A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
W >>
William Dobein James. >> A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14
--
* Marion's letter to Horry, 10th January.
--
Almost the whole of the warfare was henceforth carried on
in St. Thomas' and St. James', Santee. About this time,
Col. Richard Richardson commanded the post at Cainhoy.
A British galley lay in the river Wando, which he watched,
and patroled the road down to Daniel's island by day,
and returned into the woods and lay without fire by night.
A fortnight after he was posted there, hearing of a party of British
which had landed at Daniel's island, he immediately sent out scouts
to the causeway over to the island, and wrote for a reinforcement.
In the morning Maham's horse arrived, four troops in uniform,
and fully equipt; but their colonel, who would have been ranked by Richardson,
was not present, and they were under the command of Maj. Giles.
The British took the Strawberry road, and about noon
stopped at Bishop Smith's, Brabant, about fourteen miles up the road.
To the north of that plantation is a swamp of considerable width,
with a causeway and bridge. Beyond the causeway, on the right going up,
was a fence on a bank and a ditch behind it, with trees in front.
Richardson passed the swamp above, and going down to the hill
above this fence, immediately went to reconnoitre, but came back
with a British troop and Capt. Campbell at his heels. He ordered a charge.
At the commencement of the onset it was easy to be seen that Maham's corps
had not yet been trained. They charged in some disorder,
but at first drove the British horse easily before them.
At the bridge they met the British infantry, who gave them a volley.
All was now confusion, horses and men wedged together upon a narrow causeway.
The front striving to retreat, and the rear urging them on.
The British horse being rallied, now came in to aid the infantry,
and a total rout and scene of carnage ensued. Of Maham's officers,
Capt. Samuel Cooper rallied his men, and returning to the road,
saved several lives and drove back a troop of black dragoons.
In this affair the six months men particularly suffered.
Being near the road when the rout commenced, they wheeled their lean horses
and ran directly up it, consequently they were trampled down by both parties.
Capt. Bennett, with twelve men, after having been pursued
by a party of British, double his number, and stopped by an impassable creek,
when inspiring his men with courage, and setting the example,
they wheeled about and drove back the enemy. In the course of this day,
G. S. Capers took three swords from the British in single rencounters,
and Gen. Marion promoted him to a lieutenancy. It appears that the defeat
might have been prevented if Richardson had posted his militia
behind the fence described. Twenty-two Americans were buried on the causeway;
how many were killed in the pursuit is not known. Of the British,
Capt. Campbell was killed, and several of his men, but the number
was not ascertained.
Gen. Marion had now taken his seat in the senate at Jacksonborough;
but his presence, as will shortly be seen, was much more necessary in camp;
but he could not get leave of absence, nor be spared without
breaking up the house, for there were but thirteen senators present,
which number was required as a quorum to do business. They were passing
a new militia act, and one for raising the continental quota of troops
for the state; and the confiscation act at that time and place
was esteemed of greater consequence than the commanding of a brigade.
But in all his letters dated from that place, Gen. Marion expresses
the utmost anxiety to return to his command.
In the mean time Horry, by orders of Gen. Marion, took a position
on the north side of Wambaw, a large creek emptying into the Santee.
He lay in the angle formed by the two roads which pass
from Lenud's ferry road to Mr. Horry's, about a quarter of a mile
from the bridge. In his rear there was a wood. His new raised regiment,
scarcely yet half completed, lay at Durant's plantation about a mile above,
under the immediate command of Maj. Benson. On the 23d of February,
Horry had out patroles upon the Christ Church road, and scouts
down in St. Thomas'. Thinking himself secure, and being sick,
on the 24th he went over the river to his plantation, and left the brigade
under the command of Col. M`Donald, contrary to Gen. Marion's order,
which was to leave it in such case under Maham. While Benson was at dinner,
Capt. Bennett, who commanded the scouts in St. Thomas',
came in with intelligence that the British were approaching,
but at that time of day he was an unwelcome messenger.
Bennett proceeded down to head quarters at Mr. Horry's, where M`Donald
was also at dinner. He likewise would not believe the intelligence,
because he said he had been down into Christ Church the day before;
but he desired Maj. James who had just arrived in camp, and came for orders,
to take command of his regiment. In less than half an hour after
a firing commenced at Durant's. M`Donald's regiment was on the right
towards Echaw, and two regiments of six months men on the left towards Wambaw.
