Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-26

w YHEN Gen. Horatlo Gates tool
command of tho hastil!
wv formed army OF the soutl
and prepared to give battl
to the British under CORVALLIS In the
summer of 1880, there came into his
camp one day as queer n reinforce
ment as ever he had seen. 1t was
made up OF 20 men. all ragged. all
oddly armed and captaincd by wee
bit OF q man, who limped badly owing
to a broken ankle and who wore red
jacket, the remnant of pair of trous-
ers and leather cap. On the front or
the cap was a crescent and on the
crescent was the motto. Liberty or
death" Some OF the men in the little
party were old. Some were young.
Some had swords crudely made from
saws Some had fowling pieces and
some had muskets. 1t was a tattertler-
malion lot. but there was not man in
the band who did not have a good
horse.
The militiamen of Virginia of Della
ware and of Maryland, who formed the
bulk OF Gatcs's army. could not help
but laugh at the recruits, so grotesqus
an appearance did they make. From
laughter they turned to ridicule the
newcomers Even Gen. Gates was
amused. Had it not been for Gov.
Rutledge OF South Carolina, who was
visiting the camp. the ragged troop
probably would have been turned off.
In Difference to the governors insist
ence that the commander of the
wrc' .hedly gnrbed band was one Of
South Cardinals most patriotic sons
and an earnest and q good fighter.
Gen. Gates gave an audience to the
little leader and listened indulgcntly
to the few modest suggestions he had
to make regarding the coming cam
paign Gates was klnd-hearted. good
natured and keenly impressed with his
own high ability.
He it was who had conquered Bur-
goync, and now he was to crush Corn
wallis. 1t was incumbent upon him
in all politeneSS to listen, but he did not
have to heed He was a trained SOL
dler, and he knew so much more than
the ragged captain that he probably
was glad when the interview was over.
He did not see how he could use the
puny captain or his tattercd crew. so
he did not offer to take them into his
force.
REJECTED.
The ragged captain and his ragged
band rode out of Gen. Gates's camp
bitter. il not disgusted They might
have forgiven the laughter and the
ridicule, but they could not forgive he
refusal OF their services. That hurt.
Poor Horatlo Gates, In few weeks
his army was in disorderly flight. and
his reputation as a military command
er was ruined. Corvallis. following
up his success with an activity that
was worthy of a better cause, soon
overran the whole country until tho
only force left to uphold the Contlnen-
tai use in the Carolinas was that of
the little captain and his ragged crew.
Gttle did Gen. Gates realize that July
day in 1850 that the commander of the
grotesQuc band was one OF the re-
markable soldiers OF the Revolutionary
war. And certainly he did not imagine
that posterity would rank Francis
Marion far higher than Horatlo Gates.
1t probably was good thing for the
Continental army that Gates had no de-
sire to use Marion and his men. for
Marion's real career may be said to
have opened when he departed from
Gates's camp. To be sure, he had
plenty of experience. for he had served
in three Indian campaigns before the
Revolutionary war. and had led the for
1orn hope In the battle OF Etchoee,
where the power OF the Cherokees was
broken. He had been a captain under
Moultrie in the defense OF Charleston
In 1776, and had fired some of the shots
that riddled the British fleet and won
that remarkable engagement. He had
been IN command OF Fort Moultrie for
year or two and in 1T79 went from
there to take part In the desperate at
tempt to drive the British out of Saw
annnh.
Possibly he would have been captur-
Cd In the fall of Charleston, in the
arly part Of 17S0. had 1t not been for
IN accident In the early days of the
siege he was one of half dozen guests
at tho home of a prominent gentle
man.
The host. in a foolish cndeavor to
event his friends from leaving be-
. they had eaten and drank freely.
Sed the front door. Marion, one of
most temperate of men, rather
n remain in house under such
itIons. jumped from a second-st
'ow. He broke his ankle and was
led to his plantation on a litter.
Sic he was laid up Gen Lincoln