Walter Edgar> Although the American Revolution began and ended in Charleston, it was won in the Carolina backcountry.

And that was largely due to the efforts of the three partisan leaders: Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and Andrew Pickens.

Oh, hey there!.

Welcome to this edition of History in a Nutshell!

Breaking down historical topics in straightforward, easy to understand ways.

"What are we doing out here in this swamp?"

I hear you say.

South Carolina's swamps served as the wartime abode for the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion!

In this episode of History in a Nutshell, we are traveling back in time to Revolutionary War era South Carolina.

It's the early 1780's, and the American colonies have been at war with England since 1775.

While most engagements took place up in the north in the early years of the Revolution, the fighting shifted southward in 1780 when England kicked off the Southern Campaign After the British captured Charleston in May 1780, they believed quelling rebellion in the south would be easy, and that the war would be over in time for tea.

British commanders, however, sorely underestimated the amount of resistance they would face here in the south.

Three legendary South Carolina partisan leaders would rise up and cause major headaches for Britain's efforts to reestablish order in the south.

The guerilla-style hit-and-run tactics all three men learned from earlier conflicts with Native Americans proved effective against the European style of fighting at that time.

Join me on this journey as we delve into the lives and legacies of these three South Carolina heroes: Andrew Pickens, Thomas Sumter, and of course, Francis Marion.

South Carolina's Upcountry was the home of Andrew Pickens Pickens was known for his reserved, quiet demeanor and rarely ever smiled.

Although Pickens was a stern leader who demanded his men follow orders, he was also a compassionate leader.

Born in Paxtang, Pennsylvania, in September 1739, he moved with his family to the Waxhaws region of South Carolina when he was 13.

Pickens spent much of his childhood learning the ways of Native Americans, namely Catawba, Cherokee, and Waxhaw.

Pickens's father, Andrew Sr., was a community mediator, helping settle arguments and enjoyed listening to court cases.

His father's fairness taught Andrew respect for the law.

As more settlers arrived in South Carolina's Upcountry, land and resources started becoming scarce for Native Americans.

Pickens understood the concerns Native American leaders had, and his sense of justice made him question what was happening.

When Pickens was a teenager, relations between Native Americans and settlers became strained.

Some Cherokee remained friendly, while others attacked White settlements.

Duty called Andrew to serve in the Anglo Cherokee War, becoming captain of volunteers and the Waxhaws area.

The Anglo-Cherokee War was part of the larger French and Indian War, Even though Whites and Native Americans broke promises and behaved cruelly, Andrew found it difficult to fight against Indians he had known since he was a young man.

He once remarked: "It was there... I learned how cruel war is."

Despite the British winning the French and Indian War, English settlers still feared Indian uprisings.

Pickens moved to Abbeville in 1764, and during this time relations with native people remained relatively peaceful.

But relations between the American colonies and England completely fell apart.

Enter the American Revolution.

Around 3000 disgruntled Cherokee joined the British against the Patriots.

Pickens was called to action once again, and he raised several companies of militiamen to fight.

It's important to note that the Revolutionary War was just as much a civil war, as well as a war for independence.

Not every colonist wished to break ties with England.

Those colonists who remained loyal to the Crown were known as Loyalists or "Tories".

Now, militiamen on both sides did not have fancy uniforms like what army regulars wore.

Instead, they wore whatever they had.

How did they tell themselves apart on the battlefield?

Loyalist militia wore green sprigs in their caps, whereas Patriot rebels wore white scraps of paper in their hats to identify themselves.

On August 12th, 1776, Captain Pickens led a small band of scouts through a cornfield in Tamassee, South Carolina, when they were ambushed by a much larger Cherokee force.

Pickens had his men form two rings in the middle of the field, and took turns firing.

The ambush eventually turned into hand-to-hand fighting.

But Pickens and his men were able to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

The Native Americans lost 65 out of their 185 man group.

Pickens lost 11 out of his 25 men.

This battle became known as "The Ring Fight".

News of Pickens's courage during battle made its way to Cherokee leaders, and Pickens earned their respect.

They gave him the name "Skyagunsta" meaning "Great Warrior" or "Wizard Owl".

Despite Pickens's family being harassed by Tories throughout the war, the Cherokee believed he had some mysterious power and refused to go on to his property.