Maj. James immediately formed M`Donald's regiment in the wood in the rear,
and rode to the left for orders from the commanding officer present,
Col. Screven; but when he arrived, Screven's men had broke,
and he was in the act of rallying them, but the attempt was vain.
They ran over the bridge and threw off the planks. Maj. James returned
to his own men, and as fugitives were now passing in numbers
from Horry's corps, he ordered a retreat to the bridge.
As he brought up the rear and was on horseback, two British dragoons
attempted in succession to cut him down, but he kept them in check
with his pistols, and finally leaped a chasm in the bridge,
supposed to be twenty feet in width. He by this means gained time
to rally his men, and checked the British.
Thus Gen. Marion had not left his brigade more than six weeks, before it
had dwindled away and had been defeated. On the part of Horry's cavalry
it was a complete surprise. Major Benson was killed, and what number of men
cannot be ascertained, but he lost thirty-five horses.
The British were commanded by Col. Thompson, afterwards the celebrated
Count Rumford. Maham having refused to cooperate with Horry,
lay still at Mepkin; and Gen. Marion passing there on the 24th,
took command of his corps and proceeded towards Wambaw;
but the colonel was not present. On his way Gen. Marion was sorely vexed
with the disagreeable news of the defeat of his brigade; but with
such a fine corps as Maham's was then he felt sure of beating the enemy
should they appear. He proceeded down to Mrs. Tiddiman's plantation,
between Echaw and Wambaw, and there halted for provisions. (25th Feb.)
There was a lane with a high fence on each side, leading up to the house,
and the cavalry picketted in the lane. In front of the lane
was an old field, and a little to the right a pond of water.
Scarce half an hour had elapsed when the British appearing in the old field,
displayed their columns and seemed to pause. Capt. John Carraway Smith
commanded Maham's corps; he drew up his men in solid column,
and Gen. Marion having posted a small body of infantry to great advantage
along the fence of the lane, ordered Smith to charge. He proceeded very well
till he got to the edge of the pond, where an inclination to the left
was necessary to reach the enemy, but in performing this evolution
his men fell into disorder, and the enemy charged with a shout.
All was now rout and dismay; but the British followed no further
than the edge of the woods. Gen. Marion had rallied a troop there,
and checked the pursuit. The loss was but little; Lieut. Smizer
and three men only were killed; but the disgrace was great.
Had this corps been well trained the enemy must have been beaten.
Horry had thus lost a great part of his horses, and Maham's corps
was a second time shamefully defeated.
We have seen Count Rumford opposed to Gen. Marion with a degree of success,
which perhaps he would not have obtained had the orders of the general
been obeyed. It is well known that Count Rumford was a native
of Massachusetts, and of the town there whence he took his title;
also that he became after this a celebrated philosopher,
and especially in economics; his writings have been of great use to the world.
It is a pity that the career of such a man should have commenced in hostility
to his native country. His life has been published, but we have not yet had
the pleasure of reading it; and perhaps it may not contain
the following anecdote. After his dashing success at the Santee
he formed a grand scheme, which was no less than that of surprising
Gen. Greene in his camp at Ashley hill. To effect this he must
either have crossed Ashley river over Bacon bridge, at Dorchester, which was
too well secured for a sudden attack of cavalry; or he must cross the river
at Ashley ferry, ten miles from town. He determined on the latter,
and put his four troops of cavalry in motion. When he arrived at the ferry
it was ebb of tide, the water was running out as from a millsluice;
the banks on each side were so miry as scarcely to support a crab --
the river was at least one hundred yards wide, and there was not a boat. --
He however ordered Major Fraser to lead on the first troop into the river
and swim across. Fraser viewed him for some time with astonishment,
suspecting him not to be in his sober senses. But finding he appeared so,
he said to him, "Why, Sir, I am not in the habit of disputing,
or hesitating to perform any order given by my commander; but this thing
is utterly impossible." "How so," said Thompson, "it may be difficult
but not impossible, and if we do not attempt difficult things
we shall never be distinguished. Alexander swam across the Granicus,
beat the Persians and immortalized himself." "And it would no doubt
immortalize you," replied Fraser, "if you could swim the Ashley,
and surprise Gen. Greene; but let us put the matter to the test.
Here is Serjt. Allen, the best trooper and the best swimmer in the corps;
and here is my horse that cost me one hundred guineas.
