Francis Marion outwitted British troops during the American Revolution" />
John Blake White John Blake White's oil-on-canvas, "General Marion Inviting a British Officer to Share His Meal," hangs in a third floor hallway on the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol. White painted the Revolutionary War hero (in hat and blue jacket) from memory—the artist's boyhood home was next door to Marion's South Carolina plantation, Pond Bluff.

U.S. Senate

The Swamp Fox

Elusive and crafty, Francis Marion outwitted British troops during the American Revolution

  • By Amy Crawford
  • Smithsonian.com, July 01, 2007

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    In early 1781, Revolutionary War militia leader Francis Marion and his men were camping on Snow's Island, South Carolina, when a British officer arrived to discuss a prisoner exchange. As one militiaman recalled years later, a breakfast of sweet potatoes was roasting in the fire, and after the negotiations Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox," invited the British soldier to share breakfast. According to a legend that grew out of the much-repeated anecdote, the British officer was so inspired by the Americans' resourcefulness and dedication to the cause—despite their lack of adequate provisions, supplies or proper uniforms—that he promptly switched sides and supported American independence. Around 1820, John Blake White depicted the scene in an oil painting that now hangs in the United States Capitol. In his version, the primly attired Redcoat seems uncomfortable with Marion's ragtag band, who glare at him suspiciously from the shadows of a South Carolina swamp.

    The 2000 movie The Patriot exaggerated the Swamp Fox legend for a whole new generation. Although Francis Marion led surprise attacks against the British, and was known for his cunning and resourcefulness, Mel Gibson played The Patriot's Marion-inspired protagonist as an action hero. "One of the silliest things the movie did," says Sean Busick, a professor of American history at Athens State University in Alabama, "was to make Marion into an 18th century Rambo."

    Many of the legends that surround the life and exploits of Brigadier General Francis Marion were introduced by M. L. "Parson" Weems, coauthor of the first Marion biography, The Life of General Francis Marion. "I have endeavored to throw some ideas and facts about Genl. Marion into the garb and dress of a military romance," Weems wrote in 1807 to Peter Horry, the South Carolina officer on whose memoir the book was based. Weems had also authored an extremely popular biography of George Washington in 1800, and it was he who invented the apocryphal cherry tree story. Marion's life received similar embellishment.

    Fortunately, the real Francis Marion has not been entirely obscured by his legend—historians including William Gilmore Simms and Hugh Rankin have written accurate biographies. Based on the facts alone, "Marion deserves to be remembered as one of the heroes of the War for Independence," says Busick, who has written the introduction to a new edition of Simms' The Life of Francis Marion, out in June 2007.

    Marion was born at his family's plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina, probably in 1732. The family's youngest son, Francis was a small boy with malformed legs, but he was restless, and at about 15 years old he joined the crew of a ship and sailed to the West Indies. During Marion's first voyage, the ship sank, supposedly after a whale rammed it. The seven-man crew escaped in a lifeboat and spent a week at sea before they drifted ashore. After the shipwreck, Marion decided to stick to land, managing his family's plantation until he joined the South Carolina militia at 25 to fight in the French and Indian War.

    Most heroes of the Revolution were not the saints that biographers like Parson Weems would have them be, and Francis Marion was a man of his times: he owned slaves, and he fought in a brutal campaign against the Cherokee Indians. While not noble by today's standards, Marion's experience in the French and Indian War prepared him for more admirable service. The Cherokee used the landscape to their advantage, Marion found; they concealed themselves in the Carolina backwoods and mounted devastating ambushes. Two decades later, Marion would apply these tactics against the British.

    In 1761, after his militia had defeated the area Cherokees, Marion returned to farming. He was successful enough to purchase his own plantation, Pond Bluff, in 1773. In 1775, Marion was elected to the first South Carolina Provincial Congress, an organization in support of colonial self-determination. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the Provincial Congress voted to raise three regiments, commissioning Marion a captain in the second. His first assignments involved guarding artillery and building Fort Sullivan, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. When he saw combat during the Battle of Fort Sullivan in June 1776, Marion acted valiantly. But for much of the next three years, he remained at the fort, occupying the time by trying to discipline his troops, whom he found to be a disorderly, drunken bunch insistent on showing up to roll call barefoot. In 1779, they joined the Siege of Savannah, which the Americans lost.

