♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ ♪ [musket fire popping] ♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ [mortar fire booming] Professor Henry Lumpkin> We've talked to Francis Marion as a man.

We've discussed his fighting area from the Charleston Peninsula, up through the Santee country to the Pee Dee area and to the high hills of the Santee, Marion country.

Now, let us talk about Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, the daring partisan leader.

His raids, his operations, and the final set battles where he led troops once again in open field fighting against the British enemy.

♪ His first military operation of consequence occurred after the Battle of Camden, when he attacked a British escort conducting 150 American prisoners taken at that battle down to Charleston.

In a brief surprise attack early in the morning, his favorite time, Francis Marion and Peter Horry captured or killed 22 British soldiers and two loyalist guides.

The freed prisoners were soldiers of the Maryland Line.

But to Francis Marion's vast and angry surprise, 85 of the released Marylanders refused to return to the American army and insisted on proceeding to Charleston as prisoners of war, a commentary on the period.

Francis Marion, however sent word to the defeated General Horatio Gates, licking his wounds in North Carolina and Gates informed Congress of this one piece of cheering news, in an otherwise grim picture.

And the item appeared in some northern newspapers.

For the first time, the dispirited country heard of Francis Marion.

Francis Marion now was to move from hard fought victory to hard fought victory, none of them vitally important, but cumulatively, the constant drain on British resources and the constant threat to the British supply lines from Charleston were to undermine the British ability to resist.

Francis Marion defeated a strong force of loyalists on the little Pee Dee under a Major Micajah Gainey and Captain Jesse Barfield.

This is the engagement will Major John James, charging on his horse Thunder alone routed a loyalist stand by shouting to imaginary comrades.

"Come on boys, here they are.

Here they are!"

Marion then fell back, pursued by superior forces to Blue Savannah.

At Blue Savannah, he halted and set an ambush among the young pines.

The loyalists obligingly walked into this trap and were very thoroughly defeated indeed.

At Black Mingo Swamp, Francis Marion operating in his own home area, surrounded Colonel John Coming Ball, a loyalist of Charleston, and his 46 loyalists.

Attacked from all sides in the darkness, the Tories were broken and scattered.

And Francis Marion captured Colonel Ball's horse, a very handsome sorrel, which he renamed Ball in honor of its former owner, and rode throughout the war.

On the late evening of October 25th, 1780, Francis Marion attacked, attacked Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Samuel at his camp near Tearcoat Swamp on the upp Again as he headed Black Mingo, Francis Marion ordered his men to charge in from three directions.

Tynes escaped, but three loyalists were killed, 14 were wounded and 23 captured.

The pro-British elements of the population were thoroughly intimidated by these desperate actions.

This, as I have said so often, was civil war, increasingly brutal and merciless.

The defeat of Tynes now brought Francis Marion very much to the attention of Lord Cornwallis, left by Sir Henry Clinton as its commander in chief in South Carolina and Georgia, when Sir Henry Clinton returned to New York.

Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, Bloody Tarleton now was detached with his green coated legion, a piqued force of dragoons and infantry to hunt down and destroy this ubiquitous American gadfly called Brigadier General Francis Marion.

Marion, with 400 horsemen at his back, rode out to meet him.

As scouts discovered, Tarleton's legion camped, at the late General Richard Richardson's plantation.

General Richard Richardson, who commanded in the Snow Campaign.

Francis Marion, a cool and cautious commander, realizing the odds were against him, swung his command around and galloped away through the swamps and across buggy streams to the trackless Pine Barrens between the Santee and the Black Rivers Banastre Tarleton alarmed by an escaped prisoner, alerted by an escaped prisoner, followed hard on Marion's track for seven hours.

At Ox Swamp, about 23 miles above Kingstree, Kingstree, South Carolina, banned Tarleton finally halted his weary m "Come, my boys", he said.

"Let us go back and we will find the Gamecock", referring to fighting Thomas Sumter.

But as for this damned old fox, the devil himself could not catch him.

Francis Marion also was to suffer a cruel personal tragedy.

Young Gabriel Marion, his nephew, was on horse and captured in a skirmish by loyalist partisans, because he was the kinsman of the hated Swamp Fox.

Banastre Tarleton had given him his name.

The British and Loyalists held a musket against young Marion's chest and blew it apart with buckshot.

