Life of Francis Marion(弗朗西丝·马利翁传)

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Life of Marion.

DOBEIN JAMES.

Life of Marion.

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

Life of Marion.

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.

Life of Marion.

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

Life of Marion.

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.

Life of Marion.

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

Life of Marion.

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.

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

Life of Marion.

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

Life of Marion.

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

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LifeofMarion.1LifeofMarion.DOBEINJAMES.LifeofMarion.2Preface.DuringthesiegeofCharleston,inMay,1780,thegrammarschoolatSalem,onBlackriver,whereIhadbeenplacedbymyfather,MajorJOHNJAMES,brokeup;andIwascompelledtoabandonmyschoolboystudies,andbecomeamilitiaman,attheageoffifteen.Atthattimeoflifeitwasagreatl...

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