-seven years old at the time of his death
in 1782.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, the illustrious founder of
American independence, was born in 1732, in the
county of Fairfax, in Virginia, where his father was
possessed of great landed property. He was educated
under the care of a private tutor, and paid much atten
tion to the study of mathematics and engineering. He
was first employed officially by General Dinwiddie,
in 1753, in remonstrating to the French commander
on the Ohio, for the infraction of the treaty between
the two nations. He subsequently negotiated a treaty
of amity with the Indians on the back settlements, and
for his honorable services received the thanks of the
British Government. In the unfortunate expedition
of General Braddock he served as aid-de-camp, and on
the fall of that brave but rash commander, he conducted
the retreat to the corps under Colonel Dunbar in a
manner that displayed great military talent. He re
tired from the service with the rank of colonel, but
while engaged in agriculture at his favorite seat of
Mount Vernon, he was elected senator in the national

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 187

council for Frederic county, and afterwards for Fair
fax. At the commencement of the revolutionary war,
he was selected as the most proper person to take the
chief command of the provincial troops. From the
moment of taking upon himself this important office,
in June, 1775, he employed the great powers of his
mind to his favorite object, and by his prudence, his
valor, and presence of mind he deserved and obtained
the confidence and gratitude of his country, and finally
triumphed over all opposition. The record of his
services is the history of the whole war. He joined
the army at Cambridge in July, 1775. On the evacua
tion of Boston in March, 1776, he proceeded to New
York. The battle of Long Island was fought on the
27th of August, and the battle of White Plains on the
28th of October. On the 25th of December he crossed
the Delaware, and soon gained the victories at Trenton
and Princeton. The battle of Brandy wine was fought
on September llth, 1777; of Germantown, October
4th; of Monmouth, February 28th, 1778. In 1779
and 1780 he continued in the vicinity of New York,
and closed the important military operations of the war
by the capture of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, in 1781.
When the independence of his country was established
by the treaty of peace, Washington resigned his high
office to the congress, and, followed by the applause,
and the grateful admiration of his fellow-citizens, re
tired into private life. His high character and services
naturally entitled him to the highest gifts his country
could bestow, and on the organization of the govern
ment he was called upon to be the first president of the
states which he had preserved and established. It was
a period of great difficulty and danger. The unsub
dued spirit of liberty had been roused and kindled by

188 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

the revolution of France, and many Americans were
eager that the freedom and equality which they them
selves enjoyed should be extended to the subjects of
the French monarch. Washington anticipated the
plans of the factious, and by prudence and firmness
subdued insurrection, and silenced discontent, till the
parties which the intrigues of Genet the French envoy
had roused to rebellion, were convinced of the wildness
of their measures and of the wisdom of their governor.
The president completed, in 1796, the business of his
office by signing a commercial treaty with Great
Britain, and then voluntarily resigned his power at a
moment when all hands and all hearts were united, again
to confer upon him the sovereignty of the country.
Restored to the peaceful retirement of Mount Vernon,
he devoted himself to the pursuits of agriculture; and
though he accepted the command of the army in 1798,
it was merely to unite the affections of his fellow
citizens to the general good, and was one more sacrifice
to his high sense of duty. He died after a short ill
ness on the 14th of December, 1799. He was buried
with the honors due to the noble founder of a happy
and prosperous republic. History furnishes no parallel
to the character of Washington. He stands on an un-
approached eminence ; distinguishad almost beyond
humanity for self-command, intrepidity, soundness of
judgment, rectitude of purpose, and deep ever active
piety.

JOHN CADWALADER, was born in Philadelphia, and
rose to the rank of brigadier-general in the American
army during the revolutionary war. He was a man

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 189

of inflexible courage, and possessed in a high degree
the esteem and confidence of Washington. In 1778,
he was appointed by Congress general of cavalry, an
appointment which he declined on the score of being
more useful in the situation he then occupied. After
the war he was a member of the assembly of Mary
land, and died in 1786, in the 44th year of his age.

