A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
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William Dobein James. >> A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
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14 [Note on text: Italicized words or phrases are marked by tildes (~).
Some obvious errors have been corrected. Some spellings are modernized.
See notes at end of etext for additional explanations.]
A Sketch of the Life of BRIG. GEN. FRANCIS MARION,
and A History of his Brigade,
From its Rise in June, 1780, until Disbanded in December, 1782;
With Descriptions of Characters and Scenes, not heretofore published.
--------
Containing also,
An Appendix, with Copies of Letters which passed between
several of the Leading Characters of that Day;
Principally From Gen. Greene to Gen. Marion.
========
By William Dobein James, A.M.
During that Period one of Marion's Militia.
At Present one of the Associate Judges in Equity, South Carolina.
========
~Quae contentio, divina et humana cuncta perniscuit, eoque vecordiae
processit uti civilibus studiis bellum finem faceret.~ -- Sall.
District of South-Carolina.
---------
| L. S. | BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fifth day of April,
--------- Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and in
the forty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America,
the Honourable WILLIAM DOBEIN JAMES, deposited in this office
the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor,
in the words following, TO WIT:
"A Sketch of the life of Brigadier General FRANCIS MARION,
and a history of his Brigade from its rise in June, 1780,
until disbanded in December, 1782; with descriptions of characters and scenes
not heretofore published. -- Containing also an appendix,
with copies of letters which passed between several of the leading characters
of that day, principally from Gen. Greene to Gen. Marion.
By William Dobein James, A.M. during that period one of Marion's militia --
at present one of the Associate Judges in Equity, South-Carolina."
In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled,
"An Act for the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of maps,
charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies
during the times therein mentioned," and also an act entitled, "An Act
supplementary to an act, entitled, `An act for the encouragement of learning,
by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors
and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,'
and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing,
engraving and etching historical and other prints."
JAMES JERVEY,
Clerk of the District of South-Carolina.
Preface.
During the siege of Charleston, in May, 1780, the grammar school at Salem,
on Black river, where I had been placed by my father, Major JOHN JAMES,
broke up; and I was compelled to abandon my school boy studies,
and become a militia man, at the age of fifteen. At that time of life
it was a great loss; but still I was so fortunate as to have General MARION
as my commander, and my much honoured father, who was a sincere christian,
as my adviser and protector. I do not intend to write
a history of my own life; but it was thus, that I became in a great measure
an eye witness of the scenes hereafter described; and what I did not see,
I often heard from others in whom confidence could be placed.
I felt an early inclination to record these events; but Major WEMYSS
burnt all my stock of paper, and my little classical library,
in my father's house; and, for two years and a half afterwards,
I had not the common implements of writing or of reading.
This may appear strange at present; but it is a fact, that even our general,
when sending out a patrole, would request the officer to try to get him
a quire of paper. After the war, other active pursuits prevented me
from indulging my inclination; and the public attention, being long fixed
upon the bloody wars and great battles in Europe, had lost all relish
for our revolutionary history, and its comparatively little conflicts.
However, when Dr. RAMSAY announced that he was about to publish
his history of South Carolina, I hastily sketched out from memory
a short history of MARION'S brigade, for him; which he inserted
in fifteen pages of his first volume. This brings it down
no lower than the arrival of General GREENE in South Carolina.
Fortunately the events of the late war revived the national spirit,
and with that a taste for our own history; by it too,
my inclination was renewed to communicate that of MARION'S brigade.
However, I still wanted materials to confide in more certain than memory.
The last year I happened to mention my wish to Mr. RICHARD SINGELLTON,
of Colleton, son-in-law of Major JOHN POSTELL, and he obligingly
placed in my hands a bundle of original letters from General MARION
to that distinguished officer. Not long after I heard that
the late General PETER HORRY had preserved copies of General MARION'S
correspondence with General GREENE and other officers;
and I applied to his executor, Mr. JAMES GUIGNARD, who very politely
placed five duodecimo volumes in my hands, closely written by the general.
The originals were left by General HORRY with the Rev. M. L. WEEMS,
but it appears he made no use of them in his life of MARION.