    Marion's role in the war changed course after an odd accident in March of 1780. Attending a dinner party at the Charleston home of a fellow officer, Marion found that the host, in accordance with 18th-century custom, had locked all the doors while he toasted the American cause. The toasts went on and on, and Marion, who was not a drinking man, felt trapped. He escaped by jumping out a second story window, but broke his ankle in the fall. Marion left town to recuperate in the country, with the fortunate result that he was not captured when the British took Charleston that May.

    1 2

    In early 1781, Revolutionary War militia leader Francis Marion and his men were camping on Snow's Island, South Carolina, when a British officer arrived to discuss a prisoner exchange. As one militiaman recalled years later, a breakfast of sweet potatoes was roasting in the fire, and after the negotiations Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox," invited the British soldier to share breakfast. According to a legend that grew out of the much-repeated anecdote, the British officer was so inspired by the Americans' resourcefulness and dedication to the cause—despite their lack of adequate provisions, supplies or proper uniforms—that he promptly switched sides and supported American independence. Around 1820, John Blake White depicted the scene in an oil painting that now hangs in the United States Capitol. In his version, the primly attired Redcoat seems uncomfortable with Marion's ragtag band, who glare at him suspiciously from the shadows of a South Carolina swamp.

    The 2000 movie The Patriot exaggerated the Swamp Fox legend for a whole new generation. Although Francis Marion led surprise attacks against the British, and was known for his cunning and resourcefulness, Mel Gibson played The Patriot's Marion-inspired protagonist as an action hero. "One of the silliest things the movie did," says Sean Busick, a professor of American history at Athens State University in Alabama, "was to make Marion into an 18th century Rambo."

    Many of the legends that surround the life and exploits of Brigadier General Francis Marion were introduced by M. L. "Parson" Weems, coauthor of the first Marion biography, The Life of General Francis Marion. "I have endeavored to throw some ideas and facts about Genl. Marion into the garb and dress of a military romance," Weems wrote in 1807 to Peter Horry, the South Carolina officer on whose memoir the book was based. Weems had also authored an extremely popular biography of George Washington in 1800, and it was he who invented the apocryphal cherry tree story. Marion's life received similar embellishment.

    Fortunately, the real Francis Marion has not been entirely obscured by his legend—historians including William Gilmore Simms and Hugh Rankin have written accurate biographies. Based on the facts alone, "Marion deserves to be remembered as one of the heroes of the War for Independence," says Busick, who has written the introduction to a new edition of Simms' The Life of Francis Marion, out in June 2007.

    Marion was born at his family's plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina, probably in 1732. The family's youngest son, Francis was a small boy with malformed legs, but he was restless, and at about 15 years old he joined the crew of a ship and sailed to the West Indies. During Marion's first voyage, the ship sank, supposedly after a whale rammed it. The seven-man crew escaped in a lifeboat and spent a week at sea before they drifted ashore. After the shipwreck, Marion decided to stick to land, managing his family's plantation until he joined the South Carolina militia at 25 to fight in the French and Indian War.

    Most heroes of the Revolution were not the saints that biographers like Parson Weems would have them be, and Francis Marion was a man of his times: he owned slaves, and he fought in a brutal campaign against the Cherokee Indians. While not noble by today's standards, Marion's experience in the French and Indian War prepared him for more admirable service. The Cherokee used the landscape to their advantage, Marion found; they concealed themselves in the Carolina backwoods and mounted devastating ambushes. Two decades later, Marion would apply these tactics against the British.

    In 1761, after his militia had defeated the area Cherokees, Marion returned to farming. He was successful enough to purchase his own plantation, Pond Bluff, in 1773. In 1775, Marion was elected to the first South Carolina Provincial Congress, an organization in support of colonial self-determination. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the Provincial Congress voted to raise three regiments, commissioning Marion a captain in the second. His first assignments involved guarding artillery and building Fort Sullivan, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. When he saw combat during the Battle of Fort Sullivan in June 1776, Marion acted valiantly. But for much of the next three years, he remained at the fort, occupying the time by trying to discipline his troops, whom he found to be a disorderly, drunken bunch insistent on showing up to roll call barefoot. In 1779, they joined the Siege of Savannah, which the Americans lost.