CHARLES LEE, a major-general in the army of the
American revolution, was born in North Wales, and
became an officer when very young. He served at
an early age in America, and afterwards distinguished
himself under General Burgoyne, in Portugal. He
subsequently entered the Polish service, wandered all
over Europe, killed an Italian officer in a duel, and in
1773 sailed for New York. Espousing the cause of
the colonies, he received a commission from Congress
in 1775, with the rank of major-general. In 1776 he
was invested with the command at New York, and
afterwards with the chief command in the southern
department. In December, 1776, he was made
prisoner by the English, as he lay carelessly guarded
at a considerable distance from the main body of the
army in New Jersey. He was kept prisoner till the
surrender of Burgoyne, in 1777, and treated in a man
ner unworthy of a generous enemy. In 1778, he was
arraigned before a court-martial, in consequence of his
misconduct at the battle of Monmouth, and was sus
pended from any commission in the army of the
United States for one year. He retired to a hovel in
Virginia, living in entire seclusion, surrounded by his
books and his dogs. In 1782, he went to reside at

190 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

Philadelphia, where he died in obscurity in October
of the same year. He was a man of much energy
and courage, with considerable literary attainments,
but morose and avaricious. He published essays on
military, literary and political subjects, which with his
extensive correspondence were collected in a volume
in 1792. The authorship of the Letters of Junius has
been ascribed to him.

RICHARD HENRY LEE, an eminent American patriot,
and signer of the Declaration of Independence, was
born in Virginia in 1732, and received his education
in England. He returned to his native country when
in his nineteenth year, and devoted himself to the
general study of history, politics, law, and polite litera
ture, without engaging in any particular profession.
In his 25th year, he was chosen a delegate to the house
of burgesses, where he soon distinguished himself by
his powers in debate. In 1764, he was appointed to
draught an address to the king, and a memorial to the
house of lords, which are amongst the best state papers
of the period. His efforts in resisting the various en
croachments of the British government were indefati
gable, and in 1774 he attended the first general Congress
at Philadelphia, as a delegate from Virginia. He was
a member of most of the important committees of this
body, and laboured with unceasing vigilance and
energy. The memorial of Congress to the people of
British America, and the second address of Congress
to the people of Great Britain, were both from his pen.
In June, 1776, he introduced the measure that de
clared the colonies free and independent states, and

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 191

supported it by a speech of the most brilliant eloquence.
He continued to hold a seat in Congress till June,
1777, when he solicited leave of absence, on account
of the delicate state of his health. In August of the
next year, he was again elected to Congress, and con
tinued in that body till 1780, when he declined a re
election till 1784. In that year he was chosen presi
dent of Congress, but retired at the close of it, and in
1786 was again chosen a member of the Virginia
assembly. He was a member of the convention which
adopted the present constitution of the United States,
and one of the first senators under it. In 1792 he
again retired from public life, and died in 1794.

PATRICK HENRY, an American orator and statesman,
was born in Virginia in 1736, and after receiving a
common school education, and spending some time in
trade and agriculture, commenced the practice of the
law, after only six weeks of preparatory study. After
several years of poverty, with the encumbrance of a
family, he first rose to distinction in managing the
popular cause in the controversy between the legisla
ture and the clergy, touching the stipend which was
claimed by the latter. In 1765 he was elected a
member of the house of burgesses, with express refer
ence to an opposition to the British stamp act. In
this assembly he obtained the honor of being the first
to commence the opposition to the measures of the
British government, which terminated in the revolu
tion. He was one of the delegates sent by Virginia
to the first general congress of the colonies, in 1774,
and in that body distinguished himself by his boldness

192 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

and eloquence. In 1776 he was appointed the first
governor of the commonwealth, and to this office was
repeatedly re-elected. In 1786 he was appointed by
the legislature one of the deputies to the convention
held at Philadelphia, for the purpose of revising the
federal constitution. In 1788* he was a member of the
convention, which met in Virginia to consider the
constitution of the United States, and exerted himself
strenuously against its adoption. In 1794 he retired
from the bar, and died in 1799. Without extensive
information upon legal or political topics, he was a
natural orator of the highest order, possessing great
powers of imagination, sarcasm and humor, united
with great force and energy of manner, and a deep
knowledge of human nature.

