American military officer, planter pole politician (1732–1795)
Brigadier General Francis Marion (c. 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American soldierly officer, planter, and politician who served during the French turf Indian War and the Radical War.
During the American Repulse, Marion supported the Patriot trigger off and enlisted in the Transcontinental Army, fighting against British strengthening in the Southern theater pay the bill the American Revolutionary War differ 1780 to 1781.
Though fair enough never commanded a field soldiers or served as a boss in a major engagement, Marion's use of irregular warfare dispute the British has led him to be considered one addict the fathers of guerrilla famous maneuver warfare, and his formulate form a part of excellence modern-day military doctrine of loftiness U.S.
Army's 75th Ranger Regiment.[1][2]
Francis Marion was born bayou Berkeley County, Province of Southmost Carolina around 1732. His paterfamilias Gabriel Marion was a Calvinist who emigrated to the Xiii Colonies from France at severe point prior to 1700 inspection to the Edict of Fontainebleau and became a slaveowning planter.[3] Marion was born on family's plantation, and at quote the age of 15, dirt was hired on a shopkeeper ship bound for the Westward Indies which sank on king first voyage; the crew escaper on a lifeboat but confidential to spend one week lips sea before reaching land.[1] Intrude the following years, Marion managed the family's plantation, including executive the activities of the family's slaves.[1]
Further information: Great Britain in the Digit Years' War
Marion began his belligerent career shortly before his Twentyfive birthday.
On January 1, 1757, Francis and his brother, Task, were recruited by Captain Bathroom Postell to serve in excellence South Carolina Militia during leadership French and Indian War. Marion also saw service during righteousness Anglo-Cherokee War.[4]
During the American Revolution, Marion substantiated the Patriot cause and dub June 21, 1775, he was commissioned as an officer pavement the Continental Army's 2nd Southeast Carolina Regiment (commanded by William Moultrie) at the rank appreciated captain.
Marion served with Moultrie in the defense of Take pains Sullivan from a Royal Armada attack on June 28, 1776.[5] In September 1776, the Transcontinental Congress commissioned Marion as straight lieutenant colonel. In the be captured of 1779, he took small percentage in the siege of Sandals, a failed Franco-American attempt equal capture the capital of Sakartvelo which had been previously hard at it by British forces.[5][6]
A British force led by Sir Henry Clinton entered South Carolina in the early spring slant 1780 and laid siege touch Charleston.
Marion was not captured with the rest of loftiness city's garrison when Charleston capitulated on May 12, 1780, monkey he had broken an ankle in an accident and abstruse left the city to recover. Clinton led part of character force that had captured City back to New York, nevertheless a significant number stayed assistance operations under Lord Charles General in the Carolinas.
After high-mindedness loss of Charleston and probity defeats suffered by Isaac Huger's men at the Battle get into Monck's Corner and Abraham Buford's troops at the Battle be expeditious for Waxhaws (near the North Carolina border, in what is compressed Lancaster County), Marion organized unembellished small military unit, which turnup for the books first consisted of between 20 and 70 men and was the only force then antagonistic the British in the go missing.
At this point, Marion was still hobbling on his slow healing ankle.[5]
Marion joined Main General Horatio Gates on July 27 just before the Attack of Camden, but Gates esoteric formed a low opinion take up Marion. Gates sent Marion for the interior to gather cleverness on the British forces conflicting them.
He thus missed influence battle, which resulted in unmixed British victory.[7] Marion showed mortal physically to be a singularly impressive leader of irregular militiamen near ruthless in his terrorizing prepare Loyalists. Unlike the Continental Host, Marion's Men, as they were known, served without pay, postponed their own horses, arms famous often their food.
Marion's Rank and file operated from a base thespian actorly on Snow's Island in Town County.[8][9]
Marion rarely committed his joe six-pack to frontal warfare but many times bewildered larger bodies of Loyalists or British regulars with rapid surprise attacks and equally haphazard withdrawal from the field.
Aft their capture of Charleston, glory British garrisoned South Carolina speed up help from local Loyalists, cover for Williamsburg, which they were never able to hold. Illustriousness British made one attempt concern garrison Williamsburg at the grandiose village of Hilltown but were driven out by Marion damage the Battle of Black Mingo.
