Tag: Wemyss

15NOV1780: Georgetown Targeted by Marion’s Militia

 

As a follow-up to my last blog post where Marion’s militia out foxes the undefeated British Legion commander Tarleton, it is apparent that the burning of homes of patriots in the region was Tarleton’s attempt at rattling Marion and his men psychologically and again tempt them to come out in the open to fight. It is essential for the guerrilla commander not to act emotionally but to act strategically and tactfully if they are to keep their forces intact against a larger force, in this case, an empire’s force in North America in the colony of South Carolina.

The lull in Marion’s activities of only a few days gave Tarleton the prideful thought that he had put Marion in his place and therefore used this time to issue a proclamation on 11NOV1780:

“It is not the wish of Britons to be cruel or to destroy, but it is now obvious to all Carolina that treachery, perfidy, and perjury will be punished with instant fire and sword,” his proclamation read. “The country seems now convinced of the error of insurrection,” he boasted to Cornwallis … offering pardons to any rebels who returned to their homes to live peaceably and promised to alert the Tory militia leaders to any future insurrections…

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution

Gen. Lord Cornwallis seemed to believe the reports and assumed that Tarleton’s pushing the fox to the swamp would convince the locals, especially those that leaned more patriotic, that “there was a power superior to Marion”. Flush with this euphoric feeling that Marion was marginalized, the British Camden HQ changed their commander on 13NOV1780 as Francis, Lord Rawdon relieved Lt. Col. George Turnbull who had contracted malaria. The next day, 14NOV1780, Lt. Col. Tarleton leaves Camden and heads towards Winnsboro in pursuit of another militia leader, Thomas Sumter.

So with the Sumter distraction towards North Carolina, this allowed Marion to move on Georgetown, the opposite direction from Camden and Tarleton. Marion had received Intel that only 50 wounded soldiers were guarding this port city, key in one of the supply lines to inland British forces and was in need of ammunition, clothing, and salt. Marion was surprised, due to dated Intel, to find that a force of 200 Loyalists under Capt. Jesse Barefield had entered Georgetown to reinforce it. Marion then splits his forces into two separate reconnaissance parties and engage in two skirmishes, one at Allston’s plantation and the other at White’s plantation.

At the White’s plantation, Marion’s militia found civilian cattle being slaughtered. The militia engages this force suffering some losses but also killing the commander of up to 200 men, a Capt. James Lewis.

At Allston’s plantation, two companies of militia (one from SC the other from GA) come upon Capt. Jesse Barefield and his Loyalists forces. Both sides fire at the same time and the Loyalists capture Lt. Gabriel Marion and begin clubbing him with their muskets until he is knocked senseless. A mulatto named Sweat recognizes who he is and he fires a load of buckshot into his heart, killing him instantly.

Lt. Gabriel Marion was Francis’ favorite nephew from his brother Gabriel’s family:

Marion’s horsemen killed a Tory captain and wounded the redoubtable Jesse Barefield on the head and body before he got away. The patriots also took twelve Tory prisoners. But Marion’s men suffered a grievous loss of their own. In the scuffle with Barefield, Marion’s nephew Gabriel Marion, a lieutenant in the brigade, was captured and then shot through the chest at point blank when the Tories learned his identity. Recently turned twenty-one at the time of his death, Gabriel was Marion’s favorite nephew—the son of Marion’s closest and late brother, Gabriel, who had done so much to help Marion financially over the years. … Marion, childless himself, mourned young Gabriel’s death as a father would a son. But his official report of the skirmish was typically laconic: “Our loss was Lt. Gabriel Marion and one private killed and three wounded.” When, the day after the skirmish, one of Marion’s soldiers put a bullet through the head of a captured mulatto man suspected—without evidence—of having killed his nephew, a furious Marion severely reprimanded the captain of the prisoner guard for failing to prevent it.

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution

It was in this epic seesaw of an internal civil war in the South Carolina colony that rapid buildup of British forces seem to happen overnight. The same day the skirmishes occurred north of Georgetown,  15Nov1780, that British Lt. Col. Nisbet Balfour sends out 275 men, with two three-pounders from Georgetown towards Kingstree. This force was made up of Provincials, Loyalist Militia and Hessian mercenaries.

Upon returning to camp at Black Mingo on 17NOV1780, Marion writes to his friend Brig. Gen. Henry William Harrington (NC) and relates his
two recent engagements and that his men have less than six rounds of ammunition each. By 21NOV1780, Marion camps along the Pee Dee River near Britton’s Ferry and writes a letter to Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates telling him about the large enemy force now encamped at Kingstree and openly wonders when the Continental Army was planning to return to South Carolina:

“Many of my people has left me and gone over to the enemy, for they think that we have no army coming on, and have been deceived,” he informed Gates. “As we hear nothing from you a great while, I hope to have a line from you in what manner to act, and some assurance to the people of support.” The next day he wrote Gates to reiterate the point. “I seldom have the same [militia] set a fortnight,” he lamented, “and until the Grand Army is on the banks of Santee, it will be the same.”

