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LifeofMarion.1LifeofMarion.DOBEINJAMES.LifeofMarion.2Preface.DuringthesiegeofCharleston,inMay,1780,thegrammarschoolatSalem,onBlackriver,whereIhadbeenplacedbymyfather,MajorJOHNJAMES,brokeup;andIwascompelledtoabandonmyschoolboystudies,andbecomeamilitiaman,attheageoffifteen.Atthattimeoflifeitwasagreatloss;butstillIwassofortunateastohaveGeneralMARIONasmycommander,andmymuchhonouredfather,whowasasincerechristian,asmyadviserandprotector.Idonotintendtowriteahistoryofmyownlife;butitwasthus,thatIbecameinagreatmeasureaneyewitnessofthesceneshereafterdescribed;andwhatIdidnotsee,Ioftenheardfromothersinwhomconfidencecouldbeplaced.Ifeltanearlyinclinationtorecordtheseevents;butMajorWEMYSSburntallmystockofpaper,andmylittleclassicallibrary,inmyfather'shouse;and,fortwoyearsandahalfafterwards,Ihadnotthecommonimplementsofwritingorofreading.Thismayappearstrangeatpresent;butitisafact,thatevenourgeneral,whensendingoutapatrole,wouldrequesttheofficertotrytogethimaquireofpaper.Afterthewar,otheractivepursuitspreventedmefromindulgingmyinclination;andthepublicattention,beinglongfixeduponthebloodywarsandgreatbattlesinEurope,hadlostallrelishforourrevolutionaryhistory,anditscomparativelylittleconflicts.However,whenDr.RAMSAYannouncedthathewasabouttopublishhishistoryofSouthCarolina,IhastilysketchedoutfrommemoryashorthistoryofMARION'Sbrigade,forhim;whichheinsertedinfifteenpagesofhisfirstvolume.ThisbringsitdownnolowerthanthearrivalofGeneralGREENEinSouthCarolina.Fortunatelytheeventsofthelatewarrevivedthenationalspirit,andwiththatatasteforourownhistory;byittoo,myinclinationwasrenewedtocommunicatethatofMARION'Sbrigade.However,Istillwantedmaterialstoconfideinmorecertainthanmemory.ThelastyearIhappenedtomentionmywishtoMr.RICHARDSINGELLTON,ofColleton,son-in-lawofMajorJOHNPOSTELL,andheobliginglyplacedinmyhandsabundleoforiginallettersfromGeneralMARIONtothatdistinguishedofficer.NotlongafterIheardthatthelateLifeofMarion.3GeneralPETERHORRYhadpreservedcopiesofGeneralMARION'ScorrespondencewithGeneralGREENEandotherofficers;andIappliedtohisexecutor,Mr.JAMESGUIGNARD,whoverypolitelyplacedfiveduodecimovolumesinmyhands,closelywrittenbythegeneral.TheoriginalswereleftbyGeneralHORRYwiththeRev.M.L.WEEMS,butitappearshemadenouseoftheminhislifeofMARION.ThedatesandfactsstatedinthesecopiesagreeprettywellwiththeaccountinthehistoryofSouthCarolinabyDr.RAMSAY,andGeneralMOULTRIE'SmemoirsoftheAmericanrevolution.IhavealsotakenthepainstoconsultseveralofMARION'Sofficersandmen,whostillsurvive.TheHon.THOMASWATIESgavemeconsiderableinformationrespectingthefirstpartofthegeneral'soperations,whichIdidnotwitness;as,afterMARION'SretreattotheWhitemarsh,IwasleftsickinNorthCarolina.DuringMARION'SstrugglewithWATSONIhadreturned,butwasconfinedtomybedwiththesmallpox;andthegreaterpartofthataccountwasreceivedfromCaptainGAVINWITHERSPOON,ROBERTWITHERSPOON,Esq.andothers.RespectingtheaffairsaboutCamden,GeneralCANTEYandDr.BROWNFIELDgavememuchinformation;andthepresentsheriffofCharlestondistrict,FRANCISG.DELIESSELINE,Esq.andmyselfhavecomparednotes~generally~onthesubject.OfallthesesourcesofinformationIhaveavailedmyself;besideshavingrecoursetoeveryaccountoftheeventsofthatperiodwhichIhaditinmypowertoconsult.This,Ihope,willaccountsatisfactorilyforanydeparturesmadefromthestatementIfurnishedDr.RAMSAY.Therearenodoubtmanyerrorsinmynarrative,asnothinghumanisexemptfromthem;butitisbelievedtherearenotmorethanusuallyoccurinwhatisconsideredaccuratehistory.Itmayalsoneedcorrectioninothermatters,anditmaynotbepregnantwithgreatevents;butstillitisakindofdomestichistory,whichteacheslessonsofpatienceandpatriotism,notsurpassedinmodern,andseldominancienttimes.WM.DOBEINJAMES.LifeofMarion.4Introduction.AviewofthefirstsettlementoftheFrenchProtestantsontheSantee.Lawson'saccountofthem.TheancestorsofGeneralMarionemigrateamongthem.TherevocationoftheedictofNantz,byLewisXIV.,thoughhighlydetrimentaltoFrance,provedbeneficialtoHolland,EnglandandotherEuropeancountries;whichreceivedtheprotestantrefugees,andencouragedtheirartsandindustry.Theeffectsofthisunjustandbigoteddecree,extendedthemselveslikewisetoNorthAmerica,butmoreparticularlytoSouthCarolina:Aboutseventeenyearsafteritsfirstsettlement,intheyear1690,andashorttimesubsequently,betweenseventyandeightyFrenchfamilies,fleeingfromthebloodypersecutionexcitedagainstthemintheirmothercountry,settledonthebanksoftheSantee.AmongtheseweretheancestorsofGeneralFRANCISMARION.ThesefamiliesextendedthemselvesatfirstonlyfromthelowerferryatSouthSantee,inSt.James'parish,uptowithinafewmilesofLenud'sferry,andbackfromtheriverintotheparishofSt.Dennis,calledtheOrangequarter.Fromtheirfirstsettlement,theyappeartohaveconciliatedtheirneighbours,theSeweeandSanteeIndians;andtohavesubmittedtotheirrigorousfatewiththatresignationandcheerfulnesswhichischaracteristicoftheirnation.--Manymusthavebeenthehardshipsenduredbytheminsettlinguponasoilcoveredwithwoods,aboundinginserpentsandbeastsofprey,naturallysterile,andinfestedbyaclimatethemostinsalubrious.Forapictureoftheirsufferingsreadthelanguageofoneofthem,JudithManigault,bredalad