The war in South Carolina ramped up in May, 1780 when the British captured Charleston.

Pickens and 300 of his militia men were captured by the British and given an ultimatum: be imprisoned or sign a parole agreement to never again pick up arms against England.

In return, the families and homes of those Patriots would be protected.

Anyone who broke their parole agreements would face execution.

At first, Pickens refused to sign the parole and was jailed.

Get this.

While in prison, the British actually tried to get Pickens to accept a command position in the British Army.

Pickens, of course, refused.

But since he was worried about his family, he saw no other way out of prison and eventually signed the parole.

This parole agreement did not last.

Later that year, Tories burned down his home and harassed his family.

Rightfully enraged, Pickens rejoined the fight.

"You have broken your promise.

Since you harmed my family and burned my home I consider myself no longer bound by the oath I took."

Pickens re-recruited many of his former men, who also signed parole agreements.

Knowing they faced death if captured, many boldly went with Pickens anyway.

Pickens and his men fought in several key battles during the Southern Campaign: Pickens and General Daniel Morgan faced off against Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens.

Governor John Rutledge of South Carolina promoted Pickens to Brigadier General of the South Carolina Militia Shortly after the decisive victory at Cowpens on January 17th, 1781.

Pickens and General Richard Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee supported General Nathanael Greene's efforts in North and South Carolina.

The 1781 Siege of Ninety-Six and Eutaw Springs.

At Eutaw Springs, the Patriots achieved their goal of keeping the British occupied in the south to prevent them from heading north to join General Cornwallis in his fight against George Washington.

The remaining British forces retreated to Charles Towne.

Despite Cornwallis surrendering at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781, fighting in South Carolina continued on for more than a year.

The British held Charleston and Tories and Cherokee continued to make trouble in South Carolina's Backcountry.

Pickens and his other colleagues Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter, remained steadfast in their fight against the British.

Victory came at last in December 1782, when the British left Charleston and sailed back to England.

Thomas Sumter was a somewhat controversial leader during the Revolutionary War.

Although some Patriot leaders found Sumter difficult to work with, had a bit of an ego, and found some of his methods questionable, nobody could challenge his devotion to the Patriot cause for independence.

Thomas Sumter was born in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1734.

Like Andrew Pickens, Sumter also spent much of his younger years in the military, serving in the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian War.

It was there that Sumter became acquainted with the Native American battle tactics he would later use in the Revolutionary War.

In 1762, Sumter was selected to accompany the Cherokee leader, Ostenaco to London, who had an audience with King George III.

Upon returning to Virginia, Sumter was arrested and imprisoned for indebtedness.

Sumter got out from prison and fled to Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1764, where he opened up a country store.

He became a successful businessman and eventually a wealthy plantation owner.

When the Revolutionary War broke out, Sumter was once again called to serve.

Sumter participated in some of South Carolina's early battles, such as the Snow Campaign, The Battle of Sullivan's Island, the Cherokee Campaign, and some engagements in Georgia.

Sumter was a man of action, but since there was not a whole lot of fighting going on in the South at this period in the war, Sumter grew disgruntled and retired back to his plantation on the Santee River.

Everything changed for Sumter after the fall of Charleston in 1780.

British Colonel Banastre Tarleton quickly gained notoriety in South Carolina with the Massacre at Waxhaws.

Tarleton's patrols and roving bands of Tories terrorized civilians and burned down the homes of Patriot rebels.

Sumter's own home was not spared from these raids.

I'm starting to sense a pattern here... Aren't you?

The idea of guerrilla warfare against the British excited Sumter and the militiamen he recruited from North and South Carolina.

Sumter was appointed Brigadier General of the South Carolina Militia by Governor John Rutledge on October 6, 1780.

News of his tenacity in battle spread throughout South Carolina, encouraging more Patriots to join the fight against the British.

This is how he earned the nickname: "The Fighting Gamecock".

Tarleton himself even remarked that Sumter "fought like a gamecock", and General Cornwallis stated that Sumter was "one of his great plagues".

The British were not the only ones suffering headaches at Sumter's expense, though... Other Patriot commanders, such as Gen.

Nathanael Greene found him difficult to work with.

Sumter marched to the beat of his own drum.