When Gabriel Marion's suspected murderer, a man named Sweet or Swept, was captured by Francis Marion, in a later operation, Francis Marion's men shot their prisoner out of hand.

It is a measure of Francis Marion's moral stature that he, the bereaved relative, was absolutely furious at the treatment of a disarmed prisoner and publicly reprimanded the vengeful American who pulled the trigger.

A Scottish major, Robert McLeroth was the next British officer to meet Francis Marion.

Although this operation has certain amusing overtones, Major McLeroth, McLeroth was leading recruits for the Royal Fusiliers from Charleston to Winnsboro.

Francis Marion riding up the Santee Road beyond Nelson's Ferry with 700 men at his back, overtook the unhappy Major McLeroth who with his men promptly took position behind a rail fence in an open field and waited for the American attack.

Flags were exchanged between the two forces, and it was agreed with uncharacteristic quick subtlety, that teams of 20 marksmen selected from both sides would meet in the field and honorably carry out what was in effect, a mass duel to determine immortal combat, the fighting qualities of the two antagonists.

Francis Marion selected Major John Vanderhorst to command his team, but Captain Samuel Price of All Saints Parish as his second in command.

John Vanderhorst chose his best marksmen, among them a crack shot named John Witherspoon.

He then turned to Witherspoon and asked, what distance would you choose as the surest to strike with buckshot "50 yards", Witherspoon replied, then said John Vanderhorst "When we get within 50 yards, my boys, "as I'm not a good judge of distance, "Mr.

Witherspoon will tap me on the shoulder.

"I will then give the word "and you will form on my left, opposite these fellows.

"As you fall, each man will fire at the one opposite, "and on my word, few will be left for a second shot."

As the two forces closed to 50 yards without firing, a British officer passed along the red coated line at the double, and the red coated line, shouldered their muskets and marched away.

John Vanderhorst and his men returned in glory without firing a shot.

This was one decision when the Swamp Fox was outfoxed by a cunning Scot.

McLeroth had seized this opportunity and time consumed in the formal duel, to send for help and get the rest of his people on the road.

Marion sent a well mounted detachment to cut them off, but to McLeroth's amazement, Marion's men, having out-distanced them, and occupied a house which covered the road, suddenly mounted and rode away.

The Singleton family, who owned the house all were down with smallpox, and Robert McLeroth got safely away, although I am sorry to say he was later cashiered for not being sufficiently aggressive.

Major General Nathaniel Greene now was sent south by George Washington to replace the unhappy Horatio Gates and assemble a new army for the Southern Campaign.

Nathaniel Greene, Nathaniel Greene, a truly great commander, quickly grasped the real potential of Francis Marion as a genius of partisan warfare and sent Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee of Virginia one of the best, if not the best, cavalry leaders in the American Army, to cooperate with the Swamp Fox.

Lee's legion of horse and foot green jackets, white trousers, brass helmets with horsehair plumes would fight beside Francis Marion's ragged guerrillas.

Probably somewhat to Nathaniel Greene's surprise, Francis Marion and Henry Lee got along famously and made an absolutely superb fighting team.

Lee profoundly admired Francis Marion's brilliance as a partisan leader, and his completely moral and steadfast character.

Marion admired Lee's dash gallantry and educated good breeding.

Working together, Francis Marion and Henry Lee almost captured a strongly held Georgetown by a combined amphibious attack and boats from the river and a cavalry assault.

The British commandant was captured, but the garrison retreating into a strongly fortified area in the town, held out and the attack failed.

Just before Henry Lee joined Francis Marion, one of the most dramatic incidents of the fighting around Georgetown took place.

Peter Horry, operating around that town right up the river here, carrying out Nathaniel Greene's commission to Francis Marion to secure information, met and drove back a detachment of the Queen's Rangers, part of the garrison of Georgetown, that stout old Tory Micajah Gainey, we met him before, rolled up to support his retreating comrades, and Peter Horry drove in with a saber to meet him.

Gainey's loyalist horesemen fled and Micajah Gainey was pursued back into Georgetown by Sergeant McDonald, a red headed Scotmen, and Marion's best soldiers.

Just before Gainey reached safely into Georgetown, McDonald furiously lunged with his bayoneted musket and drove it right through Micajah Gainey.