Let Allen try it first; better that he than that all should be lost."
The proposition was agreed to. Allen was mounted on the major's charger,
and was ordered to swim the river. -- "I'll try," said he,
"since the colonel orders it -- but the Lord have mercy upon me;"
and having so said, he plunged into the river. As might have been expected,
the current swept him a quarter of a mile below the landing
on the opposite side; he attempted to land there, but the fine horse was
swallowed up in the marsh, and Allen escaped with the utmost difficulty. --
This was the last notice we have of Col. Thompson (Count Rumford)
in this country: he was a burning meteor but soon disappeared.*
--
* Count Rumford told professor Pictet, of Geneva, many years after,
that he had never been able to efface from his imagination,
the horrid spectacle of the dead and wounded upon these occasions.
-- See Pictet's Tour in England, p. 212.
--
After the defeat at Wambaw, Gov. Matthews, having taken much pains
to find out from Gen. Marion who was the best cavalry officer of the two,
Horry or Maham, incorporated the two regiments and gave the command
to the latter. The preference appears to have been extorted from Marion.
The fact was that Horry, though said to be a good infantry officer,
failed in one most essential requisite in the command of cavalry,
and that was horsemanship. In several charges he made, it is said
he was indebted to some one or other of his men for saving his life;
yet possessing great personal bravery, his supreme delight was always to be
at the head of cavalry. From the commencement of this narrative,
his patriotism has been conspicuous: in fact, his property was wasted
and his life often exposed in the cause of his country, and few men
were more devoted to her than Col. Peter Horry. He now resigned,
but as some consolation, Gen. Marion made him commandant of Georgetown,
with full powers to regulate its trade and defend it from the enemy.
It was from thence and Cainhoy, that Gen. Marion after long perseverance,
got much clothing for Greene's army. But Col. P. Horry,
instead of leaving trade to flow into Georgetown as freely as the tides
which passed before him, put it under such restrictions
that the merchants soon began to murmur. About the 20th of April,
there was an alarm excited among the civil authority of the state,
that the British in Charleston had been reinforced and were about to attack
Gen. Greene. Gov. Matthews immediately wrote to order Gen. Marion
to his assistance. He lay at that time near Murray's ferry;
his men had been dismounted by an order from the same authority,
and they now set out for Bacon's bridge on foot for the first time.
When they reached within eight miles, the alarm had subsided;
but another had taken place, that the enemy had sailed for Georgetown,
and the governor ordered Marion there. After a forced march of four days
he arrived at White's bridge; but there was no enemy near Georgetown.
In this march of about one hundred and sixty miles, Marion's men had
but one ration of rice; all the rest were of lean beef driven out of the woods
in the month of April. As Ganey's party had been troublesome
to the people of North Carolina, and had not observed the treaty of neutrality
with Gen. Marion, made June 17th, 1781, a joint expedition was concerted
between Gov. Matthews, of South and Gov. Martin of North Carolina,
to subdue them.* Of this expedition Gen. Marion was to have the command.
His very name was sufficient for the purpose intended. At Burch's mill
on Pedee, a treaty was signed, (June 1782) by which Ganey's party agreed
to lay down their arms as enemies of the state, to demean themselves hereafter
as peaceable citizens, to deliver up all stolen property,
to apprehend all who did not accede to the treaty now made,
to take all deserters from the American army and deliver them up,
to return to their allegiance and abjure that of his Britannic majesty.
From this treaty, Gibson, who killed Col. Kolb, and Fanning and his party
were excepted, but they escaped. Fanning was properly of North Carolina,
but occasionally acted with Ganey, and was one of the most active men,
and one of the most deliberate murderers of the whole party.
But little defence had been made by the tories; only one skirmish took place,
in which the general's friend, Robert James, was wounded;
and at the Bowling Green, between Great and Little Pedee,
at least five hundred men laid down their arms to Gen. Marion.
Thus ended an opposition to the country, which commenced more
from the desire of plunder than from principle, and which,
except with regard to sex, and some to age, had been carried on
in the true spirit of savage warfare. Of Harrison's party,
many had gone with him to the British; with those who remained
a species of warfare was waged even after the peace with Great Britain.
--
* Capt. Crafton's letter to Marion, 13th June, 1782.
