The Swamp Fox (Recap #16)

The Tide Turns in South Carolina

It is interesting that the great military minds do adapt to new strategies sometimes when they have a second chance to secure a region militarily. In this case, General Greene of the Continental Army was about to adopt the "war of posts" strategy that he had dissed before.

1) Cornwallis was so impacted by the Guilford CH battle in North Carolina that he decided to move his troops to Wilmington NC on the coast to recover and then invade Virginia never again to enter SC. Greene used this opportunity to secure SC and Georgia land so that if a peace treaty were to be achieved, the colonies would have these territories. The various Tory elements in SC started to melt away into the countryside as news of Cornwallis' departure from the region. The British left only significant forces at Camden, Georgetown and Charleston along with other troops at various posts across the colony numbering 8,000 in total. These posts were along the supply line that kept forces 800 strong supplied in Camden which is away from the coast and ports. Greene's army numbered only 1,400 but was on the move into SC. In this scenario, Watson gave up chasing Marion and dumped his artillery and heavy baggage into a creek and sped toward Camden to join forces with Rawdon and then circled back steering clear of the rebel forces going back to the coast at Georgetown.

2) Lee arrived at Marion's camp on April 14th, 1781 and filled in Marion on the details of Guilford CH, a bloody battle that the British technically run but having outrun their own supply line, Cornwallis' troops were a mess. Brit cavalry officer Tarleton himself had several finger amputated from wounds he suffered in the conflict. Lee articulated how his troops would focus on the larger garrisons at Camden and Ninety-Six while the militia (Pickens, Sumter and Marion) work away on the smaller posts in SC. However, it was another target that Lee had in mind that Marion did not see "eye-to-eye" on. Lee wanted to lay siege to Fort Watson while Marion wanted to chase Watson. Marion saw first hand both the disastrous Savannah siege in 1779 but also Sumter's attempted siege in which he got impatient and lost a lot of his men. While 49 year old Marion was in charge and 25 year old Lee was second in command, the fact that Lee had 300 troops to Marion's 80 probably led to Marion acquiescing.

3) Fort Watson was surrounded on April 15th, however, all the trees around the fort were gone so there was no way sharpshooters could be utilized. Cutting off the water supply was also attempted but 1) the well right outside the fort that could be used at night through a covered passage had been built and 2) the 120 defenders started digging a well inside the fort and struck water on the fourth day of the siege. The rebels requested a six-pounder from Greene which would have made quick work of this fort since it had no cannon of its own but the men bringing the cannon got lost and returned to Greene's location outside Camden. Marion's men were not prepared for a siege and were not experienced at it. Morale was sinking and Marion was corresponding with various militia's around the state 1) Capt. Snipes was free-lancing/looting around the state and bad-mouthing Marion suggesting that people should not send supplies to him 2) "Sumter's Law" which paid ten months of service to men with plunder from local Tories (horses, clothing and slaves) .. but Marion was in the minority opinion on this one 3) Rumor was out that Marion's men killed three prisoners in their care according to the Brit commander in Charleston and Marion's mentor suggested in a letter that he half-believed it. The siege was taking its toll on the ones facilitating the siege until, an innovative spirit emerged in Lt. Col. Hezekiah Maham. A tower would be built out of range from the Brits in the fort but tall enough for sharpshooters to do their work. The fort walls were 7 foot on top of a 23 foot mound so the tower would have to be very, very high. By April 22nd it was ready with a perch at the top with openings for the long rifles. The rebels sharpshooters rained down fire into the fort and simultaneously a patriot unit was taking down the stockade section of the fort itself. A surrender request was made and the commander McKay put up the white flag. In his journal it seemed the Brits inside the fort refused to fight any longer. Generous terms were offered and the Brit troops made their way to Charleston. Lee and Marion reaped a bounty of ammunition and public praise was awarded to Maham and his innovation. Lee, whose ego usually precedes himself, actually came to praise Marion publicly and asked to be formally placed under Marion's leadership "in some degree". Greene wrote Marion and said praise would travel to Gen. Washington and the world.

4) Greene himself was engaged by Rawdon's force in Camden. Rawdon was paranoid that Lee and Marion would be on their way and that Sumter was close by, however, Sumter refused to join forces with Greene leading Greene to think that Sumter was in it for only the plunder.  Rawdon's 900 actually caused the 1st Maryland Continentals to break rank and run so Green's 1500 man force was indeed beaten. However, Rawdon lost 25% of his force and could not stay at Camden with his supply line gap (Fort Watson's fall) and on May 10th destroyed much of the town of Camden and their fortifications and left to go toward the coast.

The tide is turning as the summer heat returns in South Carolina!

The Swamp Fox (Recap #15B)

Fox Chasing Hound

By this point in March 1781, the British leader Watson had been the most persistent adversary to date for Marion and his men. Marion was still adamant about getting John Postell released before he was executed by the British as having violated his parole. Marion kept the letters flying even as he kept harassing Watson and his men but eventually Marion would choose to stop all communications and let actions speak louder than words.