The bayonet pulled loose from the musket, and Gainey rode into town bleeding and tra from back through the chest.

Strangely, he recovered from this dreadful wound.

After Banastre Tarleton was defeated at the Cowpens on 17th of January 1781 by Daniel Morgan, Lord Cornwallis made the fatal decision to pursue Nathaniel Greene up through North Carolina through that British commander's disastrous Pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse, which was to lead inevitably to Yorktown and final British defeat.

Henry Lee, however, was detached with his legion to cover Nathaniel Greene's long retreat.

This was the period of Francis Marion's greatest trial, Thomas Sumter in the up country was operating almost 100 miles and more away from Francis Marion, who was here in the Low country.

Also a very able British commander, Lord Rawdon laid between them with a superior force.

Lieutenant Colonel John Watson of the guards with a fine British regiment, the buffs and 500 loyalists, know was ordered in to march on Marion's headquarters at Snow's Island on the Pee Dee.

A Lieutenant Colonel Welbore Doyle, with a second British regiment, marched at the same time, in a pincher movement down Lynches River.

Francis Marion scouts working all the way up to Camden, brought word to Marion.

And Marion, never a man to avoid an engagement, even if he had any chance of possible victory, waited for John Watson, at Wyboo Swamp on the Santee River.

Peter Horry held the swamp approaches until dislodged by cannon fire, and Francis Marion fell back across the narrow swamp causeway with his 400 men.

Gavin James.

Gavin James, one of Francis Marion's best men, the last in the retreat, defended the causeway alone, mounted and with his bayoneted musket used as a lance, a regular medieval paladin.

He killed two of Watson's soldiers with the bayonet, one handed, stabbed the third man, and then fell back, dragging his transfixed enemy off his horse along the causeway some 40 or 50 yards before the blade came free.

Francis Marion, still retreating and still pursued then ordered Major John James with William M'Cottry's riflemen, to hold the Black River Bridge, near Kingstree.

After five of his men were killed by long range rifle fire, Lieutenant Colonel John Watson broke off the action.

"I never saw such shooting in my life", he stated.

The range was well over 200 yards.

This was a commentary on the range of weapons of the 18th century.

After this engagement, Francis Marion chivalrously granted a pass to John Watson to send his wounded to the coast, an interesting sidelight in an otherwise ruthless war.

Lieutenant Colonel Watson finally reached Georgetown with two wagon loads of wounded but Wel, Welbore Doyle in Marion's absence, the colonel commanding the encirclement captured Snow's Island, Marion's headquarters, and destroyed Francis Marion's stores and supply base.

This should have been the lowest moment for Francis Marion and his men.

Nathaniel Greene decided to march south once more after Guilford Courthouse and Henry Lee arrived again with his legion, his beautifully uniform legion, with orders to, to cooperate fully with Francis Marion.

The two commanders, as soon as their forces joined, decided to attack Fort Watson at Scott's Lake, a key British outpost in the line of communications from Charleston to the garrisons in the up country.

Fort Watson was built on a high Indian mound rising above the Santee Swamp.

It was heavily stockaded with three rolls of abatis around it, and a strong garrison of British Loyalist soldiers under Lieutenant James McKay.

(indiscernible) took post between the fort and the lake to cut the water supply.

The ingenious defender sank a well inside the fort.

All cover had been cut away from the fort to give a free field of fire, and the Americans attacking were completely exposed to the defenders' musketry.

Lieutenant Colonel Hezekiah Maham, one of Francis Marion's lieutenants know suggested that a log tower should be built, which would overlook the fort, with a protected platform for riflemen on the top.

These towers were never used afterwards, were always called Maham towers.

The tower was raised from the plentiful timber of the swamp, and the riflemen brought the interior of the fort under direct aim fire.

Some of Henry Lee's men under the cover of these rifles made a lodgment under the palisade, and began to pull down the abatis.

Lieutenant James McKay, when he saw the legion infantry lining up for the final assault, knowing his position to be hopeless, surrendered.

The capture of Fort Watson was a severe loss to the British.

Francis Marion and Henry Lee, with a six pounder field gun, now marched up the Congaree River and invested Fort Motte, a second important outpost in the British line of communications.

Lieutenant Donald McPherson, with a garrison of 140 British and Hessian soldiers, had taken over the, and fortified the handsome house, Mount Joseph Plantation of Mrs.