The dates and facts stated in these copies agree pretty well
with the account in the history of South Carolina by Dr. RAMSAY,
and General MOULTRIE'S memoirs of the American revolution.
I have also taken the pains to consult several of MARION'S officers and men,
who still survive. The Hon. THOMAS WATIES gave me considerable information
respecting the first part of the general's operations,
which I did not witness; as, after MARION'S retreat to the White marsh,
I was left sick in North Carolina. During MARION'S struggle with WATSON
I had returned, but was confined to my bed with the small pox;
and the greater part of that account was received from
Captain GAVIN WITHERSPOON, ROBERT WITHERSPOON, Esq. and others.
Respecting the affairs about Camden, General CANTEY and Dr. BROWNFIELD
gave me much information; and the present sheriff of Charleston district,
FRANCIS G. DELIESSELINE, Esq. and myself have compared notes ~generally~
on the subject.
Of all these sources of information I have availed myself;
besides having recourse to every account of the events of that period
which I had it in my power to consult. This, I hope,
will account satisfactorily for any departures made from the statement
I furnished Dr. RAMSAY.
There are no doubt many errors in my narrative, as nothing human
is exempt from them; but it is believed there are not more than usually occur
in what is considered accurate history. It may also need correction
in other matters, and it may not be pregnant with great events;
but still it is a kind of domestic history, which teaches
lessons of patience and patriotism, not surpassed in modern,
and seldom in ancient times.
WM. DOBEIN JAMES.
Introduction.
A view of the first settlement of the French Protestants on the Santee.
Lawson's account of them. The ancestors of General Marion
emigrate among them.
The revocation of the edict of Nantz, by Lewis XIV., though highly detrimental
to France, proved beneficial to Holland, England and other European countries;
which received the protestant refugees, and encouraged their
arts and industry. The effects of this unjust and bigoted decree,
extended themselves likewise to North America, but more particularly
to South Carolina: About seventeen years after its first settlement,
in the year 1690, and a short time subsequently, between seventy and eighty
French families, fleeing from the bloody persecution excited against them
in their mother country, settled on the banks of the Santee.
Among these were the ancestors of General FRANCIS MARION. These families
extended themselves at first only from the lower ferry at South Santee,
in St. James' parish, up to within a few miles of Lenud's ferry, and back
from the river into the parish of St. Dennis, called the Orange quarter.
From their first settlement, they appear to have conciliated their neighbours,
the Sewee and Santee Indians; and to have submitted to their rigorous fate
with that resignation and cheerfulness which is characteristic
of their nation. -- Many must have been the hardships endured by them
in settling upon a soil covered with woods, abounding in serpents
and beasts of prey, naturally sterile, and infested by a climate
the most insalubrious. For a picture of their sufferings
read the language of one of them, Judith Manigault, bred a lady
in ease and affluence: -- "Since leaving France we have experienced
every kind of affliction, disease, pestilence, famine, poverty, hard labour;
I have been for six months together without tasting bread, working the ground
like a slave." They cultivated the barren high lands, and at first naturally
attempted to raise wheat, barley and other European grains upon them,
until better taught by the Indians. Tradition informs us,
that men and their wives worked together in felling trees,
building houses, making fences, and grubbing up their grounds,
until their settlements were formed; and afterwards continued their labours
at the whip-saw,* and in burning tar for market. Such was their industry,
that in fourteen years after their first settlement, and according to
the first certain account of them, they were in prosperous circumstances.
In the year 1701, John Lawson, then Surveyor General of the province,
visited these enterprising people, and as there are but two copies of his
"Journal of a thousand miles travelled through several nations of Indians",
known at present to be in existence, no apology appears to be necessary
for presenting extracts of the most interesting parts of it to the reader: --
--
* Gen. Horry states, that his grandfather and grandmother commenced
the handsome fortune they left, by working together at the whip-saw.
