Washington telegraph., 1852-11-03
"A Sketch of NNariOn's Life.

In personal appearance Marion presents
striking contrast to most of the officers in
our army 1t is a curious fact that the gen.
erals of the highest grade, In both armies,
during the revolutionary war averaged near
ly two hundred pounds in weight But
Marion was very small man, and of di-
minutive proportions every way He was
not only short, but remarkably thin His
countenance was swarthy, and grave in his
expression, and his eye dark, solemn and
poetic Extremely plain in his dress, and
still palmer manners. he did not strike a
stranger very forcibly. Reserved, silent
he seldom spoke. except when necessary and
then expressed his thoughts in the most di-
rect and simple language he could command
These peculiarities increased the mistery
which his actions threw around him and
doubtless added much to the influence he
held over his band. Cool and quiet, he
went on the most desperate missions without
excitement---as calmly stormed through the
fight, and then in the same composed man.
ner drew off his men to their dark and lonely
encampment He seemed utterly destitGe
of passion. He possessed neither revenge
nor thirst for glory, nor love of excitement,
nor desire of money nor power He show
ed no fondness for the table, but was alb
stemious as hermit Even the women
had no influence over him. and he moved
amid the turbulent scenes around him. like
one whose mind is wholly absorbed on one
great object yet to be accomplished Drink
ing his vinegar and water-enough to keep
any man n--eating his coarse hominy or
rice-with the trees for his shelter and the
swamp for his retreat, he fastens himself
upon our affections and interests, with
firmness nothing can shake.
Living in lawless times, and among rough
and bosterous men, he retained all delcacy
of feeling, refined tastes and scrupulous vir-
tue. Moving in an orbit of his own, he,
like Washington, was beyond the influence
of others, and seemed free from the common
fralties OF man.
Without pay-without even the hopes Of
victory-hunted from swamp to swamp, and
chased the iea9th and breadth of his State,
he SET stT09sied Oh g 6tcp alive the wa
ming fame Of patriotism il the hearts Of the
inhabitants
Binding his men to him by love rather
than by commands, he would let them DIS
band to their homes. no security but their
single promise to return Yet that promise
was never broken, and the love those stern
hearts bore him is one of the most touching
incidents in his career.
AS a partizan leader Marion had no
equal. One cannot point defect in him
nor suggest single good quality he did not
possess To sleepless vigilance he added
an energy and perseverance that nothing
could shake, and to bravery which never de-
serted him, a prudence unmarried by sin
gle rash act Provoked into no haste, be-
guiled into no procrastination, unelated by
success, undiscouraged by defeat, he baffied
every plan of his pursuers to take him, and
kept the field in the very midst of his foes.
For a long time the only patriot who dared
to lift the standard of freedom in his native
State, he became the object against which
the British directed all their efforts. Yet
they never disbandcd his corps or broke his
power The name Of Marion became a
spell word with which to conjure up the re-
publicanS and frighten the tories Seeking
the receSses of the swamp day by day, steal
ing on his foes like the panther bv night.
his swift horsemen came and went Ike the
invisible stroke of fate. No precaution
could escape his penetrating glarce nor cor
cealment furnish a scrutiny against his dead
" rifles He seemed omnipresent to the
enraged, terror stricken loyalists; and when
they deemed themselves safest, he was often
nearest. And yet not a vice sullied his
ermine character No ferocity was min
gled with his courage, and no cruelty ac-
companied his fierce onsets Neither TIE
barbarities of his enemies or the treason of
his friends could provoke him to injustice
even the clamors Of his own followers were
unable to swerve his just soul from the path
of integrity Given to no excess he asked
no share of the plunder, and never used the
power he possessed to crafty single selfish
passion.
His patriotism was as pure and lofty as
his character; and for his suffering and loss
es he neither asked nor expected remunera-
ton. His country he loved better than his
life, and liberty was dearer to him than all
things else on earth beside. Wealth. rank,
ease, safety, all sunk beneath his country's
claim, and he seemed to aim at nothing but
its interests He was seldom seen.
His followers were worthy of him. Bold,
fearless-true as steel in the hour of dam
ger, they closed around him with faith and
devotion, that excite our admiration and
claim our love-