THOMAS JEFFERSON was born in Albemarle county,
Virginia, in 1743, and was entered a student in the
college of William and Mary. On leaving this semi
nary, he applied himself to the study of the law,
under the tuition of the celebrated George Wythe, and
was called to the bar in 1766. He soon occupied a
high stand in his profession, and at the early age of
twenty-five entered the house of burgesses of his
native state. In 1774 he published a Summary View
of the Rights of British America, a bold but respectful
pamphlet addressed to the king. In 1775 he was
elected a member of the continental congress, and in
the following year draughted the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Between 1777 and 1779 he was employed
together with George Wythe and Edmund Pendleton
on a commission for revising the laws of Virginia. In

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 193

1779 he was elected governor of Virginia, and con
tinued in office until June, 1781. In the latter year
he commenced his celebrated Notes on Virginia, and
in 1787 published it under his own signature. In
November, 1783, he again took his seat in the con
tinental congress, and in May following was appointed
minister plenipotentiary, to act abroad with Adams and
Franklin in the negotiation of commercial treaties. In
1785 he was appointed to succeed Dr. Franklin as
minister to the court of Versailles, and performed the
duties of this office till 1789, when he returned to his
native country and was placed by President Washington
at the head of the department of state. In 1797 he
became vice-president, and in 1801 president of the
United States. At the expiration of eight years he
again retired to private life, and took up his residence
at Monticello. He still continued anxious to promote
the interest of science and literature, and devoted the
attention of several years to the establishment of a
university in Virginia. He died on the fourth of July,
1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of In
dependence. In stature Mr. Jefferson was six feet
and two inches high. His person was erect and well
formed, though spare. In his manners he was simple
and unaffected, simple in his habits, and incessantly
occupied with the pursuits of business or study. Four
volumes of his Correspondence have been published
since his decease.

NICHOLAS BIDDLE, an American naval officer was
born in Philadelphia, in 1750. He entered the
British fleet in 1770, having previously served several
17

194 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

years as a seaman on board merchant ships. On the
commencement of hostilities between the colonies and
the mother country, he returned to Philadelphia, and
received from Congress the captaincy of the Andrew
Doria, a brig of 14 guns, employed in the expedition
against New Providence. Towards the close of 1776,
he received command of the Randolph, a new frigate
of 32 guns, with which he soon captured a Jamaica
fleet of four sail richly laden. This prize he carried
into Charleston, and was soon after furnished by the
government of that town with four additional vessels,
to attack several British cruisers, at that time harassing
the commerce of the vicinity. He fell in with the
royal line of battle ship Yarmouth, of 64 guns, on the
7th of March, 1778, and after an action of twenty
minutes, perished with all his crew except four, by the
blowing up of the ship.

JOHNSON BLAKELY, a captain in the United States
navy during the late war, was born in Ireland in 1781.
TWO years after, his father emigrated to the United
States and settled in North Carolina. Young Blakely
was placed, in 1796, at the university of North Caro
lina, but circumstances having deprived him of the
means of adequate support, he left college, and in 1800
obtained a midshipman's warrant. In 1813 he was
appointed to the command of the Wasp, and in this
vessel took his Brittanic Majesty's ship Reindeer, after
an action of nineteen minutes. The Wasp afterwards
put into L'Orient ; from which port she sailed August
27th. On the evening of the first of September, 1814,
she fell in with four sail, at considerable distances

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 195

from each other. One of these was the brig-of-war
Avon, which struck after a severe action ; but Captain
B. was prevented from taking possession by the ap
proach of another vessel. The enemy reported that
they had sunk the Wasp by the first broadside, but
she was afterwards spoken by a vessel off the Western
Isles. After this we hear of her no more. Captain
Blakely was considered a man of uncommon courage
and intellect.