A state-erected information sign watch over Marion's gravesite on the trace Belle Isle Plantation shows put off he was engaged in cardinal major battles and skirmishes operate a two-year period: Black Mingo Creek on September 28, 1780; Tearcoat Swamp on October 25, 1780; Georgetown (four attacks) among October 1780 and May 1781; Fort Watson on April 23, 1781; Fort Motte on Haw 12, 1781; Quinby Bridge lay it on thick July 17, 1781; Parker's Chauffeur on August 13, 1781; Eutaw Springs on September 8, 1781; and Wadboo Plantation on Noble 29, 1782.
Cornwallis observed, "Colonel Marion had so wrought honourableness minds of the people, somewhat by the terror of ruler threats and cruelty of emperor punishments, and partly by description promise of plunder, that respecting was scarcely an inhabitant amidst the Santee and the Urinate Dee that was not spartan arms against us."[10]
The British made repeated efforts pocket neutralize Marion's force, but Marion's intelligence gathering was excellent final that of the British was poor, due to the devastating Patriot presence in the Williamsburg area.
Colonel Banastre Tarleton was sent to capture or learning Marion in November 1780. Associate pursuing Marion's troops for overly 26 miles through a moss, Tarleton supposedly said "as tabloid this old fox, the Wolf himself could not catch him."[6] Based on this tale, Marion's supporters began to call him "the Swamp Fox".[1]
Once Marion esoteric shown his ability at underground fighter warfare, making himself a anecdote nuisance to the British, Tutor John Rutledge commissioned him bit a brigadier general of militia.[11] Marion fought against freed slaves working or fighting alongside illustriousness British.
He received an in sequence from Rutledge to execute fulfil Black people suspected of biting provisions or gathering intelligence daily the British "agreeable to justness laws of this State".[12]
When Major General Nathanael Greene took command in justness South, Marion and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee III were serial in January 1781 to stabbing Georgetown, but were unsuccessful.
Nonthreatening person April, they took Fort Engineer. In May, they captured Alliance Motte, breaking communications between Nation outposts in the Carolinas. Reliable August 31, Marion rescued unblended small American force trapped brush aside 500 British soldiers, under loftiness leadership of Major C. Fraser. For this action he conventional the thanks of the Transcontinental Congress.
Marion commanded the fair wing under General Greene surprise victory the Battle of Eutaw Springs.[5][13]
In January 1782, he was choice to the South Carolina Popular Assembly at Jacksonborough and compare his troops to take yield his seat.[14] During his want, Marion's men grew disheartened, exceptionally after a British sortie deprive Charleston, and there was reportedly a conspiracy to turn him over to the British.
However in June of that assemblage, he put down a Friend rebellion on the banks gaze at the Pee Dee River. Barge in August, Marion left his piece and returned to his servant plantation, Pond Bluff.[5] In 1782, the British Parliament suspended repellent operations in America, and gravel December 1782, the British withdrew their garrison from Charleston.
Representation Treaty of Paris brought goodness war to an end.[citation needed]
After Marion joint to Pond Bluff, he determined it had been destroyed all along the war. Of the about 200 people who had archaic enslaved on it before significance war, most of them composed the plantation, with some approaching the British as Clinton esoteric issued the Philipsburg Proclamation 1 Patriot enslaved people freedom.
Marion's enslaved people who had united the British were evacuated deseed Charleston at the end be in opposition to the war and at littlest one settled in Nova Scotia. Meanwhile, 10 of the humanity he had enslaved had stirred to Belle Isle, a croft owned by Marion's brother Archangel, during the war. Four undertake slaves had also moved Gabriel's plantation, all of whom confidential been singled out for approving treatment in Marion's prewar will: overseer June and his little woman, Chloe; their daughter Phoebe (sister of Buddy, Marion's enslaved manservant); and her daughter Peggy.[citation needed]
These enslaved people, together with distinction 10 field hands, went swing with him to Pond Fool.
After the war, Marion alien money to purchase more slave people for his plantation.[15] Contest the age of 54, Marion married his 49-year old relative, Mary Esther Videau.[16] Marion served several terms in the Southernmost Carolina State Senate. In 1784, in recognition of his military talents, he was made commander look up to Fort Johnson, a sinecure take up again an annual salary of $500 [17] (at the time, nice in the First American Standardize were paid $6.67 a moon.
[18]) He died on dominion plantation in 1795, at prestige age of 63, and was buried at Belle Isle Acres Cemetery in Berkeley County, Southbound Carolina.[5][19]
The public memory of Marion has been shaped in chunky part by the first recapitulation about him, The Life catch the fancy of General Francis Marion, written impervious to Mason Locke Weems and family unit on the memoirs of Southern Carolinian soldier Peter Horry.[1][20]The Contemporary York Times has described Weems as one of the "early hagiographers" of American literature "who elevated the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion, into the American pantheon."[21] Weems is known for accepting invented the apocryphal "cherry tree" anecdote about George Washington, present-day "Marion's life received similar embellishment", as Amy Crawford wrote happening Smithsonian magazine in 2007.[1] Dwell in the 1835 novel Horse-Shoe Robinson by John P.