--
"On December 28th, 1700, I began my voyage for North Carolina,
from Charleston, in a large canoe. At four in the afternoon, at half flood,
we passed over the breach through the marsh, leaving Sullivan's Island
on our starboard; the first place we designed for was Santee river,
on which there is a colony of French protestants, allowed and encouraged
by the lords proprietors." -- After passing through Sewee bay and up Santee,
the mouth of which was fresh, he visited the Sewees; "formerly," he says,
"a large nation, though now very much decreased, since the English
have seated their lands, and all other nations of Indians are observed
to partake of the same fate. With hard rowing we got that night
(11th January, 1701,) to Mons. Eugee's*1* house, which stands about
fifteen miles up the river, being the first christian dwelling we met withal
in that settlement, and were very courteously received by him and his wife.
Many of the French follow a trade with the Indians, living very conveniently
for that interest. Here are about seventy families seated on this river,
who live as decently and happily as any planters in these southward parts
of America. The French being a temperate, industrious people, some of them
bringing very little effects, yet by their endeavours and mutual assistance
among themselves (which is highly commendable) have outstript our English,
who brought with them larger fortunes. We lay all that night
at Mons. Eugee's,*1* and the next morning set out further
to go the remainder of our voyage by land. At noon we came up with
several French plantations, meeting with several creeks by the way:
the French were very officious in assisting with their small dories,
to pass over these waters, (whom we met coming from their church)
being all of them very clean and decent in their apparel --
their houses and plantations suitable in neatness and contrivance.
They are all of the same opinion with the church of Geneva.
Towards the afternoon we came to Mons. L'Jandro's,*2* where we got our dinner.
We got that night to Mons. Galliar's,*3* who lives in a very curious
contrived house, built of brick and stone, which is gotten near that place.
Near here, comes in the road from Charleston and the rest
of the English settlement, it being a very good way by land
and not above thirty-six miles."*4* After this, our author gives
a long description of his difficulty and danger in crossing the Santee
in a small canoe, in time of a freshet. He then goes on as follows: --
"We intended for Mons. Galliar's jun. but were lost *************.
When we got to the house we found several of the French inhabitants,
who treated us very courteously; wondering about our undertaking such a voyage
through a country inhabited by none but savages, and them of so different
nations and tongues. After we had refreshed ourselves,
we parted from a very kind, loving, affable people, who wished us
a safe and prosperous voyage." Our traveller had now arrived
at the extreme boundary of the white population of South Carolina,
and consequently of the United States, and this was but forty miles
from Charleston. In the course of one hundred and twenty years what a change,
and what a subject for reflection! But, to return to the French refugees.
The same persevering industry and courteous manners which distinguished
the ancestors, were handed down to their children, and are still conspicuous
among their descendants of the third and fourth generations.
Most of them may be classed among our useful and honourable citizens,
and many have highly distinguished themselves in the state,
both in civil and military affairs: but in the latter character,
the subject of these memoirs, General FRANCIS MARION, stands forth
the most prominent and illustrious example.*5*
--
*1* Huger, who lived in the fork between South Santee and Wambaw Creek.
*2* Gendron.
*3* Gaillard's.
*4* Near this place the French laid out a town, and called it Jamestown;
whence the name St. James', Santee.
*5* After leaving the house of Bartholomew Gaillard, jun. on the east side
of Santee, Mr. Lawson saw no more settlements of the whites.
He visited the Santee Indians, who, from his description of the country,
must have lived about Nelson's ferry and Scott's lake. In passing
up the river, the Indian path led over a hill, where he saw, as he says,
"the most amazing prospect I had seen since I had been in Carolina.
We travelled by a swamp side, which swamp, I believe to be no less than
twenty miles over; the other side being, as far as I could well discern;
there appearing great ridges of mountains bearing from us W.N.W.