He liked doing things his own way, and did not like taking orders from others.

Problems aside, Sumter was a competent leader, loved by those who served under him.

Sumter commanded South Carolina Militia in many battles and skirmishes, including Hanging Rock, Fishing Creek, Fishdam Ford, and Blackstock's Plantation.

Although Sumter himself was wounded at Blackstock's Plantation, he managed to deal Banastre Tarleton's legion its first major defeat.

Not even fully healed yet, he returned to the field in February 1781, leading further battles Fort Granby and Orangeburgh.

Unlike his colleagues Andrew Pickens and Francis Marion, Sumter would not be there to see the British depart from Charleston in December 1782.

Several factors contributed to Sumter's early departure from the war.

Sumter grew frustrated with the reorganization of the militia following the stalemate at the Battle of Eutaw Springs.

Sumter also had political aspirations.

He was elected to the South Carolina Legislature in November 1781.

Seeing how victory seemed close enough, he resigned his commission to focus on his budding political career.

South Carolina's Low-country was the stomping grounds of Francis Marion.

Although he was short, with malformed legs and not considered very handsome, he earned his place in South Carolina history.

Francis was born in 1732 at Goatfield Plantation in Berkeley, South Carolina.

He was the youngest of six children born to Gabriel and Esther Marion.

Francis came from a French Huguenot background whose family came to North America to escape religious persecution.

Even as a young man.

Francis loved to explore the swamps around his home.

Whenever he wasn't studying, he would be roaming around in the swamps.

After his father's death, Francis moved to Belle Isle Plantation to be with his eldest brother, Gabriel Jr.

As a teenager, Francis dreamed of going to sea, but an incident on board a coastal schooner bound for the West Indies immediately quashed his dreams of a career at sea.

Wales rammed and sank the ship, leaving Francis and the other survivors adrift at sea for six days.

He made it back home okay, but vowed to never again go back out to sea after that experience!

In 1761, he joined the South Carolina Militia and took part in the French and Indian War.

Marion and his men learned valuable lessons during their fights against the Cherokee.

Unlike European soldiers who fought with rules and codes of honor, the Cherokee did not fight with such customs.

Moving quietly, quickly, and striking without warning, Despite the French and Indian War being an English victory, it caused major problems for both England and her colonies.

Francis feared that a war against Great Britain would one day break out.

As tensions between England and the colonies increased.

Many colonists pick sides: Loyalist or Patriot?

The wealthy planter aristocracy, of which Francis was a part, overwhelmingly voted in favor of war.

Many living in South Carolina's Upcountry became Loyalists or Tories, since they were poorer and resented the fact that the rich Lowcountry elites were running the colonial government.

At the beginning of the Revolution, other than taking part in the Battle of Sullivan's Island with the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, not much occurred in the Palmetto State before 1780.

Engagements were sporadic.

Regardless, Marion did not let himself or his men let their guards down.

Instilling discipline and vigilance within his men, since they would have to fight again sooner or later.

May 1780: the British captured Charleston.

Marion and some of his men hid in nearby swamps to evade capture by the British.

Later that year, Marion and his men rendezvous with General Horatio Gates in North Carolina, but Gates had little use for Marion's ragtag group of militia.

As badly as Marion and his men wanted to march with Gates, they were lucky they didn't.

While off on another assignment, Gates was defeated by Cornwallis at the Battle of Camden.

Marion went back home to recruit more men.

Sometimes Marion would command over 200 volunteers.

Other times he would operate with 20 to 30 men.

This outfit was known as "Marion's Brigade".

Francis Marion was appointed Brigadier General in the South Carolina Militia in December, 1780.

Marion was a tactical genius with guerrilla tactics coming out from the swamps to attack passing British troops, then run and hide again.

Other times they would sneak into British encampments and steal supplies while they slept.

Men of various demographics fought alongside Marion, not just White colonists, but Blacks and Native Americans, namely Catawba.

Whenever British troops tried to follow Marion and his men without knowing where they were going, they would get lost and horses got stuck in swamp waters.

Marion was one of Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton's most frustrating foes.

General Cornwallis gave Tarleton orders to "go get him!".

In one of their most famous encounters, Marion led Tarleton on a 26-mile chase, which lasted around 7 hours!