Rebecca Motte, the great lady of the area.

She'd been evicted and was living in her overseer's small house.

The British defended the post with great gallantry, and only surrendered when the Americans succeeded in setting fire to the big house itself.

Here is the famous story that Mrs.

Motte offered to Francis Marion and Henry Lee, a bow and fire arrows presented to her husband by the captain of an East Indian man, thus offering her own home to the American cause.

This may be true, but William Dobein James, who served at Fort Motte with Marion, says that a private in Francis Marion's brigade fired the house with a ball of ignited brimstone hurled with a sling.

This seems the more likely account.

After the surrender, the Americans and British joined in, putting out the fire, thus saving Mrs.

Motte's residence.

This action signals the end of Francis Marion's true partisan days, with the British falling back on Charleston.

Although Francis Marion was to serve and command with gallantry and distinction at Eutaw Springs and Quinby Bridge, he was no longer the elusive gorilla, however, but a field officer again proudly leading his brigade into full battle.

Ironically, on August 29th, 1780, his last active engagement at Fair Lawn Plantation, ended in a British victory.

Although Marion, as always, fell back in good order.

A desperate and gallant charge by Major Thomas Frazier's Royal Dragoons caused the horses of Francis Marion's ammunition wagons, to bolt.

And the British horsemen broke through the position.

Francis Marion, without powder or shot, then ordered his men to fall back.

It was his final fight in the Revolutionary War.

The last commentary on Francis Marion's moral character during the autumn of 1782, as General Alexander Leslie, now commanding for the British at Charleston, prepared to evacuate that city, Marion refused to shed further blood.

General Nathaniel Greene, the American commander in chief in the South, had suggested to Marion that he ambush certain British watering parties sent to Lampreys Point, across the Cooper River from Charleston to fill the water casts for the long trip to England.

Francis Marion flatly refused and said that if ordered to attack, he would obey, but with my consent, not another life shall be lost, though the event should procure for me the highest honors of the soldier.

He further said that he would prefer to send his troops to protect the British, rather than attack them.

Courageous, humane, ruthless when he had to be, Francis Marion possesses what the ancient Romans called virtus.

All that goes to make a true man.

♪ We've talked to Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, the ruthless partisan leader, a partisan leader par excellence who held the Lowcountry's heir through the terrible year of 1780, until the Americans began to move back under Nathaniel Greene and the final battles in the South before the end.

We also should talk about the other partisan leaders, the partisan leaders of the back country or the up country.

Thomas Sumter, who Banastre Tarleton, call as he called Francis Marion the Swamp Fox.

Elijah Clarke of Georgia, William Davie of North Carolina, as I've called him, the Bull Sabre of the American partisan leaders, William Campbell, the red headed Scot of Virginia, who led his men with his ancestral Scottish broadsword in his hand.

The great partisan leaders who in the south maintained the war, maintained the war, in 1780, in 1781, when there was no hope, when the war on the north was at a stalemate, and Washington at times despaired of keeping his army together, when the French alliance had not proved to be effective as they'd hoped it would prove to be, that Savannah the French, had served with very little help to the American cause.

The terrible years of 1780 and into 1781, I call them the years of the partisans in the South, the wire partisans ragged, desperate, hopeless, totally brave, striking out of thicket and swamp and mountain, coming across the mountains, the buckskin men, the wild men from the Watauga, the long rifle men, the hatchet and knife men, the men from the Indian frontier to keep the war alive in the South, and thus in America, and paved the way step by step, to the final battle links in the chain of defeats which were to lead to Guilford Courthouse and then to Yorktown and Cornwallis' surrender, King's Mountain, Cowpens, the long fighting retreat up through North Carolina to Guilford Courthouse, and the march down to Yorktown.

This year, these two years, 1780, 81, thus are the years of the partisan fighters, the fighting Southerners, the fighting southern leaders who kept the war alive.

This, then, are our two discussions of Francis Marion.

Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, he lived through the war to be honored by his people, returned to his plantation to marry a Mary Videau.

And finally to be buried in Black Oak Church.

His body was removed to Belle Isle Plantation, where it lies today surrounded by his kins people, back in the quiet of the South Carolina countryside, under the great trees, a fitting place for a Swamp Fox, for a South Carolinian, for a fighting partisan, to lie.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