The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-07-21
Marion and Mari0n's Men.

1t is said that Marion often encamped
near The Oaks, the owners, the Middle
tons having been found the first devoted
patriots. And this brings up again
Marion and Marionis Men, little band
who probably never dreamed ;hat they
were TO go down on the page Of history,
embalmed in poetry and romance and
song, figures strong in local South Caro-
linia coloring, and known to all the coun-
try almost as widely as George Wash
ington himself General Francis Mar
ion, who, as the angry and harasaed
British officer complained, would not
fight like christian and gentleman"
belonged to the Huguenot colony Of the
Santee, north of Charleston, the same
that owned those High Hills. On the
formation Of the Revolutionary army
of Calolina, Marion was made captain
in the regiment commanded by Moultrie;
he rose to a colonelcy before the evacu
alton of Charleston, and, escaping the
fate of prisoner of war which fell to
Moultrie and many other officers, he
Icollected the fragments of his regiment
together in the recesses of the swamps,
and from that moment became 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
success gained by his extraordinary
swiftness and daring 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 favorite encampmenl
was a cane-brake. He did not wait fol
all his troops, but sailed ont frequently
with only ten or twelve; he took sawi
+, from the mills and turned them into
swords; he frequently engaged when h'
: had but three ronnds to a man. Scout
!, were kept out constantly, and wher
!, word was brought in of small party o
the enemy anywhere, then forth wen
: Marion's men like lightning after them
r 1t is said he was 40 secret in his plan
o that his own soldiers had no idea whel
i they were to be called out, and tha
Y their only way of knowing was to watcl
d the negro cook; when the old man wa
e seen to be cooking little store Of tn
o poor food which was their only fare
then they prepared for departure
i Marion's fasorite time for starting wa
e sunset, and then the march last all nigh
y Marion's men-brave, ahoeless, ragged
Ia blanketless, gallant little band--the fol
e. lowing is a verse of one of the man
'e songs that were made about you:
D" "Onr band is few, but true and tried,
n Our leader swift and bold;
1t The British soldier trembles
m When Marion's name is told.
2. Our fortress ia the good greenwood,
Our tent the cypress-tree;
We know the forest round us
As seamen know the sea;
y We know its walls of thorny vines,
10 Its glades of reedy grass,
" Its safe and silent islands
ye Within the dark morass. s."-BRYAN
he Ii is said that CORVALLIS had an e
an pecial fear of Marion, and never q
at down in any strange house ir the neig
s- borhood of Charleston, but always on
as piazza or under tree, that with his ov
d. eyes he could watch for the swift dal
d. ing foe. Poor Corvallis! what j
er, swept over the country when he W
~, taken! Ever the Dutch watchmen
,st Philadelphia called the news after m i
of night, "Bast twelfe O'CLOCK, und Cor
wallis es dagen!"-[ Harper's Magazil