DANIEL BOONE, one of the earliest settlers in
Kentucky, was born in Virginia, and was from in
fancy addicted to hunting in the woods. He set out
on an expedition to explore the region of Kentucky, in
May, 1769, with five companions. After meeting with
a variety of adventures, Boone was left with his
brother, the only white men in the wilderness. They
passed the winter in a cabin, arid in the summer of
1770 traversed the country to the Cumberland river.
In September, 1773, Boone commenced his removal
to Kentucky with his own and five other families. He
was joined by forty men, who put themselves under
his direction ; but being attacked by the Indians, the
whole party returned to the settlements on Clinch
river. Boone was afterwards employed by a company
of North Carolina, to buy, from the Indians, lands on
the south side of the Kentucky river. In April, 1775,
he built a fort at Salt-spring, where Boonesborough is
now situated. Here he sustained several sieges from
the Indians, and was once taken prisoner by them
while hunting with a number of his men. In 1782
the depredations of the savages increased to an alarm-
2A

196 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

ing extent, and Boone, with other militia officers, col
lected one hundred and seventy-six men, and went in
pursuit of a large body, who had marched beyond the
Blue Licks, forty miles from Lexington. From that
time till 1798, he resided alternately in Kentucky and
Virginia. In that year, having received a grant of
two thousand acres of land from the Spanish autho
rities; he removed to Upper Louisiana, with his children
and followers, who were presented with eight hun
dred acres each. He settled with them at Charette,
on the Missouri river, where he followed his usual
course of life, — hunting and trapping bears, — till Sep
tember, 1822, when he died in the eighty-fifth year of
his age. He expired while on his knees, taking aim
at some object, and was found in that position, with
his gun resting on the trunk of a tree.

JOHN BURGOYNE, was a natural son of Lord Bingley
he entered early into the army; and in 1762 displayed
much talent and enterprise, in command of a party of
British troops in Portugal. In the American war, h*
led the army which was to penetrate from Canada
into the revolted provinces. At first, he was success
ful ; but, insuperable obstacles thickening round him,
he was ultimately compelled to surrender at Saratoga.
Disgusted by the conduct of the ministry after his re
turn, he resigned all his employments. He died in
August, 1792. Burgoyne wrote the dramas of the
Heiress, the Maid of the Oaks, the Lord of the Manor,
and Richard Coeur de Lion ; some pamphlets in his
own defence ; and a Probationary Ode.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 197

JOHN CHAMPE, a soldier in the American Revolution,
was born in Louden county, Virginia. In the year
1776 he was appointed a sergeant-major in Lee's regi
ment of cavalry, and after the discovery of Arnold's
treason was employed by Washington in a service of
much danger and difficulty; this was, to visit the
British army as a deserter, in order to ascertain if any
other American officers were engaged in that conspiracy,
and to secure if possible the person of Arnold. In the
latter object of his enterprise he unfortunately failed,
but he effected his own escape in safety, and returned
to his companions. Washington treated him munifi
cently, and presented him with his discharge from
further service, lest, in the vicissitudes of war, he should
fall into the hands of the enemy, and perish upon a
gibbet. He died in Kentucky about the year 1797

GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE, colonel in the service of
Virginia against the Indians in the revolutionary war,
distinguished himself greatly in that post, and rendered
efficient service to the inhabitants of the frontiers. In
1779 he descended the Ohio and built fort Jefferson
on the eastern bank of the Mississippi; in 1781 he re
ceived a general's commission. He died in 1817 at
his seat near Louisville, Kentucky.

RICHARD DALE, an American naval commander, was
born in Virginia in 1756. At twelve years of age he
was sent to sea, and in 1776 he entered as a midship
man on board of the American brig of war Lexington.

17*

198 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

In the following year he was taken prisoner by a
British cruiser, and after a twelve month confinement
lie escaped from Mill prison, and succeeded in reach
ing France. Here he joined, in the character of
master's mate, the celebrated Paul Jones, then com
manding the American ship Bon Homme Richard.
He was soon raised to the rank of first lieutenant and
signalized himself in the sanguinary engagement be
tween the Bon Homme Richard and the English
frigate Serapis. In 1794, the United States made him
a captain in the navy, and in 1801 he took command
of the American squadron which sailed in that year
from Hampton roads to the Mediterranean. From the
year 1802, he passed his life in Philadelphia, in the
enjoyment of a competent estate, and much esteemed
by his fellow-citizens. He died in 1826, leaving the
reputation of a brave and intelligent seaman.