One Alp, with a top like a sugar loaf, advanced its head above the rest
very considerably; the day was very serene, which gave us the advantage
of seeing a long way; these mountains were clothed all over with trees,
which seemed to us to be very large timbers. At the sight of this
fair prospect we stayed all night; our Indian going before half an hour,
provided three fat turkeys e'er we got up to him." The prospect
he describes is evidently the one seen from the Santee Hills;
the old Indian path passed over a point of one of these
at Captain Baker's plantation, from which the prospect extends
more than twenty miles; and the Alp, which was so conspicuous,
must have been Cook's Mount, opposite Stateburgh. -- Our traveller
afterwards visited the Congaree, the Wateree, and Waxhaw Indians,
in South Carolina, and divers tribes in North Carolina, as far as Roanoke;
and it is melancholy to think, that all of these appear to be now extinct.
They treated him with their best; such as bear meat and oil,
venison, turkeys, maize, cow peas, chinquepins, hickory nuts and acorns.
The Kings and Queens of the different tribes always took charge of him
as their guest.
--
-------------------
Life of Marion.
-------------------
Chapter I.
Birth of Gen. Marion. His Ancestry. First Destination of Going to Sea.
Voyage to the West Indies and Shipwreck. His settlement in St. John's,
Berkley. Expedition under Governor Lyttleton. A Sketch of the Attack
on Fort Moultrie, 1776. And the Campaign of 1779.
FRANCIS MARION was born at Winyaw,* near Georgetown, South Carolina,
in the year 1732; -- memorable for giving birth to many distinguished
American patriots. Marion was of French extraction; his grandfather, Gabriel,
left France soon after the revocation of the edict of Nantz, in 1685,
on account of his being a protestant, and retired from persecution to
this new world, then a wilderness; no doubt under many distresses and dangers,
and with few of the facilities with which emigrants settle new,
but rich countries, at the present day. His son, also called Gabriel,
was the father of five sons, Isaac, Gabriel, Benjamin, Francis, and Job,
and of two daughters, grandmothers of the families of the Mitchells,
of Georgetown, and of the Dwights, formerly of the same place,
but now of St. Stephen's parish.
--
* This is in error -- The Marion family moved to Winyaw
when Francis was six or seven years old. Francis was probably born
either at St. John's Parish, Berkeley, or St. James's Parish, Goose Creek;
the respective homes of his father's and mother's families.
1732 is probably correct as the year of Francis's birth,
but is not absolutely certain. Despite beginning with this error,
the author's remoteness from this event is not continued
with the events mentioned later in the book, to which he was a witness.
Those remarks should be given their proper weight. -- A. L., 1997.
--
Of the education of FRANCIS MARION, we have no account;
but from the internal evidence afforded by his original letters,
it appears to have been no more than a plain English one; for the Huguenots
seem to have already so far assimilated themselves to the country
as to have forgotten their French. It was indeed a rare thing,
in this early state of our country, to receive any more
than the rudiments of an English education; since men were too much employed
in the clearing and tilth of barren lands, to attend much to science.
Such an education seemed to dispose Marion to be modest and reserved
in conversation; to think, if not to read much; and, above all,
not to be communicative. An early friend of his, the late
Captain John Palmer, has stated, that his first inclination
was for a seafaring life, and that at the age of sixteen he made a voyage
to the West Indies. The vessel in which he embarked foundered at sea,
and the crew, consisting of six persons, took to an open boat,
without water or provisions: but, providentially, a dog swam to them
from the ship, whose blood served them for drink, and his raw flesh for food,
for six days; on the seventh, Francis Marion, and three of the crew,
reached land, but the other two perished at sea. Things which appear
accidental at the time, often sway the destinies of human life.
Thus it was, that from the effect of this narrow escape, and the entreaties
of a tender mother, Francis Marion was induced to abandon the sea,
for an element, on which he was to become singularly useful.
His mother's maiden name was Cordes, and she also was of French extraction.
Engaged in cultivating the soil, we hear no more of Marion for ten years.
Mr. Henry Ravenel, of Pineville, now more than 70 years of age,
knew him in the year 1758; he had then lost his father;
and, removing with his mother and brother Gabriel from Georgetown,
they settled for one year near Frierson's lock, on the present Santee canal.
The next year Gabriel removed to Belle Isle, in St. Stephen's parish,
late the residence of his son, the Hon. Robert Marion.
