The Democratic advocate., 1876-01-01
Our @lio.
Marion and Manon,s Men.

4 1t is said that Marion often encampet
at The Oaks, the owners, the Middlctons
having been from the first devoted patri-
OTIS. And this brings up again Marion and
Marion's Men, little band who probably
never dreamed that they were to 90 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 as wide
ly as George Washington himself Gen.
Francis Marion, who, as the angry and har-
assed British officer complained, ''would
not fight like Christian and gentleman"
belonged to the Hugenot colony of the
Santee, north of Charleston, the same San.
tee that owned those High Hills. On the
formation of the Revolutionary army Of
Carolina, Marion was made captain in
the regiment commanded by Moultrie; he
rose to colonelcy before the evacuation
of Charleston, and escaping the fate of
prisoner Of war which fell TO Moultrie and
many other officers, he collected the frag-
ments of his regiment together in the re-
cesses of the swamps, and from that mo-
ment became the dread Of the whole Brit
ish 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 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 bis favorite
encampment was a canebrake. He 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 a man.
Scouts were kept out constantly, and when
word was brought in Of small party of
the enemy anywhere, then forth went
Marion's Men like lightning, after them.
1t is said that he was so secret in his plans
that his own soldiers had no idea when
they were to be called ont, and that their
only way of knowing was to watch the
negro cook when the old man was seen
cooking little store Of the poor food which
was their only fare, then they prepared
for departure. Mariou's fovorite time for
starting was sunset, and then the march
lasted all night. Marions Men--brave,
shoeless, ragged, blanketiess, gallant little
band--ths following is a verse of one of
the many songs that we're 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 cypres-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. .''--BRYAsT.
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 always on piazza or under
tree, that with his own eyes he could
watch for the swift darting foe Poor
CORVALLIS what joy swept over the coun-
try when he was taken Even the Dutch
watchmcn of Philadelphia called the news
after midnight, "Bast twelfe O'CLOCK, and
CORVALLIS es dagen w-Harper's Mago-
zine for December.