--
During Gen. Marion's absence, Gen. Greene appears, from the correspondence,
to have been very anxious for his return. After the adjournment
of the Jacksonborough assembly, he had crossed the Edisto and encamped
on the west side of Ashley river, sixteen miles from Charleston,
and here the sufferings of his men had risen to the utmost extremity.
They were often without rations, and when served, it was generally
with lean meat without bread or rice, or bread or rice without the lean meat.
They had as yet received no pay, and their clothes were so worn and broken,
that they were as naked as the Caffres of Africa. Here,
in a state of inaction, they became mutinous, and were plotting
to deliver up their commander to the enemy. But it is surprising,
that when mischief of any kind began to brew in such a situation,
that only twelve should have been concerned in it, and it is honourable
that none of those were native Americans.
About the 9th of July, Gen. Marion had returned to the Santee,
and received orders from Gen. Greene to remain between that and Cooper river,
as heretofore. The militia were now so far relieved, that, by law,
they were obliged to turn out only one month in three; but were ordered,
as we have mentioned above, to be dismounted, which discouraged them,
and rendered their movements less rapid. The experience derived
both from the history of the revolutionary and the late war,
fully shows that the militia are effective only when mounted.
On the 25th of August, in this year, Lieut. Col. John Laurens
was killed in a skirmish at Page's point, on Combahee river.
He fell in the flower of his youth, and yet had long been the admiration
of both the contending armies. In history the parallel to his character
is perhaps to be found only in that of the Chevalier Bayard:
the knight without fear and without reproach.
During the remainder of the summer of 1782, Gen. Marion frequently
changed his encampments from place to place, between Cooper and Santee rivers,
with three objects constantly in view; to cut off supplies from the enemy,
to prevent all surprises from their sudden irruptions, and to provide
for his own men. -- His scouting parties still penetrated
into St. Thomas' parish as far as Daniel's island and Clement's ferry.
At the head of one of these Capt. G. S. Capers performed a gallant action.
Having the command of only twelve men, he encountered
a party of twenty-six of the British black dragoons, and cut them to pieces.
They had at the time two or three of his neighbours in handcuffs as prisoners.
About the 25th of August in that year, Marion lay for some time
at the plantation of Sir John Colleton, the first above Watboo bridge,
on the south side of that creek. This with him appeared to be
a favourite place of encampment. It had been deserted by the owner,
who was attached to the enemy, and the mansion and two extensive ranges
of negro and other outhouses were left open for himself and men.
He occupied the mansion and his men the outhouses, on the west
towards the bridge; on the back of the outhouses to the east,
and directly in front of the dwelling, there stretched towards the road
an extensive avenue of old cedar trees, the trimming of which
had been neglected for some years; and their long boughs now descended
nearly to the ground. While encamped in this situation,
Gen. Marion heard of the approach of Major Fraser with the British cavalry,
towards the Santee, in his rear. On this side there was nothing
but an open old field for a mile. None but the officers
now had horses, and he immediately ordered out a party of these,
under Capt. Gavin Witherspoon, to reconnoitre the enemy.
They had advanced but little way in the woods beyond the old field,
when the reconnoitring party were met by Major Fraser
at the head of his corps of cavalry, and were immediately charged.
A long chase commenced, which was soon observed by Marion,
and he drew up his men under the thick boughs of the cedar trees.
As the chase advanced towards him it became more and more interesting. --
When in full view, either Witherspoon's horse had failed him,
or he fell purposely in the rear to bring up his party,
and a British dragoon was detached to cut him down. He advanced
until nearly within his sword's length, and was rising in his stirrups
to make sure of his blow, but Witherspoon had eyed him well,
and at the instant, Parthian like, he fired the contents of his gun
into his breast. The good omen excited much animation,
and the British, still advancing, attempted to charge upon the left,
but were received on that side with a well directed fire, which caused them
to break and fly in great disorder. Had Gen. Marion's cavalry been present
they might now have been cut to pieces; but scarcity of forage
had induced him to quarter them at the distance of six miles.
The enemy rallied and manoeuvred about in the old field for an hour,
making several different feints of charging, but never coming
in reach of Marion's fire, whose men stood firm at their post.
Capt. Gillies of the British, and nine men and five horses were killed.
The number of wounded could not be accurately ascertained;
but as the firing was only at the distance of thirty paces,
and was made with the usual charge of heavy buckshot, the proportion of these
must have been greater than that of the killed on the usual computation.