    Marion's role in the war changed course after an odd accident in March of 1780. Attending a dinner party at the Charleston home of a fellow officer, Marion found that the host, in accordance with 18th-century custom, had locked all the doors while he toasted the American cause. The toasts went on and on, and Marion, who was not a drinking man, felt trapped. He escaped by jumping out a second story window, but broke his ankle in the fall. Marion left town to recuperate in the country, with the fortunate result that he was not captured when the British took Charleston that May.

    With the American army in retreat, things looked bad in South Carolina. Marion took command of a militia and had his first military success that August, when he led 50 men in a raid against the British. Hiding in dense foliage, the unit attacked an enemy encampment from behind and rescued 150 American prisoners. Though often outnumbered, Marion's militia would continue to use guerilla tactics to surprise enemy regiments, with great success. Because the British never knew where Marion was or where he might strike, they had to divide their forces, weakening them. By needling the enemy and inspiring patriotism among the locals, Busick says, Marion "helped make South Carolina an inhospitable place for the British. Marion and his followers played the role of David to the British Goliath."

    In November of 1780, Marion earned the nickname he's remembered by today. British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, informed of Marion's whereabouts by an escaped prisoner, chased the American militia for seven hours, covering some 26 miles. Marion escaped into a swamp, and Tarleton gave up, cursing, "As for this damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him." The story got around, and soon the locals—who loathed the British occupation—were cheering the Swamp Fox.

    Biographer Hugh Rankin described the life of Francis Marion as "something like a sandwich—a highly spiced center between two slabs of rather dry bread." After the war, Marion returned to the quiet, dry-bread life of a gentleman farmer. At 54, he finally married a 49-year old cousin, Mary Esther Videau. He commanded a peacetime militia brigade and served in the South Carolina Assembly, where he opposed punishing Americans who had remained loyal to the British during the war. Championing amnesty for the Loyalists was "among the most admirable things he ever did," says Busick. In 1790, Marion helped write the South Carolina state constitution, and then retired from public life. After a long decline in health, Francis Marion died at his plantation, Pond Bluff, on February 27, 1795.

    Francis Marion never commanded a large army or led a major battle. Histories of the Revolutionary War tend to focus on George Washington and his straightforward campaigns in the North, rather than small skirmishes in the South. Nevertheless, the Swamp Fox is one of the war's most enduring characters. "His reputation is certainly well deserved," says Busick. Though things looked bad for the Americans after Charleston fell, Marion's cunning, resourcefulness and determination helped keep the cause of American independence alive in the South.

    In December 2006, two centuries after his death, Marion made news again when President George W. Bush signed a proclamation honoring the man described in most biographies as the "faithful servant, Oscar," Marion's personal slave. Bush expressed the thanks of a "grateful nation" for Oscar Marion's "service…in the Armed Forces of the United States." Identified by genealogist Tina Jones, his distant relative, Oscar is the African-American cooking sweet potatoes in John Blake White's painting at the Capitol. Oscar likely "helped with the cooking and mending clothes, but he would also have fought alongside Marion," says Busick. "We have no way of knowing if Oscar had any say in whether or not he went on campaign with Marion, though I think it is safe to assume that had he wanted to run away to the British he could have easily done so." Historians know very little about Oscar, but the few details of his story add new interest to the Swamp Fox legend.

    Comment on this article in SoundOff, Smithsonian.com's reader forum


     
    Comments

    Very informative, I did not know tht Mel Gibsons movie was misleading at all about blowing The Swamp Foxes image so far out of proportion that he might be conceived as a so called "Super Hero". Now and then, I run into so called "Red-Necks" out in the country near Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleten, or Clareden counties that seem to still carry on that strong dedicated attitude of Southern Traditions that thier fathers, fathers, father taught them with pride and respect. ( I'm with them ! ). I feel that there are still people out there looking for a cause to support that may never come but thier hearts are there if needed. " The south has values that the north will never know " ... I'm origanally from New Jersey.