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution

Marion understands that the dynamic nature of his volunteer forces tests his leadership ability and his patience. He appeals to those who could bend the ears of the Continental army leadership that with things still in play in South Carolina, that it might be a good time to take the fight south again, undoubtedly with different leadership then they had back in August in their embarrassing loss to the British at Camden, SC.

Harvest time is drawing to a close, but Francis Marion still has several objectives in mind to keep the pressure on the British so that they have to stay in the Southern Theatre of the Revolutionary war and preserve Gen. George Washington’s stalemate in the north.

Stay tuned ..

-SF1

20SEP1780: How Long Does the Fox Stay in the Swamp?

In my last post about the adventures of Francis Marion and a small remnant (about 60 men) of his men who in two weeks had cause a large part of the British forces, both Tory militia and British regulars numbering about 1500, to try to hunt him down, Marion’s men had reached the safety of Great White Swamp just 30 miles over the border in North Carolina.

I also shared that British office Wemyss was terrorizing the areas of South Carolina that supported Marion and in a letter to Cornwallis, Wemyss shared his frustrations:

In a letter to Cornwallis on September 20 the thirty-two-year-old Wemyss wrote that he had done everything in his power to nab Marion and Colonel Hugh Giles but lamented that “I never could come up with them.” Nonetheless he boasted that he had broken up their band and forced their retreat into North Carolina. The rest of his report was, in Cornwallis’s view, “not so agreeable.” Wemyss had discovered that every inhabitant in that part of the country was deeply caught up in the rebel spirit, whereas the Tories were dispirited and apathetic. “It is impossible for me to give your Lordship an idea of the disaffection of this country,”

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution (Kindle Locations 1106-1111). Da Capo Press. Kindle Edition.

Part of Wemyss’ frustration was also on how Capt. James and a few of the Kingstree militia, maybe no more than 20 in number, that had stayed behind in South Carolina to harass the British as they targeted the innocent people and homes. On 15SEP1780 at McGill’s Plantation, Capt. John James, Jr. fires on Maj. James Wemyss and his 63rd Regiment of Foot (200 British Regulars) as well as another 100 men from South Carolina and North Carolina Loyalist militia units.

It would take more than a week for this news to finally reach Marion and it turned into a great excuse to leave their swamp existence as outlined again in John Oller’s book:

… Back at Great White Marsh, camp life had turned grim for Marion’s men. Food was scarce, mosquitoes prevalent, the mood downcast. Among those present was young William Dobein James, whose father and brother were still in Williamsburg Township assessing the situation there…

While there is safety in the swamps, the long hot summer and all the mosquitoes made for almost a more dangerous environment.

… Among those felled by the fever were young William James and Peter Horry. The others were starting to complain and become restless …

These men suspected that in their absence there was nothing good to come from the British having free rein of South Carolina, especially the areas known to support the rebels:

It was Major James who brought word that Wemyss had torched the major’s house as well as the Indiantown Presbyterian Church, where James was an elder and many of Marion’s men regularly worshiped. Other churches were either burned or turned into British army depots, and those that were not were closed by their congregations, as the people felt it was unsafe to gather in public. The men of Williamsburg, aroused as never before, were anxious to take the field again.

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution. Da Capo Press. Kindle Edition.

So from a two week whirlwind of victories against the British and Tory forces, to a two week respite in the swamps of North Carolina, how did this leader impress the men in their first month together?

Gravity—seriousness of purpose—was what gave Marion the intangible, almost mystical power he held over his men. Although he lacked physical presence or a magnetic personality, they regarded him with awe. Part of their reverence was due to his success, which naturally bred respect. But it was his steady, equable character that most caused them to follow where he led. … “He yielded to few excitements, was seldom elevated by successes to imprudence—as seldom depressed by disappointments to despondency.”

Oller, John. The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution (Kindle Locations 1145-1151). Da Capo Press. Kindle Edition.

Seldom depressed by the vary real circumstances that were totally out of his control, and yet he was able to stay the course. That quiet, resolute character strength was just what the militia needed as they lamented their family and friends lot back home.

It is this steadfastness of character that caused many after the war to pay high respects to this man who humbly led men, whether 20 or 200, in a variety of engagements towards stalling the British in South Carolina and keeping focused on the cause, freedom from tyranny!

Before the end of the war, Marion himself would be very aware that this “tyranny” would not evaporate once the conflict was over. George Mason from Virginia would say in 1782:

“posterity will reflect with indignation that this fatal lust of sovereignty, which lost Great Britain her western world, which covered our country with desolation and blood, should even during the contest against it, be revived among ourselves, and fostered by the very men who were appointed to oppose it!”

Sick, isn’t it? To go through a revolution and end up with practically the same thing? So basically, freedom and liberty in this world is an everyday battle for every generation to embark on. One of my goals is to give insights for the next generations to consider. Passing on not only knowledge, but wisdom if I can.

-SF1