Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-18
ALL FOR LIBERTY.
Marion,s Famous Dinner,

| General Marion's Famous Dinner.
General Francis Marion, of South
Carolina, was one Of the heroes of ro-
nance of the American Revolution.
About no one of the many conspicuous
characters who took part in that &C.
tive drama has more of story and of
song been written. Yet he was far
from being of romantic turn himself
for he was one of the plainest and
most practical of men. But such a
fighter. Fully as much of truth as of
poetry was there in this bit from what
was once the star defamation of pa
triotic southern schoolboys:
"Our band is few, but true and tried;
Our leader frank and bold;
The British soldier trembles
When Marion's name is told"
This was literally a fact. Marion
was the terror of the whole British
army. At one time the very mention
of his name put force of two or three
hundred soldiers to rout. Marion him
self had on this occasion not more than
dozen men.
In Summerville, S. c., lives the
nearest surviving relative of General
Marion, a great-grand-niece, Mrs.
Frank Fisbburne. In her possession
are many of the personal articles and
other reminders of the famous general.
Among them is large oil painting of
Marion in the act of dining the Brit
ish officer on sweet potatoes, and sweet
potatoes alone, under the shade of the
mammoth oak. This hoary monarch of
the Carolina forests is still standing at
a spot about nine miles from Summer
Vile, and just in the rear Of "lngle-
side,n an old colonial home belonging
to the Parker family, also distinguish
ed in Revolutionary annals. 1t is in
fair state of preservation, despite the
ravages made upoL it by the relic
hunter. A Chicago Record writer saw
| it but short time ago.
After the defeat of the American
army and the death of DeKalb, Marion
turned upon the enemy with the des-
peration of a wounded tiger. No
one dreamed that he could win. The
odds were desperate. How was it
possible to bring victory out of such
utter decentralization I? But it was
done, as history shows.
1t was during one of Marion's bir
ouacs in the swamps of the Santee
that the incident of the potato dinner
occurred. He was awaiting flag of
truce from the British at Georgetown,
so as to make arrangements with ref
erence to the exchange of prisoners.
The bearer of the flag was a young
British officer of note. He came to
the conference with the renowned
leader, his mind filled with the most
vividly colored pictures as to his ap-
pearance aud surroundings. What
then was his astonishment on being
conducted into the presence of small,
swarthy, thin faced man, not only clad
in homespun, but ragged homespun at
that. And, instead OF the magnificent
army he had expected to see, there
was comparatively but d handful Of
ragged, barefooted, sun-tanned men
and boys-many of them only Is and
16 years old.
At the close of the conference the
officer arose to start.
"Oh, no." said Marion, Hospitality,
"do not leave until you have had din
ner. We are about to dine. Will you
not share our dinner with us ?"
The officer looked around, but saw
no preparation for meal. Where
could the dinner be?
"Sit down, sir" said the general,
again, courteously, and made room
for him on the same extended bough
of the tree where he sat. Then to a
Negro boy who stood near, he said:
"Come, Tom, give US our dinner"
The boy raked from the ashes near by
half dozen sweet potatoes roasted
with their jackets on. He pinched
them to see if they were done. Then
cleaning them, partly by blowing on
them with his breath, and partly by
wiping them on the sleeve Of his shirt,
he placed them upon large piece OF
bark and set them between the gener-
al and his guest.
The young officer stared in astonish-
ment. Could this really be the din
ner of the great Marion?
"Come, sir" said the general, pleas
antly, noting with some amusement
the amazed expression upon the face
of his guests, "fall to. You do not
seem to be hungry"
Recovering his manners, the young
officer helped himself to one of the po-
tatoes, but made very poor attempt
at eating.