STEPHEN DECATUR, a distinguished officer in the
navy of the United States, was born in Maryland iu
1779, and received his education in Philadelphia.
He entered the navy in 1798, and first distinguished
himself when in the rank of lieutenant, by the destruc
tion of the American frigate Philadelphia, which had
run upon a rock in the harbor of Tripoli, and fallen
into the hands of the enemy. For this exploit, the
American Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a
sword, and the president immediately sent him a cap
taincy. At the bombardment of Tripoli the next year,
he distinguished himself by the capture of two of the
enemy's boats, which were moored along the mouth
of the harbor, and immediately under the batteries.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 199

When peace was concluded with Tripoli, Decatur re
turned home in the Congress, and afterward succeeded
Commodore Barron in the command of the Chesapeake.
In the late war between Great Britain and the United
States, his chief exploit was the capture of the British
frigate Macedonian, commanded by Captain Garden.
In January, 1815, he attempted to sail from New
York, which was then blockaded by four British ships ;
but the frigate under his command was injured in pass
ing the bar, and was captured by the whole squadron,
after a running fight of two or three hours. He was
restored to his country after the conclusion of peace.
In the summer of the same year, he was sent with a
squadron to the Mediterranean, in order to compel the
Algerines to desist from their depredations on American
commerce. He arrived at Algiers on the twenty-eighth
of June, and in less than forty-eight hours terrified
the regency into an entire accession to all his terms.
Thence he went to Tripoli, where he met with like
success. On returning to the United States, he was
appointed a member of the Board of Commissioners
for the navy, and held that office till March, 1820,
when he was shot in a duel with Commodore Barron.
He was a man of an active and powerful frame, and
possessed a high degree of energy, sagacity, and
courage.

GEORGE WYTHE, a signer of the Declaration of
American Independence, was born in Virginia in 1726.
His early course was dissipated, but at the age of thirty
he .reformed, turned his attention to literature, studied
law and commenced its practice. At the breaking out

200 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

of the revolution he was a distinguished leader of the
popular party. He was for some time speaker of the
house of burgesses, and in 1775 was elected a member
of Congress. He was one of the committee to revise
the laws of Virginia in 1776, and had a principal
share in preparing the code adopted in 1779. Soon
after he was appointed one of the three judges of the
high court of chancery, and subsequently sole counsel
lor. He was a member of the convention of Virginia
to consider the constitution of the United States.
His death, which was attributed to poison, took place
in 1806.

JOHN PAUL JONES, a native of Scotland, was born
in 1747, at Selkirk, and settled in America when young.
He distinguished himself by his bravery in the
American service, during the contest with the mother
country, particularly in a desperate action with the
Serapis frigate, which he captured. He died in Paris
in 1792, and was buried at the expense of the national
convention. Jones was not only a man of signal
courage, but also of great talent, and keen sagacity,
wrote poetry, and in France aspired to be a man of
fashion. His memorials and correspondence are quite
voluminous.

GEORGE WALTON, a signer of the Declaration of
American Independence, was born in Frederic county,
Virginia, about the year 1740. He was early ap
prenticed to a carpenter, but at the expiration of his

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 201

apprenticeship he removed to Georgia and entered the
office of an attorney at law. In 1776 he was elected
to the continental congress. At the siege of Savannah
he was wounded and taken prisoner, but was exchanged
in September, 1779. In the following month he was
appointed governor of the state, and in the succeeding
January was elected a member of Congress for two
years.

DAVID RAMSEY, an American historian, was born in
Pennsylvania, in 1749, was educated at Princeton
College, and commenced the study of medicine. After
practising a short time in Maryland, he removed to
Charleston, South Carolina, in 1773, and soon rose
to an extensive practice. He took an active and early
part in the cause of the colonies, and was for some
time a surgeon in the revolutionary army. In 1782
he was chosen to a seat in Congress. He wrote a
History of the Revolution in South Carolina ; a History
of the American Revolution ; a Life of Washington ; a
History of South Carolina ; and a History of the
United States. He died in 1815.

CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY, a distinguished
officer of the revolutionary army, was born in South
Carolina, received his education in England, and
studied law in the Temple. On returning to his
native province in 1769, he devoted himself to the
successful practice of his profession. On the com
mencement of hostilities he renounced law for the

202 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

study of military tactics, and was soon promoted to
the command of the first regiment of Carolina infantry.
He was subsequently aid-de-camp to Washington, and
in this capacity at the battles of Brandywine and
Germantown. On the surrender of Charleston he
was taken prisoner, and remained so till all opportunity
of gaining fresh reputation in the field, had passed.
He was a member of the convention which formed
the federal constitution, and in 1796 was appointed
minister to France. When preparations were making
for war on account of the expected French invasion,
Mr. Pinckney was nominated a major-general, but he
soon had an opportunity of retiring to the quiet of
private life. He was afterwards president of the
Cincinnati Society of the United States. He died in
1825.

DANIEL MORGAN, a distinguished officer in the army
of the American Revolution, was born in New Jersey,
and removed to Virginia in 1755. He enlisted in
Braddock's expedition as a private soldier, and on the
defeat of that general returned to his occupation as a
farmer. At the commencement of the Revolution he
was appointed to the command of a troop of horse,
and joined the army under Washington, then in the
neighbourhood of Boston. He distinguished himself
very much in the expedition against Quebec, where
he fell into the hands of the enemy. On the exchange
of prisoners, he rejoined the American army, was ap
pointed to the command of a select rifle corps, and
detached to assist General Gates on the northern fron
tier, where he contributed materially to the capture of

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 203

General Burgoyne. After a short retirement from
service, on account of ill health, he was appointed
brigadier-general by brevet, and commanded at the
force by which Colonel Tarleton was routed at the
battle of Cowpens. He soon after resigned his com
mission. In 1794 he commanded the militia of
Virginia called out to suppress the insurrection in
Pennsylvania, and continued in the service till 1795.
He afterwards was elected to a seat in Congress. He
died in 1799.

JAMES NICHOLSON, an officer in the American navy,
was born in Chestertown, Maryland, in 1737. He
followed the life of a sailor till the year 1763, when
he married and settled in the city of New York.
Here he remained until 1771, when he returned to his
native province. At the commencement of the Revolu
tion, the government of Maryland built and equipped
a ship of war, called the Defence, and the command
of her was intrusted to Nicholson. He performed
various exploits during the war, and before the close
of it was taken prisoner and carried into New York.
He died in 1806.

JAMES MONROE, President of the United States,
born in Virginia, in 1759, and was educated in William
and Mary College. He entered the revolutionary war
in 1776 as a cadet, was at the battles of Haerlem
Heights and White Plains, and in the attack on Trenton,
and rose through the rank of lieutenant to that of cap-

204 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

tain. He was present at the battles of Brandywine.
Germantown, and Monmouth, as aid to Lord Sterling*
Resuming the study of the law, he entered the office
of Mr. Jefferson, and after being a member of the
assembly of Virginia and the council, he was elected
in 1783, a member of the old Congress. In 1790 he
was elected a member of the Senate of the United
States, in 1794 went as minister plenipotentiary to
France, and in 1799 was appointed governor of
Virginia. In 1803 he was appointed minister extra
ordinary to France, in the same year minister to Lon
don, and in the next minister to Spain. In 1806 he
was again appointed in conjunction with Mr. William
Pinkney, minister to London. He was subsequently
governor of Virginia ; in 1811 was appointed secretary
of state, and continued to exercise the duties of this
department, and for some time those of the department
of war, till 1817. In that year he was chosen presi
dent of the Union, and in 1821 was re-elected by a
vote, unanimous, with the single exception of one vote
in New Hampshire. He died in New York, on the
fourth of July, 1831.