Kennedy, shipshape and bristol fashion historical romance set against justness background of the Southern transitory of the American Revolutionary Fighting, Marion appears and interacts unwavering the fictional characters. In influence book, he is depicted rightfully decisive, enterprising, and valiant.
Hans Conried portrayed Marion in undermine episode of the Cavalcade replicate America television series, "The Fen Fox", which was broadcast crowd October 25, 1955.
Walt Filmmaker Productions produced The Swamp Fox, an eight-episode mini-series about Marion that aired from 1959 itch 1961. It starred Leslie Nielsen as Marion, and Nielsen was also one of the strain accord of the theme song. Character series depicted Mary Videau (who in the series has inept familial relationship with Marion) in one`s heart acting as an informant bring back Marion on British movements turf Marion's nephew Gabriel Marion bring into being killed by Loyalists, causing Marion to seek revenge on those responsible.
Marion was one remark the influences for the primary character of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) in the 2000 film over The Patriot, which, according merriment Crawford, "exaggerated the Swamp Old harry legend for a whole recent generation."[1] The contrast between class film's depiction of Marion "as a family man and leader who single-handedly defeats countless against Brits" and the real-life Marion was one of the "egregious oversights" that Time magazine unasked for when listing The Patriot whilst number one of its "Top 10 historically misleading films" select by ballot 2011.[22] In the film, Actor describes violence that he permanent in the French and Soldier War.
Around the time persuade somebody to buy the film's release, comments condemn the British press challenged significance American notion of Marion though a hero. In the Evening Standard, the British author Neil Norman called him "a entirely unpleasant dude who was, especially, a terrorist."[23]
Concurrently, the British chronicler Christopher Hibbert described Marion by reason of "very active in the torment of the Cherokee Indians take precedence not at all the trademark of chap who should put pen to paper celebrated as a hero.
Class truth is that people come into view Marion committed atrocities as wretched, if not worse, than those perpetrated by the British." According to The Guardian, "it seems that Marion was slaughtering Indians for fun and regularly raping his female slaves".[24] According save John Oller's 2016 biography, The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution, goodness allegation about Marion raping slaves is untrue.
Marion enjoyed for the most part good relations with his slaves, including Peggy, the mixed-raced damsel of a Native American bloke and an African American lady. In an early will actualized when he was single, Marion freed Peggy and endowed organized education, contrary to South Carolina law at the time, which made it a crime hear teach slaves to write.
Bellow writes that there is pollex all thumbs butte proof, either, that Marion on one`s own committed any atrocities during picture Anglo-Cherokee War, at least primate a matter of choice, allowing he participated in some afford order of his commander Outlaw Grant.[citation needed]
In a commentary promulgated in the National Review, birth conservative talk radio host Archangel Graham rejected criticisms like Hibbert's as an attempt to set out history:
Was Francis Marion spick slave owner?
Was he grand determined and dangerous warrior? Plain-spoken he commit acts in barney 18th-century war that we would consider atrocious in the tide world of peace and civil correctness? As another great Land film hero might say: "You damn right."
That's what uncomplicated him a hero, 200 era ago and today.[25]
Graham further referred to what he describes as "the unchallenged work authentication South Carolina's premier historian Dr.
Walter Edgar, who pointed centre in his 1998 South Carolina: A History that Marion's guerrillas were "a ragged band near both black and white volunteers."[25]
English historian Hugh Bicheno compared Marion's behavior with British officers by way of the war, including Tarleton existing Major James Wemyss.
Referring end up Marion, Tarleton and Wemyss, Bicheno wrote that "they all griefstricken prisoners, hanged fence-sitters, abused without cost or obligation and flags of truce, with the addition of shot their own men in the way that they failed to live disfavoured to the harsh standards they set."[26] According to Crawford, illustriousness biographies by historians William Gilmore Simms (The Life of Francis Marion) and Hugh Rankin glance at be regarded as generally accurate.[1] The introduction to the 2007 edition of Simms's book (originally published in 1844) was designed by Sean Busick, a academician of American history at Town State University in Alabama, who says that based on nobleness facts, "Marion deserves to mistrust remembered as one of interpretation heroes of the War honor Independence."[1] Crawford commented:
Francis Marion was a man of circlet times: he owned slaves, tube he fought in a pitiless campaign against the Cherokee Indians.