    Posted by Homer on December 20,2007 | 05:36PM

    Increidble. Who knew so much information could be backed into such a small article. I had always known that the Patriot was off by a little bit, but not by that much. Again, I am astonished, and this informative section will help me a lot with a small project I am working on. Hopefully, there might be a new Fox soon, we might need it. Sanmihiniu, Demothenes

    Posted by Demosthenes on January 19,2008 | 03:03PM

    There was something absurd in the movie to the effect that the black workers on Marion/Gibson's plantation were salaried employees. And the title character of the film was motivated not by patriotism but by the desire to avenge his son's death. An untruthful, needlessly gory film.

    Posted by cvh on January 30,2008 | 02:44PM

    what is francis marion middlename

    Posted by janie on February 15,2008 | 09:59AM

    I'm grateful to Mel Gibson for his storytelling. If it hadn't been for "The Patriot", I wouldn't have persued learning about Francis Marion. Mel's done our country a service by bringing to our attention this era of our country's history. It's up to us to take it from there. Thanks to the Smithsonian for continuing our education.

    Posted by Theresa on March 17,2008 | 06:42AM

    I love your paintings

    Posted by Elizabeth on April 22,2008 | 03:37AM

    One thing to keep in mind is that the movie "The Patriot" was not meant to be a biography. The character Benjamin Martin, was BASED on the military career of Francis Marion. If you know the history of the Swamp Fox, then you see the similarites, but it wasn't meant to be 100% accurate.

    Posted by Christine on May 11,2008 | 11:12PM

    I agree with Christine. The Patriot movie wasn't ment to be all that acurate in anything but the timeline. It was even advertised that most of the main characters in the movie were bits and pieces of different heroes of the American Revolution. Jason Isaac's character, Tarleton was based on at least three different British leaders and the rest was invented for the movie. Mel Gibson even said that Benjamin Martin was only loosely based on Francis Marion. No movie that Hollywood has ever made with a historical figure will ever be more than fifty percent accurate. They go for the thrill factor over historical accuracy.

    Posted by Brenna on May 22,2008 | 10:01AM

    My mother, Fern Mitchell, daughter of Silas Mitchell found she was a fourth cousin of Marion.

    Posted by Harry Parkhurst on July 6,2008 | 03:31PM

    One reason the British could not catch the "Swamp Fox" once he entered the marshes is that they rode their own horses - almost certainly a breed of Spanish Colonial's known as "Marsh Tackies". There are only less than 200 pure bred Tackies left. Most are still in South Carolina on the coast. I just bought one and she is gentle, intelligent and sturdy. George

    Posted by George Kahrs on August 3,2008 | 07:08PM

    CVH: The title character in "The Patriot" is not Benjamin Martin. It's his son Gabriel. Benjamin Martin is based on Marion, Daniel Morgan and Thomas Sumter. Mario

    Posted by Mario on September 2,2008 | 07:02PM

    This is inconclusive. The fact remains he did use Cherokee tactics. The fighting styles did include much mutilation and savagery. The human parts were traded amoung the natural communities as currency. The British would get the same today if they came back. America, oh sweet America.

    Posted by George of Iowa on September 16,2008 | 01:39PM

    The Patriot was a Great Action Movie and while not entirely accurate did have one thing accurate the Filming location -The Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston. Not far from where the General is buried. In fact the location for Cornwallis’s Headquarters (where Benjamin Martin parleyed for his men's release) was Middleton Place the Plantation that the real Cornwallis used as his headquarters. Of course Mel was not the first to play this hero; in the late 1950's Walt Disney attempting to capitalize on the lighting in a bottle he had with surprising success of Davey Crockett did a TV series "The Swamp Fox” with Leslie Nielsen in the Title Role. It lasted, I believe, 2 seasons but it too met resistance when they tried to take it world wide audiences. I can still recite the Theme song: "Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox-Tail in his hat - Nobody knows where the where the Swamp Fox At...Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox -hide'n in a Glenn , runs away to fight again!" John

    Posted by John on October 24,2008 | 06:05PM

    Am looking for the children of Marion Frances, I believe his grandson is Stephen McCurdy for oCt 26, 1790. If so, my children are his great great...grandchildren. Can anyone help me?

