The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-12-09
Maricl and His Men.

! Ii is said that Marion Often cncampcG
at The Oaks, the owners, the Middle
IONS, having been from thc first devoted
patriots. Aud this brings up again
! Marion and Marion'5 men, q little band
who probably never dreamed that they
were 10 go down on the page Of history
mbalmed in poetry and romance and
song figures, strong in local South Car
DINA coloring, and yet known all over
! The country almost as widely rs George
/ Washington himself. Gen. Francis
Marion, who, as the angry and harassed
British officer complained, "would not
fight like a Christian and gentleman"
( belonged to the Huguenot colony Of the
Santec, north Of Charleston, the same
Santec that owned those High Hills. On
the formation OF the Revolutionary army
! of Carolina, Marion was madca aptaIn III
! the regiment commanded by Moultrie
/ he rose TO a colonclcy before the evacua-
! ton of Charleston, AMI escaping the
/ fate of a.prisoner of war which fell to
Moultrie and many other officers, he
collected the fragments of his regiment
together in the reccssc5 of The swamps,
a.
/ 10 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 meteor in the night, and
the successes gaInd by his extraordinary
swiftncss and daring seemed marvellous
alike TO friend and foe. He selected
yourg men for his band, generally from
his own neigbbors, of French descent
he lived in the swamps he swan rivers
on horseback /: his iavorite cn:anpmcnt
was cano-brake. lie did not wait for
all his troops, but sailed out frequently
with only ten or twelve; he took saws
from the mills and turned them into
swords; he frequently engaged when he
had but three rounds to the man. Scouts
wero kept out constantly, and when
word was brought in Of "a small party OF
the enemy anywhere, then forth went
Maron's men, like lightning, after them.
, 1t was said that be was so secret in his
plans that his own soldiers had no idea
when they were 10 be called out, AMI
that their only way of knowing was to
watch tho 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 departure.
Marons favorito timo for starting was
sunset, and then tho march lasted all
night. Marion's men-bravo, shocless,
ragged, blanketless, gallant little band
the following is verso of one OF the
many songs made about you:
"our band is few, but true and tried
Our header swit and bOl"
The Britsh soldier tr M le.
When Marion 5 name l. toll,
Cur fortress is 10. good greenwood,
our tent the g. press tree;
We know the forests round us
As seaman know the sea-
We know It's walls OF thoTny vines.
Its Cladcs OF rvtfiv grass.
L. safe and silent islands
Within the dark IN ,rlss.-l Bryant
Ii is said that CORVALLIS had an es-
pccial fear of Marion, and never sat
down in strange house in the neigh
borhood Of Charleston, but always on a
piazza or under tree, that with ms own
ewes he could watch tor the swltt-dart
inc foe. Poor CORVALLIS. what Joy
swept over the country when he w&s
taken. Even tho Dutch Waterman of
Philadelphia called the news after mid
night. "Bast twelf o'clock, and Corn
wallis es dagen ?'-Hayper's Magazine.