The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-11-18
MARION AND MARroN.s MEN.

MARION AND MARrox's MEN. ::
I JAEF.---fhS
! It is said that Marion often encamp
ed at The Oaks, the owners, the Mid
dletons, having been from the first
devoted patriots. And this brings UP
again Marion and Marion's Men. 9
little band who probably never dream.
ed that they were to 60 down on the
page Of history, embalmed in poetry
and romance and song, figures strong
in local South Carolina coloring and
yet known all over the country almost
rs widely as George w sahington him
self: General Francis Marion, Who
as the angry and haralssed British Of
ticer complained, would not fight
like q, christian and 4 gentleman, >
|ifbelonged to the Huguenet colony o.
the Santee, north; of Charleston, the
same Santee that owned those High
Hills. On the formation Of the Rev;
dictionary army Of Carolina, Marion
was made captain in the regiment
commanded by Moultrie he rose to
a colonelcy before the evacuation Of
Charleston, and, escaping the fate Of
prisoner Of war which fell to Moul.
trie and many other officers, he col.
lected the fragments of his regiment
together in the recesses Of the swamps,
and from that moment became a
dread to the whole British army in
the South. Marion made war in his
own way now here, now there now
seen, now gone, he was like a meteor
in the night, and the successes gained
by his extraordinary swiftness and dar.
ing seemed marvellous alike to friend
and to foe: He selected young men
for his band, generally from. his own
neighbors Of French descent he lived
in the swamps he swan rivers on
horseback; his favorlte encampment
was a caue-brake.: He did not wait
for all his troops, but sailed out fire..
quently with only ten or twelve; he
took saws from the mills, and turned
them into swords; he frequently en-
gagged when he had but three rounds
to man. Scouts were kept out con-
stantly, and when word was brought
in ola small party ofthe enemy any
where, then forth went Marions: Men
like lightning, after them.d II is said
that he was - secret in his plans that
his own soldiers: had no: 'idesnwhe4
they were to be called out, ard that
their only way Of. knowing: was I'd
watch: the negro cook: when the old
man was seen cooking a little store Of
the poor food which was their only
fare, then they prepared for depart:
ure. Marion's favorite time fol
starting was sunset, and then the
march lasted all night. sMarion'a
Membrane, shoeless, ragged, blank.
etless gallant little band-the follow.
ing is verse, of one of the many
songs that were made about you:
"Our band is few but true and tried,
Our leader swift and bold;
The British soldier trembles
When Marion's name is told.
Our fortress Is the good greenwood,
Our tent the cypress-tree;
We know the forest round US
As seamen know the sea;
We know its walls of thorny vines,
Its glades Of reedy grass
Its safe and silent islands
Within the dark morass."-B11Anr.
1t is said that Corvallis had an
especial fear Of Marion, and never
sat down in any strange house in the
neighborhood of Charleston, but al
ways on piazza or under q tree, that
with his own eyes he could watch fol-
the swift-darting foe. Poor Corn!
wallis! what joy swept over the coun-
:
try when he was. taken! Even the
Dutch Waterman Of Philadelphia
called the news after midnight,
"B&t twelfe O'CLOCK, and CORVALLIS
es dagen !''-Harper's Magazine for
December,