The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-07-25
Our family Story.
MY GREAT-GRE UNCLE
The Story of the "Swamp-FoA"-A
Revolutionary Wonder Tale.
BY. Florence Marion Howe Hail.

tionary war there is no 80 thorough
ly q "boy's hero " as General Francis
Marion. He had the most romantic
career as guerilla leader, and his hair
breadth escapes were such and 80 many
that he was known all over the South
as the "Swamp Fox" In fact, the
exploits Of this remarkable men, as
related by sober and reliable histo-
rians, read like a wonder tale.
But, unlike most story-book heroes,
General Marion Is closely connected
great nieces and nephews are living
among us. Some Of them are people
very we'll known indeed-as well
known in their way as their famous
ancestor was In his. Among those are
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, author of
the "Battle Hymn OF the Republic !"
Francis Marion Crawford, the novelist;
Ward McAllister, the leader OF the
New York 400 Mrs. Cornelius Wander
bilt, and William Astor Chanler, the
youthful explorer who is now leading
an expedition through the heart OF
Africa.
General Marion, like Washington,
had no children, and therefore no
the same year as the Father of his
Country-1732-and like him he early
learned the art OF q by fighting with
the Indians. In 1859 he Joined his
brothers. troop Of provincial cavalry,
in the Cherokee war as a volunteer.
Tradition says that he distinguished
himself as o soldier.
When we remember that Marion
was the grandson Of Benjamin Marion, q
Huguenot, who left beautiful France
to come to the wilderness of the new
world rather than give up his religious
belief, we do not wonder at Marion's
watchword, Liberty OF DEATH"
The wife of the emigrant, Judith
not women were brave, noble and hard
working, like the women who came
over to plymouth. The mother of
General Marion was Charlotte Cordcs
or Corday. 1t is claimed by some
members Of the family that this woman
was the great aunt of, Charlotte Cor
day, the young girl who felt it her
duty to put an end to the career of the
tyrant Marat during the reign of terror
in France, for which deed she was
executed. Francis Marion was the
youngest child, a little fellow, but he
met with many strange and startling
adventures almost from his very birth.
There Is q life of General Marion,
buO ~ io WHY ulIoI UuhttUo UtldU WI.
Weems should ever have undertaken
to write it, for his history is such a
curious mixture Of fact and fancy that
anyone is puzzled to death to decide
what part is the groundwork cloth OF
actual history and what is the em-
brodiery made thereon by the magma
tion of Mr.. Weems.
General Marion's relatives of the
present day havoc decided that the
main outline of Weems' is correct
many of the stories he tells are true in
substance, but that many of the details
he probably drew from his imagina.
tion.
How careless Mi. Weems was may
"He dined one day with Samuel
Ward, the father of Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe, at the latter's home in New
York city. Mr.. Ward lives in q
beautiful house IN the corner of Bond
street and Broadway, and his mother.
in-law, Mrs. Sarah Cutler, the daugh-
ter of General Marion's sister, lived
with him. Mr.. Weems,' said that
lady, how is it that you say in the life
OF the General that you have never
heard what became of his sister Esther,
my mother p"
One can fancy with what an air Of
stately pride the dear old lady must
have drawn herself when she delivered
this well-deserved rebuke to the very
careless biographer. When we
the Generals only sister, was called
the "queen bee of the Marion hive"
because she had sent forth swarms OF
descendants enough to have peopled a
colony, and had herself been the
mother of twelve children, it is evident
that Mr.. Weems could have found out
about her If he had taken a little trouble
to do so.
Like so many boys, Francis Marion
was very anxious to go to sea. WheL
he was 16 years old he did make
voyage TO the West Indies and got
plenty of sea adventure. The shin
foundered and young Marion with the
crew, spent six days in al open boat.
There was neither provisions nor
water on board, but q dog swan to
them from the ship, and his raw flesh
was all the food t'ley had. Two OF
the e persisted Marion and three
others reached land on the seventh
day.
After this Marion abandoned the
idea of a s~eafaring life and settled
down to be a planter. He fought in
l775 when war with Great Britain was
imminent. He served as a member of
the Provincial Congress of South
Carolina. This Congress refused to
receive goods from Great Britain, and
resolved to raise three regiments to
fight her. On receiving news of the
battle of Lexington, Marion was elected
a captain, and in the fall he was
placed in command of q fort, where
the public records of Charleston and
the military stores were sent for safe
keeping. He was with Moultrie at
the famous battle Of Sullivan's island
in June, TIT, between our fort and
nine British ships. We had a great
victory and Colonel MOultrie was
raised to the rank of brigadier general
and Marion was made q lieutenant
colonel.
All s%choolboy readers of revolu-
tionary history know of the Infamous
acts of the British General Tarleton-
how, after laying the State waste with
fire and bntchery, he induced many
South C%arolinians to lay down their
swords, promising them protection,
and afterwards called on them to fight
In the British army and make war on
their neighbors. The whole open
country and it's people were at Tarle-
toms mercy. But the wamps we're
still left as a refuge for the patriots,
and here Marion took command OF the
famous band of hOrsemen, who for
more than two years in the midst of
the greatest hardships kept up the
mysterious warfare which 80 surprised
and harassed the British.
Judge James thus decrihed Morion,a