The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-25
B No. Q.

It Is said that Marion often en-.
camped at The Oaks, the owners,
the Middletons, having been from the
first devoted patriots. And this brings
up again Marion and Marion's men, o
little band who probably never
dreamed that they were to so down on
the page of history embalmed poetry
and romance and song, figures strong
in local South Carolina coloring, and
yet known all wei the country almost
as widely as George Washington HIM
self. Gen. Francis Marion, who, as
the angry and harassed British Of
ficer complained, would not fight
like a Christian and a gentleman"
belonged to the Huguenot colony
Of the Santee, north Of Charleston, the
same Santee that owned those High
Hills. On the formation Of the Revo-
lutionary Army Of Carolina Marion
was made a 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 Moultrie
and many other officers, he collected
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, and now there; now seen,
now gone, he was like a meteor In the
night, and the successes gained by his
extraordinary swiftness and daring
seemed marvellous alike to friend
and foe. He selected young mel for
his band, generally from his own
neighbors Of French descent; he lived
in the swamps; he swan rivers on
horseback; his favorite encampment
was q cane-brake. He did not wait
for all his troops, but Sailed out fre-
quently with only ten or twelve; he
took saws from the saw mills, and
turned them into swords; he frequent
ly engaged when he had but three
rounds to q man. Scouts were kept
out constantly, and when word was
brought in Of a small party OF the
enemy anyw here, then forth went
Marion's men, like lightning after
them. It was said that he was 80 Sc
cret in his plans that his W soldiers
had no idea when they were to be
called out, and that their only way OF
knowing was to watch the negro cook;
when the old man was seer cooking q
little store OF the poor food which
was their only fare, then they pre-
pared for departure. Marion's favorite
time for starting was sunset, and then
the march lasted all night. Marion's
membrane, shoeless, ragged, blanket
less, gallant little band-the 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 for trcss 10 the good greenwood,
Our tent the cypress tree;
We know the forest round us
As seamcn know the soa;
We know It's walls OF thorny vines,
Its glades OF reedy grass,
Its safe and silent islands
Within the dark morass"-DnrANr.
It is said that CORVALLIS had an es-
pecial fear Of Marion, and never sat
down in any. strange house in the
neighborhood Of Charleston, but al
ways on a piazza or under a tree, that
with his own eyes he could watch for
the swift-darting foe. Poor Corn
wallis! what joy swept over the coun'
try, when he was taken! Even the
Dutch watchmen Of Philadelphia
called the news after midnight, "Bast
twelve o'clock, and CORVALLIS Ell
dagen!"-Harper's Magazine.