Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
The evening clouds are thick with
threat Of storm.
The night grows wild: the waters
champ and rave,
ed prey"
The reader will scarcely believe,
knowing as he does the great achieve
ments of General Marion at the south
throughout the revolution, that his
proffer of service on this occasion was
met with indifference by General
Gates. Yet so we have 1t, on the au-
thority of history. That gentleman
partook largely of the spirit which cir
culated so freely in his army: and the
uncouth accoutrements, the bare feet,
and the tattered garments Of the mot
ley aSsemblage Of men and boys, half
armed, which the Swamp Fox had
brought with him to do the battles Of
liberty, provoked his visibility along
with that of his troops. The personal
appearance Of Marion, himself, was as
little in his favor. Diffident even to
shyness, there was little that was pre-
possessing in his manners. He was
awkward and embarrassed in the
presence Of strangers: and though
singularly cool and collected with the
necessity and the danger, he was hard
ly the man to command the favorable
consideration of a superficial judge
one of mediocre ability, such as Gen
eral Gates undoubtedly was. The very
contrast between the two men, in ply
sical respect, was enough for the lat
ter Built, himself, on a superb scale,
the movement, the look, the department
Of Gates, all bespoke the conscious
great man. Marion, on the other hand,
small in person, lame Of a leg, with
a downcast eye, and hesitating man
ners, was a cipher in the estimation Of
the more imposing parsonage who
looked upon him. And then the coarse
clothes-the odd mixture of what was
once a uniform, with such portions OF
his dress as necessity had supplied,
and which never could become so-al-
together offended the nice taste Of one
rather solicitous than otherwise of the
symmetries of fashion. Nothing,
therefore, but a we'll regulated sense
of poiteness, formed closely upon the
models Of foreign service, prevented
the generalissimo from laughing out
right at the new auXiliaries now prof
fered to his aid.
But, though he forbore to offend in
his manner, he did not scruple to lay
before Marion his objections to the
proposed use Of his followers. on this
very ground. The shallow mind could
not see that the very poverty, the mis-
erably clad and armed condition of
Marions men, were the best pledges
that could be given for their fidelity.
Why should they fight in rags for a
desperate cause, without pay or
promise of it, but that a high sense
of honor and Of country was the i'm
pelling principle? The truth must be
spoken; the famous Partisan Of Caro-
lima, the very stay of its hope for so
long q season-he who, more than any
other man, had done so much towards
keeping alive the fires of liberty and
courage there, until they grew into a
bright extending, unquenchable flame
was very civilly bowed out of the
Continental army, and sent back to his
swamps upon a service almost NOM
inal.
Our force is sufficient, my dear COL
onel" was the conclusion of the gener-
al-"quite sufficient; and you can give
us little If any aid by direct co-opera-
ton. Something you may do, indeed
yeS-by keeping to the swamps, and
furnishing us occasional intelligence
picking off the foragers, and breaking
up the communications.
MY men are true, your excellency,"
was the calm reply; they desire to
serve their country. 1t is the general
opinion that you will need all the aid
that the militia of the state can af-
ford"
THE general opinion, my dear COL
onel. errs in this, as it does in the
majority of other cases. We shall
have force adequate to our objects
quite as soon as a junction can be
formed with Major General Caswell.
Could you procure arms, and the nee
essary equipments-proper garments,
for example, and attach your force to
his"
Il understand your eXcellency,' was
the simple answer. as Gates hinted his
true objections in the last sentence;
but. save the slight compression of his
lips, which were usually parted other
wise no trace of emotion besides. ap-
peared upon the cOuntenance OF the
speaker.
MY men," he continued, ARE some
of them, of the very best families in
the country: homeless now, they have
been robbed of all by their enemies.
| They are not the men to fight less
earnestly on that account, nor will
| their poverty and rags hinder them
|
caSion serves, against the invader TO
whom they owe their sufferings."
Gates was sufficiently a tactician to
see that the pride Of Marion was
| touched with the unjust estimate
which had been made of his men, and
| he strove to remove the impression by
show of frankness.
But, you see, my dear colonel. that
though your men may fight like very
| .l.. 4, la a
Continentals from laughing at them
We can't supply your people; and SO
long as they remain as they are, SO
long will they be a laughing stock
so long there will be uprOar and in
SubordinatiOn. We are quite too deli
| cately situated now to risk anything
| with the army: we are too nigh the
enemy, and our troops have been too
stinted. To deny them to laugh, Is to
| force them to rebel: we can only re-
move the cause of laughter. and in this
way, defeat the insubordmation which
undue merriment, sternly and suddenly
checked, would certainly bring about.
Gates had made the best Of his case
and Marion, with few words, yielded
to the opinion from which, however
he mentally withheld all his assent
He contented himself, simply, with
stating his own and the desire of his
men to serve the country by active
operation in the best possible way
Gates replied to this in a manner suf-
ficiently annoying to his hearer. but
which had subsequently its own ade-
quate rebuke.
ANY increase Of force, my dear col
onel. would be perfectly unnecessary
after my junction with the troops
daily look for. Caswell will bring me
all the North Carolina subsidies. anc
General Stevens. with a strong body
of Virginians, will join in a few days
My force then will be little short OF
seven thousand men, and quite suffi'
cient for all contemplated purposes
We shall therefore need no aid from
your followers"