    Posted by Annette Denning on November 6,2008 | 08:04PM

    We are related to Esther Simons. Sister to Frances. Living in Charlotte NC. William Simons and his wife are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte in the Clarkson/Moore family site. Relatives include Springs,Clarksons and Myers. I am also a Lewis from Va. Related to Corp of Discovery, CLCT

    Posted by Charles Lewis Clark Thomas III on November 11,2008 | 10:48AM

    correction-William Clarkson and Margaret Simons are buried in Elmwood c. Charlotte NC

    Posted by Charles Lewis Clark Thomas III on November 11,2008 | 11:13AM

    My mother's side of the family is related to Francis Marion. Her Maiden name is Sides and I was told that Francis Marion is one of my great grandfathers. Supposedly we have a violin that was his. Not sure if that is right, but that is what I was told. Very interesting to hear aboout everyone's story of Francis Marion!

    Posted by Ted Baker on November 21,2008 | 02:02PM

    I am a 5th grade U.S. History teacher, and although the movie is extremely bloody I use the overall facts that show how ordinary men gave up a lot for our country. The students have enjoyed learning about our nations beginnings, and this movie gives a good historical fiction portrayal of the facts. We read about the facts first and then see what Hollywood does to spice it up. If I can get them interested in finding out the true facts it is worth it all. I do not show the movie in its entirety, buta variety of scenes that reinforce what we have learned.

    Posted by Barbara on December 15,2008 | 09:05PM

    Very informative this helped me a lot on my report and this was the best informational entry I could find thanks a lot

    Posted by ats student 5 grade on December 16,2008 | 10:41AM

    I am supposed to be a descendant of Francis Marion's sister who was supposed to have married a man whose last name was Whitlock. Would somebody who might have this information, please let me know? I would appreciate it. Frances Walden Shaffer, e-mail dodgie@bellsouth.net P.S. In my family, in each generation, there is a Francis or Frances, suppoedly keeping the Francis Marion name.

    Posted by Frances Walden Shaffer on January 2,2009 | 04:46PM

    The "Swamp Fox" story has been a favorite of mine since I began reading his story when I was in fourth grade.I must admit it was quite by accident, I think the cover first attracted my attention; however it was a weekly enjoyment for as long as it took me to finish this book. I wonder how close to reality was the 50's Disney version, I believed starred the much younger white haired actor from the movie Airplane Leslie Nielson; to historical accounts? Thank you

    Posted by Frank Scarpinato on January 19,2009 | 01:43PM

    im 51 now, and have heard stories of francis marion since i was a child. i grew up on a 136 acre farm in house springs missouri, the last battle site of the osage indians in missouri. there in school, i was introduced to the stories of the swamp fox in my 5th grade study class. later i was told by my mother that francis was related on my fathers side of the family. these stories fascinated me as a child. it was then i was told of the strong friendship he shared with george washington and later found out that both washington and u.s. grant along with robert e. lee are also relation. there is also a close relation whom taught american history at san francisco university-her name was also frances marion before she married i believe. thought i was not to courious at the time, she processess several documents of francis marion the swampfox and gov. sewell i believe whom was a close friend of francis marion. bottom line, her knowledge of the marion family, may be of great interest to those children of the swampfox... last i knew she lived on mt tamalipas north of san francisco ca sincerely david d marion england5766@yahoo.com

    Posted by david dwayne marion on January 20,2009 | 09:10PM

    john and simon justice are related to my mothers side of the family they served with francis marion one was adrummer the other played the fife.

