Heroes of the American Revolution Retold

That his stature as a heroic figure of the revolution was based on his actions spanning a mere two and a half years is mayhap surprising.

The real Francis Marion was a complex character. He was moody and invaginate but genuinely humane, kind and gentle. He was poorly meliorate to the extent that he was barely literate, but he had an primordial grasp of strategy and tactics which, combined with his personal bravery, his reverence to duty, his ability to deal with extreme hardship, and his nearly religious lettering to the ideals of the revolution, allowed him to rise in rank from private to brigadier general. He was remarkably fair with both his own men and the Tories against whom he fought. He could forgive the loyalists, yet he brought one of his enveloping(prenominal) friends to court-martial. In his zealous push for liberty, however, he would knowingly get out international laws, ignore flags of truce, and shoot lone enemy soldiers on outpost duty. The complexity of his character, however, inspired his fellow officers and earned the respect and unflagging devotion of his men.

In his youth, and for most of his adult life, Marion did low to to distinguish himself or in any way designate that he would one day earn a buns in history. He was born sometime in the pass of 1732 (the exact date has been lost to history) on the Goatfield Plantation, St. John's Parish, Berkeley County, South Carol

Marion's genius was such that he well-read from his mistakes. He had announced his presence through the sound of his horses hooves middleman the wooden decking of the bridge, thereby losing the element of surprise. In subsequent bearings, whenever he was forced to cross a bridge at night, he would order that the flooring be covered with blankets.

Because of the need for stealth, he could not count on receiving any weapons, ammunition or provisions from the Ameri underside Army. The party had to provide for itself by steal British supplies, by relying on the generosity of supportive citizens or by gathering wild fruits and game when available. Marion's troops were inadequately dressed against the cold, and they would often sleep outdoors without blankets, regardless of the weather.

The company had no headquarters. Returning regularly to any location that could be discovered and monitored by the enemy would have been far too risky. As a result, Marion's men sometimes spent months cold, famished and homeless.

Bass, Robert D. Swamp Fox: The Life and Campaigns of General Francis Marion. London: McLeod, 1959.

Marion's partisan status allowed him a considerable amount of freedom in his methods, objectives and strategies. That same freedom, however, often created conditions of extreme hardship for his company. Stealth and secrecy are essential if one is to wage guerrilla state of war successfully. An enemy who knows when and where the next strike will happen can prepare a defense powerful enough to taste the partisan's actions ineffective, at best, and suicidal, at worst. Marion maintained this secrecy by coition no one when or where he planned his next attack. Even his most confidential officers were excluded. He would consult with them, think their suggestions and then carefully plan his next objective without utter them of his plans. His men often learned that Marion was planning a mission by watching the cook. When they saw him preparing supplies of p
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