Marion's Partisons

When British General Sir Henry Clinton captured the city of Charlestown, SC in 1780 as well as the patriot army of the Southern Department the war against Britain seemed for the most part to be at an end in the South. Organized patriot resistance was few and far between with experienced military leadership nearly nonexistent due to the capture of the patriot army along with its officer corps. However luck had shined on the patriot cause when Lt. Col. Francis Marion of the Second South Carolina had broken or badly dislocated an ankle and was outside of Charlestown recuperating when the city fell.

South Carolina Governor John Rutledge was directing the state government from exile in North Carolina. Knowing the need to keep the fight against Britain going Rutledge sent word to Marion promoting him to general and issued him orders to organize resistance in the Santee-Pee Dee districts of South Carolina.

Marion had been a junior officer with the South Carolina Militia in two wars against the Cherokee nation in 1759 and 1761. Later he served with great distinction as a captain and later major in the Second South Carolina Regiment. As such he had taken part in the successful defense of Fort Sullivan against a British fleet which had tried to take the city of Charlestown in 1776. Later Marion as second in command of the regiment took part in the savage attack on the British defensive position of Spring Hill redoubt which was part of the British lines defending the city of Savannah, Georgia in 1779.

Marion who was raised in the low country of South Carolina would put him knowledge of the terrain as well as the tactics learned form his Indian war experience to good use in his fight against the British. Marion's brigade ranged in size from 30 to 1,000 men, and had its head quarters on Snow's Island deep within the swamps surrounded by the Pee Dee, and Lynches rivers. His men had no regular supply lines for almost one year and made do by living off the land as well as the local patriot population. Corn Meal, sweet potatoes as fish and wild game was their normal food rations. As for weapons they made do wit what they had at home, or could capture from the British.

Marion and his men were know to ride 50 miles in one night and attack a British or loyalist post at first light and then fade back into the wilderness. If followed they would ambush their pursuers or fade into the woods and swamps unseen. The men of Marion's Brigade had no uniform to speak of, but we have a very good first hand description of Marion and his men by Col. Otho Williams. Marion and his men had heard of Gen. Gates who was marching a new southern army into South Carolina and had ridden out to offer his services to the general. Otho Williams wrote this of the encounter "Colonel Marion, a gentleman of South Carolina, had with the army a few days, attended by a very few followers, distinguished by small black leather caps and the wretchedness of their attire; their number did not exceed twenty men and boys, some white, some black and all well mounted, but most of them miserably equipped; their appearance was in fact so burlesque that it was with much difficulty the diversion of the regular soldiery was restrained by the officers; the general himself was glad of an opportunity of detaching Col. Marion, at his own instance, towards the interior of South Carolina." With that lucky order Marion left Gates army and was not preset at the patriot defeat at Camden, and would with his men keep the war alive in the South. For further information about Marion and his men please look at our link section.

When not portraying the men of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment we can be found in the guise of Marion's men, feel free to stop by our camp and join us.

.