Exhausted, Tarleton exclaimed to his men: "Come on, boys, we'll never catch that damned old fox!

Even the devil himself could not catch him!"

From then on, Francis Marion became known as "The Swamp Fox".

Like Pickens and Sumter, Marion and his men took part in a lot of battles during the Southern Campaign, and too many undocumented skirmishes to count.

"More battles, engagements and skirmishes were fought in South Carolina during the Revolution than in any other colony.

Nearly 20% of all Americans who died in battle in the Revolution died in South Carolina in the last two years of the war."

Some of Marion's most notable battles were Nelson's Ferry, the Battle of Blue Savannah, Fort Watson, and the Battle of Fort Motte.

In October 1780, General Horatio Gates was replaced by General Nathanael Greene.

The new Patriot strategy in the south shifted to keep Cornwallis stuck in the south chasing gamecocks and swamp foxes to give Greene enough time to muster his new army of Continental regulars.

Marion and "Light-Horse Harry" Lee were instrumental in aiding General Greene's efforts in the war.

By this point in the war, folks on both sides became weary of the war, wondering if it would ever end.

Marion and his men face their largest battle of the war in September 1781 at the Battle of Eutaw Springs.

Marion, Andrew Pickens, "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, and General Greene engaged the last remaining large British force in America.

Eutaw Springs was one of the hardest and bloodiest battles in the Revolution.

Both sides claimed victory, but it was more of a stalemate.

Still, the Patriots achieved their goal of keeping Cornwallis stuck in the south.

General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown just over a month later, and fighting continues in South Carolina until December 1782, when the British finally depart Charles Towne for good.

With victory achieved at last, the Swamp Fox could return home.

The Revolutionary War lasted over 6 long years.

Of the 137 battles fought in South Carolina, 103 were fought by South Carolinians alone.

The victory in the Revolution was in no small part due to the contributions of Marion, Sumter and Pickens.

What happened to all three after the war?

they began new lives for themselves.

All three rebuilt their homes, became wealthy landowners, and served various roles and political leadership.

To this day, the names Marion, Sumter, and Pickens can be found all over South Carolina.

Andrew Pickens lived up to the "Wizard Owl" name the rest of his life.

For his negotiation skills and fairness, Congress chose Pickens to act as a mediator to settle disputes between Native Americans and White settlers.

The Chief Indian Agent for the Southern Indians, Benjamin Hawkins wrote: "In my opinion, General Pickens stands higher in the estimation of the Indians than any man living.

They have just cause to fear him as a warrior when he is their enemy, and to love him as a friend and honest man."

Andrew married Rebecca "Becky" Calhoun just after the Cherokee Wars, and they had 12 children.

In 1794, Pickens was elected to represent South Carolina in Congress, becoming the first person from the Ninety-Six district to be elected to the U.S.

Congress.

Andrew Pickens passed away on August 11th, 1817, and was buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery in Clemson, South Carolina.

Whether he was referred to as "Wizard Owl" or "The Fighting Elder", he was always spoken of with respect.

After the war, Thomas Sumter was elected to U.S.

Congress, first serving in the House of Representatives, and then represented South Carolina in the Senate from 1801 to 1810.

During his time in Congress, Sumter was a dedicated Jeffersonian who remained loyal to his backcountry Republican values.

In 1767, Sumter married Mary Cantey Jameson, a wealthy widow 11 years older than he was, and they had two children.

Sumter was the last surviving American General of the Revolution, passing away in 1832 at the age of 97 years old.

Fort Sumter in Charleston bears his namesake, and the University of South Carolina adopted the Fighting Gamecock as its official mascot in his honor.

As for the "Swamp Fox", Francis Marion, he was finally able to marry his sweetheart, Mary Esther Videau, in April 1786.

He was 54-years old when they tied the knot.

Although they did not have any children of their own, they adopted a grand nephew, Francis Marion Dwight.

Marion served South Carolina after the war as a Senator.

For his contributions to the Revolution, Congress awarded Marion a gold medal "as a mark of public approbation for his great glorious and meritorious conduct."

Marion was loved and honored by the men who served under him.

Marion died in his Belle Isle Plantation home on February 27th, 1795, at the age of 63, Inscribed on his tombstone: "Francis Marion... who lived without fear and died without reproach."