ARTHUR MIDDLETON, a signer of the Declaration of
American Independence, was born in South Carolina
in 1743, and received his education in Europe. Soon
after his return home, he began to take an active part
in the revolutionary movements, and in 1776 was
chosen one of the delegates from his native state to the
American Congress. At the close of the year 1777
he resigned his seat, leaving behind a character for
the purest patriotism and unwavering resolution. In

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 205

the year 1779 many of the southern plantations were
ravaged, and that of Mr. Middleton did not escape.
On the surrender of Charleston he was taken prisoner
and kept in confinement for nearly a year. In 1781
he was appointed a representative to Congress, and
again in 1782. In the latter year he went into retire
ment, and died in 1787.

JOHN ADAMS, a distinguished patriot of the American
Revolution, was born in 1735, at Braintree, Massachu
setts. He was educated at the University of Cam
bridge, and received the degree of master of arts in
1758. At this time he entered the office of Jeremiah
Gridley, a lawyer of the highest eminence, to complete
his legal studies ; and in the next year he was admitted
to the bar of Suffolk. Mr. Adams at an early age es
poused the cause of his country, and received numer
ous marks of the public confidence and respect. He
took a prominent part in every leading measure, and
served on several committees which reported some of
the most important state papers of the time. He was
elected a member of the Congress, and was among the
foremost in recommending the adoption of an indepen
dent government. It has been affirmed by Mr. Jeffer
son himself, " that the great pillar of support to the
Declaration of Independence, and its ablest advocate
and champion on the floor of the house was John
Adams." In 1777 he was chosen commissioner to
the court of Versailles, in the place of Mr. Dean, who
was recalled. On his return, about a year afterwards,
he was elected a member of the convention to prepare
a form of government for the state of Massachusetts,
18

206 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

and placed on the sub-committee chosen to draught the
project of a constitution. Three months after his re
turn, Congress sent him abroad with two commissions,
one as a minister plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace,
the other to form a commercial treaty with Great
Britain. In June, 1780, he was appointed in the place
of Mr. Laurens ambassador to Holland, and in 1782
he repaired to Paris, to commence the negotiation for
peace, havjng previously obtained assurance that Great
Britain would recognise the independence of the
United States. At the close of the war Mr. Adams was
appointed the first minister to London. In 1789 he
was elected vice-president of the United States, and
on the resignation of Washington, succeeded to the
presidency in 1797. After his term of four years had
expired, it was found, on the new election, that his
adversary, Mr. Jefferson, had succeeded by the majority
of one vote. On retiring to his farm in Quincy, Mr.
Adams occupied himself with agriculture, obtaining
amusement from the literature and politics of the day.
The remaining years of his life were passed in almost
uninterrupted tranquillity. He died on the fourth of
July, 1826, with the same words on his lips, which
> fifty years before, on that glorious day, he had uttered
on the floor of Congress — " Independence for ever."
Mr. Adams is the author of An Essay on Canon and
Feudal Law ; a series of letters published under the
signature of Novanglus ; and Discourses on Davila.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, a philosopher and statesman,
the son of a soap-boiler and tallow chandler, was born
in 1706, at Boston, in America. He was apprenticed

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 207

as a printer to his brother, at Boston. It was while
he was with his brother that he began to try his
powers of literary composition. Street ballads and
articles in a newspaper were his first efforts. Dis
satisfied with the manner in which he was treated by
his relative, he, at the age of seventeen, privately
quitted him, and went to Philadelphia, where he ob
tained employment. Deluded by a promise of patron
age from the governor, Sir William Keith, he visited
England to procure the necessary materials, for esta
blishing a printing office in Philadelphia ; but, on his
arrival at London, he found that he had been deceived,
and he was obliged to work as a journeyman for
eighteen months. While he was in the British
metropolis, he wrote a Dissertation on Liberty and
Necessity, Pleasure and Pain. In 1726 he returned
to Philadelphia ; not long after which he entered into
business as a printer and stationer, and, in 1728, esta-
tablished a newspaper. His prudence soon placed
him among the most prosperous of the citizens, and
the influence which prosperity naturally gave was en
hanced by his activity and talent. Chiefly by his ex
ertions, a public library, a fire preventing company, an
insurance company, and a voluntary association for
defence, were established at Philadelphia. In 1732,
he began Poor Richard's Almanac. His first public
employment was that of clerk to the general assembly
of Pennsylvania ; his next that of postmaster; and he
was subsequently chosen as a representative. Philoso
phy, also, now attracted his attention, and he began
those inquiries into the nature of electricity, the results
of which have ranked him high among men of science.
In 1753, he was appointed deputy postmaster-general
of British America ; and from 1757 to 1762, he resided