Francis settled himself in St. John's, at a place called Pond Bluff,
from the circumstance of there being a pond at the bottom of a bluff,
fronting the river low grounds. This place is situated about four miles
below Eutaw, on the Santee; and he continued to hold it during life.*
Others fix his settling in St. John's, at a later period:
this is of little consequence, but what is of some, was that
in this most useful of all stations, a tiller of the ground,
he was industrious and successful. In the same year, 1759,
the Cherokee war broke out, and he turned out as a volunteer,
in his brother's troop of provincial cavalry. In 1761,
he served in the expedition under Col. Grant, as a lieutenant
in Captain Wm. Moultrie's company, forming part of a provincial regiment,
commanded by Col. Middleton. It is believed that he distinguished himself
in this expedition, in a severe conflict between Col. Grant and the Indians,
near Etchoee, an Indian town; but, if he did so, the particulars have not been
handed down to us, by any official account. General Moultrie says of him,
"he was an active, brave, and hardy soldier; and an excellent
partisan officer." We come now to that part of Marion's life,
where, acting in a more conspicuous situation, things are known of him,
with more certainty. In the beginning of the year 1775, he was elected one,
of what was then called the provincial congress of South Carolina,
from St. John's. This was the public body which agreed to
the famous continental association, recommended by congress, to prevent
the importation of goods, wares, and merchandizes, from Great Britain:
they likewise put a stop to all suits at law, except where debtors
refused to renew their obligations, and to give reasonable security,
or when justly suspected of intentions to leave the province,
or to defraud their creditors; and they appointed committees
in the several districts and parishes in the state, which were called
committees of public safety, to carry these acts into effect.
These exercised high municipal authority, and supported generally
by a population sometimes intemperate, inflicted singular punishments**
upon such as were not only guilty, but even suspected, of infringing
the association. The provincial congress also, after receiving
the news of the battle of Lexington, determined upon a defensive war,
and resolved to raise two regiments of infantry, and one of cavalry.
Marion was elected a captain in the second regiment of these two,
of which William Moultrie was colonel. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney,
and Thomas Pinckney, since so much distinguished, were likewise elected
captains in this regiment at the same time. The first of Captain Marion's
appearing in arms against the British, was in the latter part of this year,
when he acted as one of three captains under Colonel Motte,
in taking possession of Fort Johnson, on James Island. On this occasion
much resistance was expected, but the garrison abandoned the fort,
and escaped to two British vessels, the Tamar and Cherokee,
then lying in Charleston harbour. In the autumn of the same year
a post was established at Dorchester, where it was thought prudent
to send part of the military stores, and the public records out of Charleston;
and here Captain Marion had the command. This is only worthy of remark
in the circumstance, that as the climate of this place is remarkably bad
in autumn, it shows that our patriots had already so much enthusiasm
in the cause in which they had embarked, that they refused no station,
however perilous. As the provincial congress and committees of public safety
exercised all the legislative and judicial powers in the state,
as might have been expected, they soon became too complicated for them,
and were thrown into great confusion. The criminal code was still
left in force; but there were no judges to exercise that jurisdiction.
The provincial congress, therefore, without waiting for
a convention of the people, framed a constitution: by this
they took the name of the general assembly of South Carolina,
and limited their own continuance until the 21st October, 1776;
and, in every two years after that period, a general election
was to take place for members of the assembly. The legislative powers
were vested in a president, the assembly, and a legislative council,
to be chosen out of their own body. All resolutions of
the continental and provincial congress, and all laws then of force,
were continued. They passed a law, that only two thirds of the rice
made in the state should be permitted to be exported, the other third
was to remain in the country for its consumption, and for exchange
for the necessary articles of life: and upon these prices were to be fixed;
it was recommended to the people to cultivate cotton; the breed of sheep
was directed to be improved; and, after a certain day, none were to be killed
for market or home consumption; but the continental congress soon after,
passed a law that no rice should be exported; and it was submitted to,
without a murmur. A vice-president and privy council of six members
were elected, and among other duties, were to exercise chancery jurisdiction;
and other judges were directed to be chosen by the general assembly.
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