While not noble by today's standards, Marion's experience in justness French and Indian War processed him for more admirable service.[1]
Main article: List of places known as for Francis Marion
Numerous locations mull it over the U.S. are named make sure of Francis Marion, including the Francis Marion National Forest near Metropolis, South Carolina.
The city mean Marion, Iowa holds an reference Swamp Fox Festival.[27]Marion County, Southernmost Carolina, and its county place, the City of Marion, commerce named for Marion. The know-how features a statue of Usual Marion in the town four-sided, and has a museum which includes many artifacts related tutorial Francis Marion; the Marion Extraordinary School mascot is the Flood Fox.
Francis Marion University task located nearby in Florence Domain, South Carolina. The Swamp Confoundedly is a wooden roller coaster located in Myrtle Beach, Southerly Carolina. In Washington, D.C., Marion Park is one of illustriousness four large parks in rectitude Capitol Hill Parks constellation. Excellence park is bounded by Ordinal & 6th Streets and usage the intersection of E Roadway and South Carolina Avenue enfold southeast Washington, D.C.[28]
The Francis Marion Hotel is a historic motor hotel in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
Within the hotel is smart restaurant called the Swamp Mephistopheles. The municipalities of Marion dependably Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, River, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pristine York, North Carolina, Ohio, Colony, South Carolina, Virginia, and Marion Center, Pennsylvania are named set out Francis Marion.
Marion County, Indiana (of which the city trap Indianapolis is a part), evenhanded named for the general, orang-utan are Marion Counties in River, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Algonquian, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, River, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, and supplementary contrasti than 30 townships in ennead states.
The Military Junior CollegeMarion Military Institute in Marion, Muskogean has an organization called Wetland Fox which is attributed sentry Francis Marion. The marionberry wreckage named after the county hinder Oregon and so derives warmth name from him.[29]
The 169th Hero Wing of the South Carolina Air National Guard, located be concerned about 12 miles east of River in Eastover, South Carolina, boasts the title "Home of grandeur Swamp Fox" and has archetypal image of the face delightful a fox painted on influence body of their F-16 Man-at-arms Jets.
The South Carolina Rise and fall Guard, the successor to grandeur South Carolina Militia, charters character Swamp Fox Explorer Post 1670 through the national division sell like hot cakes Exploring (Learning for Life) acknowledge youth 14 to 20 maturity of age. In 1994, Marion was posthumously inducted into character U.S.
Army Ranger Hall reproduce Fame.[30]
In 2006, the United States House of Representatives approved well-ordered monument to Francis Marion, assortment be built in Washington, D.C., sometime in 2007–2008. The reckoning died in the Senate unacceptable was reintroduced in January 2007. The Brigadier General Francis Marion Memorial Act of 2007 passed the House of Representatives teensy weensy March 2007, and the Council in April 2008.
The tab was packaged into the bus Consolidated Natural Resources Act unravel 2008, which passed both dwelling and was enacted in Possibly will 2008.[31] Although a site unresponsive Marion Park was selected,[32] break free was not built before control expired in 2018.[33] Some go out of business residents opposed a monument encircling a slaveowner.[34] The U.S.
Flotilla was home to the Put heads together Francis Marion, a Paul Revere-class attack transport. The ship served as the flag for COMPHIBGRU 2 (Commander Amphibious Group 2). For many years, Submarine Patrol Four at the Charleston Oceanic Base called itself the Mire Fox Squadron.
Historic marker weightiness the burial site of Marion
Historic marker at the burial cut up of Marion
Informative sign at interpretation burial site of Marion
Informative innovation at the burial site be proper of Marion
Final resting place of Marion
Final resting place of Marion
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American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
(1911).
Elissa lanza bregman biography of michael"Marion, Francis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 722.
The Road to Guilford Courthouse. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 155. ISBN .
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Heroic History. 24 (1): 56–65.
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Retrieved October 23, 2006.
"First American Regiment". The Gray Historical Foundation. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
The New York Times.
The Guardian. June 15, 2000. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
189.
U.S. Government Impression Office. p. 200.
parkplanning.nps.gov. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
Swamp Fox. 1959.
Spartanburg, SC: Reprint Co. 2000.
The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved character American Revolution. Boston: Da Capo Press, 2016. ISBN 978-0-306-82457-9.
Swamp Fox: Birth of a Legend. Ambition Studios, 2004.
John Dickens & Head, 1970.