208 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

in London, as agent for Pennsylvania and other colonies.
The last of these offices was intrusted to him again in
1764, and he held it till the breaking out of the con
test in 1775. After his return to America, he took an
active part in the cause of liberty, and, in 1778, he
was despatched, by the Congress, as ambassador to
France. The treaty of alliance with the French
government, and the treaties of peace, in 1782 and
1783, as well as treaties with Sweden and Prussia,
were signed by him. On his reaching Philadelphia,
in September, 1785, his arrival was hailed by applaud
ing thousands of his countrymen, who conducted him
in triumph to his residence. He died April 17thT
1790. His Memoirs, written by himself, but left un
finished, and his Philosophical, Political, and Mis
cellaneous Works, have been published by his grand
son, in six volumes octavo.

SAMUEL ADAMS, one of the most remarkable men
connected with the American Revolution, was born at
Boston in 1722. He was educated at Harvard College,
and received his honors in 1740. He was one of the
first who organized measures of resistance to the
mother country ; and for the prominent part which he
took in these measures he was proscribed by the
British government. During the revolutionary war,
he was one of the most active and influential asserters
of American freedom and independence. He was a
member of the legislature of Massachusetts from 1766
to 1774, when he was sent to the first Congress of the
old confederation. He was one of the signers of the
Declaration of 1776, for the adoption of which he had

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 209

always been one of the warmest advocates. In 1781
he retired from Congress, but only to receive from his
native state additional proofs of her confidence in his
talents and integrity. He had already been an active
member of the convention that formed her constitution,
and after it went into effect, he was placed in the
senate of the state, and for several years presided over
that body. In 1789 he was elected lieutenant-governor,
and held that office till 1794 ; upon the death of Han
cock, he was chosen governor, and was annually re-
elected till 1797, when he retired from public life. He
died in 1803. The following encomium upon Mr.
Adams is from a, work upon the American Rebellion,
by Mr. Galloway, published in Great Britain, 1780 ;
" He eats little, drinks little, sleeps little, thinks much,
and is most indefatigable in the pursuit of his object. It
was this man, who, by his superior application, managed
at once the factions in Congress at Philadelphia, and
the factions of New England."

WILLIAM PINKNEY, an eloquent lawyer and states
man, was born in Maryland in 1765, and prepared
himself for the bar under the instruction of Judge
Chase. He was admitted to practice in 1786, and
soon gave indications of possessing superior powers.
He was a member of the convention of Maryland
which ratified the federal constitution. In 1776 he
was appointed one of the commissioners under the
British treaty. The state of Maryland also employed
him to procure a settlement of its claims on the Bank
of England, and he recovered for it the sum of eight
hundred thousand dollars. This detained him in

210

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

England till the year 1804, when he returned and re
sumed his professional labors. In 1806 he was sent
as envoy extraordinary to London, and in 1808 re
ceived the authority of minister plenipotentiary. He
returned to the United States in 1811, and soon after
was appointed attorney-general. This office he held
till 1814. During the incursion of the British into
Maryland, he commanded a battalion, and was wounded
in the battle of Bladensburgh in August, 1814. He
was afterwards representative in Congress, minister
plenipotentiary to Russia, envoy to Naples, and in
1819 senator in Congress. In the last office he con
tinued till his death in 1822.

OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, an American naval officer,
was born in Rhode Island in 1785. Entering the
navy in 1798, he served in the Mediterranean in the
expedition against Tripoli, and distinguished himself
in the late war with Great Britain by obtaining a
splendid victory over a superior force on Lake Erie.
For this exploit he was raised to the rank of captain.
He commanded the Java in the expedition to the
Mediterranean under Commodore Decatur. He died
in the West Indies in 1820.

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