(29th Aug.) On the next day, Gen. Marion called out Capt. Witherspoon
in front of the brigade, and gave him thanks for his many public services,
but more particularly for the deed of yesterday.
Here ended the warfare of Marion. Its close was as the last ray
of the setting sun; in his progress through the day, at times
shining brightly; at others clouded with darkness: but at eventide
descending with cheerful brilliancy. Should the exploits performed,
or the number of the enemy cut off, not equal the expectation of the reader,
he is requested to recollect the lapse of time which has intervened,
and how many circumstances must have escaped the memory of the writer,
and particularly, that the loss of Col. Watson, with whom Marion had
the most arduous of all his conflicts, could never be known. He will also
bear in mind the patroles which went out nightly, and seldom failed
to do some execution, which like a perpetual dripping corroded deeply
into the force of the enemy. If the late Guerilla warfare in Spain
cut off so many thousands of the French in detail, in a comparatively
open country, how much more effect would such a warfare have in woods
upon an enemy more weak in proportion and more slowly reinforced.
Such a warfare is the one most fitted for militia and the most dreaded
by regular troops. But on the other hand, should it be thought by some
that the present narrative is too highly coloured, the eulogy of Gen. Greene,
certainly the best judge of Gen. Marion's merit, is here inserted, of which
it may be remarked, that it was written before the latter had performed
half of what is here related.
Extract of a letter from Gen. Greene to Gen. Marion.
"~Camp, before Camden, April 24, 1781.~
Dear Sir,
Your favour of the 21st has just come to hand. When I consider
how much you have done and suffered, and under what disadvantage
you have maintained your ground, I am at a loss which to admire most,
your courage and fortitude, or your address and management. Certain it is,
no man has a better claim to the public thanks than you. History affords
no instance wherein an officer has kept possession of a country
under so many disadvantages as you have. Surrounded on every side
with a superior force, hunted from every quarter with veteran troops;
you have found means to elude their attempts and to keep alive
the expiring hopes of an oppressed militia, when all succour seemed to be
cut off. To fight the enemy bravely with the prospect of victory is nothing,
but to fight with intrepidity under the constant impression of a defeat,
and inspire irregular troops to do it, is a talent peculiar to yourself.
Nothing will give me greater pleasure than to do justice to your merit,
and I shall miss no opportunity of declaring to congress,
the commander in chief of the American army, and to the world,
the great sense I have of your merit and services."
The letters of Gen. Greene show that he was an agreeable polished gentleman.
Their style is easy, simple and correct; there is no search after ornament;
they come at once to the point and show him to be much in earnest.
His commands are always requests, and when he might well have used
the language of reprehension, it is only that of persuasion
and friendly admonition. His privations here were great,
perhaps he had not even the comforts of a common soldier in the British army;
yet he states them fairly, without uttering a word of complaint;
hopes they will soon be remedied, and declares his unalterable perseverance
in gaining the glorious prize constantly in his view --
the independence of his country.
In reviewing the transactions of the present year, two things passed
which are well worth notice. Gen. Alexander Leslie, now commander in chief
of the British army, a gentleman of enlarged views and humane feelings,
had before this time, as it appears, submitted certain papers to Gen. Greene,
through Capt. Skelly, for his inspection, preparatory to a proposal
for a cessation of hostilities; and on the 23d of May, writes again to Greene
in substance as follows: "Believing that a treaty for terminating the war
is now carrying on, I have therefore to inform you, that those papers
were transmitted to him (Gen. Leslie) by his excellency Sir Henry Clinton.
That such was the manner in which those important papers had reached him,
that he held it a duty he owed the rights of humanity,
the welfare of this country, and the sentiments of the legislature of his own,
to propose a cessation of hostilities." Again, on the 13th of August,
Leslie proposed, "That the garrison of Charleston should be permitted
to receive rice and other provisions, for which a compensation should be made
on terms of mutual advantage." Both these propositions were at once rejected
by the civil authority of the state; because it was supposed that Leslie
only intended to amass provisions for the support of the British forces
in the West Indies, to carry on war to advantage with our allies the French.
But this matter might easily have been adjusted by treaty,
and the rejection of the offer was certainly another piece of blind policy
in the civil authority. They had now no means of taking the town,
and by acceding to the proposals, Greene's army might have been clothed,
the wants of the citizens sooner supplied, and much
effusion of blood prevented.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14