    Posted by cecil conrad on January 24,2009 | 06:05PM

    I am related to Francis Marion. My grandmother was Mamie Snow Jones, of North Carolina. She always said we were related to the Swamp Fox. When I was a child/teenager, my grandmother had a book (small, paperback) that told about the history and the family tree of Francis Marion, and our names.... my mother,my sisters, and brother's names were in the text, showing the ancestry. I don't know what happened to the book after she died, but would be interested to know if anyone is aware of his family tree. Thank you. chaase52@hotmail.com

    Posted by Carol Haase on February 8,2009 | 09:56PM

    wow i did not no you where related to swamp fox

    Posted by Evan on February 27,2009 | 09:38AM

    I too have been told that I am a great-grandson, five times removed, of General Marion on my mother's side. The Marions of Winston-Salem NC. They were tobacco farmers. I am trying to trace the lineage back. If anyone has any additional info, please e-mail me at: Lite2nite@aol.com Thank you

    Posted by Robert Marion Dee on March 16,2009 | 09:44AM

    Nice article. In times like these we need to look back at the men and women who sacrificed a great deal so that we live in freedom today. For those of you looking for info on family connections to Francis Marion I may be of some help. I am a collateral descendant of his. I have often wondered what happended to his sisters and who their descendants are.Perhaps some of you may have info on who their descendants are. My line is descended from a brother of Francis Marion's grandfather.(Hence Francis' greatuncle). My line stayed in South Carolina around the same area for a while but some years before the Revolution moved to a French speaking settlement on the james river in Virginia.Samuel Marion was born there. He also fought against the British in the revolution and after it was over moved to Lee Co. Virginia where my family has been since 1799. The Marions are pretty small family, not a very common name so far from what we've gathered the Marions of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are all related.If anyone is interested let me know I'll try to help. I'm studying for the Virginia Bar exam right now so be patient and I'll return emails asap.

    Posted by Fredrick Marion on May 1,2009 | 01:29AM

    Like the people above, I have always been told that I am a descendant of Francis Marion. My great grandfather was Francis Marion, born Feb. 16, 1828, died Nov. 2, 1911 and buried in a small cemetery in Atlas, Illinois and my grandfather is Henry Douglas Marion. Could Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox had a son who made his way west to Illinois?

    Any information would be appreciated. Colleen, email Je727@aol.com

    Posted by Colleen Jersild on May 13,2009 | 06:39AM

    Marion was a major component that helped the yanks win the war in the South. Folks be careful when you site that your ancestor is Francis Marion. There are a couple posts that state that Marion is their Great Great grandfather. This can not be the case as Francis Marion had no children with Mary Videau.

    Posted by Jonathan on May 28,2009 | 07:32AM

    Please explain to me how Francis Marion helped the "yanks" win the war in the south. The war between the states didn't officially commence until 1861 and Francis Marion died in 1795. That is a span of 66 years. Please enlighten me. As to his lineage, I have no clue.

    Posted by Dave on June 25,2009 | 11:33PM

    Jonathan's reference to "Yanks" has nothing to do with the Civil War. The term "Yankee" started with the American Revolution, such as in the song .... "Yankee Doodle Dande."

    Posted by glenb on July 4,2009 | 04:28PM

    "Please explain to me how Francis Marion helped the "yanks" win the war in the south"

    I am sure Jonathon was referring to the part of the REVOLUTIONARY war that took place in the south - not the war between the states. The Revolutionary War started in the North - when it wasn't the quick mop-up the British thought it would be and after several major battles, the British moved the heat of the confrontation to the South, starting by taking Charleston.

    Much of Marion's effect was felt in the south following the fall of Charleston - thus Marion "helped the yanks win the [Revolutionary] war in the South". The "Yanks" being the "Rebel" or "Patriot" fighters of the Continental Army and the Irregulars, as opposed to the British forces with their "Loyalist" or "Tory" supporters.

    Posted by Ginger on July 4,2009 | 05:16PM

    My father worked on the Santee-Cooper River Dam Project before I was born. As a child, we frequently returned to the Monck's Corner area. While there, he showed me an old rambled down wood frame house which sat on private property. He said that it had been a home of Swamp Fox. All of my research shows that his property is currently under Lake Marion. Does anyone know of an existing picture of the home that would have been taken before the Lake overcame it? Was the house moved elsewhere? If he was interred on his Belle Isle Plantation, which is supposed to be under Lake Marion, were the graves relocated before the Lake overtook the sites? I have found these.I have ancestors who survived Cowpens and Kings Mountain and may have fought w/ Francis Marion so, I have a vested interested in putting all of the pieces together.Thanks for your help.

    Posted by Janice Long on July 4,2009 | 10:25PM

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