1) By March 18th Watson's men were sick, tired and hungry. The foraging efforts were hampered by Marion's sharpshooters and so Watson decided to leave the Blakely's Plantation. After two weeks of tracking down the fox it was time get get his men provisions. Marion's men destroyed three bridges and felled trees to keep Watson away from Snow's Island. As Watson started to move he could either stay in the swamp and fight or run. At this point, the fox started chasing the hound, Marion from behind and Peter Horry from in front. Georgetown was Watson's destination for rum, salt, shoes, food and ammo from the British supplied port. Nine miles from his destination on March 20th Watson found his progress impeded by destroyed bridges yet again. Caught crossing the river the British were exposed. Grapeshot and bayonets were the Brit's desperate response but lost 20 men with 40 wounded and Watson's horse shot out from under him.  Marion's forces decided not to pursue Watson into British held Georgetown even though they only had one killed in this latest action. While the Bridges Campaign was over, the psychological impact was substantial. Watson complained that Marion would not fight out in the open like gentleman and would not sleep at night, instead continued to harass Watson's troops with yelping and carrying on. The resistance of the rebels kept resources in the South, prolonged the war and left the British extremely frustrated.

2)  Marion and his men started making their way back to base camp when they found out on March 26th that the British leader Doyle had destroyed Snow's Island. A local Tory had led the British to Marion's lair. Within a week the press (yes, influential even in 1781 to bend the common people's opinions) touted this as a major victory for the British. Marion's men were now in pursuit of Doyle's inland and to the west as Doyle had been recalled to Camden, SC. Marion's men harassed them all the way there on April 1st but then had to call it off as Camden was fortified as well as Georgetown was.

3) A frustrated Marion issued an order that said anyone refusing to serve in his brigade would be considered an enemy of the state with their property subject to confiscation. In reality, like other orders Marion issued, they served more as a deterrent than an edict to be enforced. Marion knew it was a fine line that could have a fine rebel turn into a Tory.

4) Watson, renewed by supplies in Georgetown started off towards Marion once more and was joined by Ganey. Watson was within five miles of Marion's men who had two round of ammo per person at this low point after the Bridges Campaign and losing much at Snow's (even though most was dumped in the creek by the wounded there to keep the British from benefiting too much).

5) Marion's force was now approaching 100 men total and held a war counsel that considered a move into NC or into the mountains. Not one for speeches, the men said they would follow Marion anywhere he led. As the somber realities of the day were setting in, riders arrived with joyous news that Greene had thwarted Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse in NC and that Green was heading to SC to liberate the state! The bonus was that Lighthorse Harry Lee was on his way back to join Marion. April 1781 was shaping up to be a good month after all for the cause.

The next chapter will blow your socks off :)

Truth Bomb: Inconvenient Sayings from Jesus

https://www.freemansperspective.com/inconvenient-sayings-jesus/

(source is link above)

Truth (for Building Up / Improving)

This article resonates with me, your mileage may vary.

-------

"Some things just need to be pointed out. I’m not sure I’d go quite as far as P. C. Hodgell when she wrote, “That which can be destroyed by the truth should be,” but truth – so long as it’s for the purpose of building and improving – should be told.

As the title indicates, I’ll be discussing several of Jesus’s sayings today. And I’m doing this because I think there’s tremendous potential among the world’s 2.4 billion Christians. As I’ve said before, these are people who have committed themselves to a great man and to a generally useful book. There is a tremendous amount of good that could come from them. I write this to remind them that “church” should never be more important to them than Jesus.

So, let’s begin.

“Call no man ‘father.’”

This one’s obviously going to be hard for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, who call their ritual leaders “Father,” but truth matters, and we may as well start here:

And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

That’s from the 23^rd chapter of Matthew, by the way. And yes, it flatly condemns calling a religious leader “Father.” Don’t blame me for this. Jesus said it; I’m just pointing it out.

And if this bothers you, please decide who is more important to you: Jesus or a church organization. You really can’t have it both ways here (as much as many have tried). Jesus said a specific thing, and while we are free to say, “He was wrong,” or “The book was wrong,” we cannot claim that Jesus and the book are right and still call a man in a robe “Father.”

That’s just the way it is.

“When you pray…”

This one will hit nearly all the big churches and most of the small ones too. Nonetheless, here it is:

When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

So, that’s how Jesus said to pray. Notice that he didn’t say anything about praying together at a church… or even holding hands and praying together at home. Nor do we see Jesus presiding over any such thing in the New Testament. But we do read, “after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.”

And in the verse just prior to this one, Jesus said:

When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners…

Where then, does this leave public prayers?

So, if you think your church knows better than Jesus, pray in unison as much as you like. But if your church bosses don’t know better than Jesus, you might want to take your advice from the rabbi from Nazareth.

These passages are from the 6^th chapter of Matthew, by the way, which
continues this way:

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

You might want to give that one some consideration too.

“He that is greatest…”

Here’s what Jesus had to say about being a “great man” or “great woman”:

He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

The word for servant, by the way, means “one who runs errands.” So, in modern speech, the saying goes like this:

The greatest man or woman will be the one who runs errands for you.

I’ll leave you to compare the actions of the big-name ministers to this verse (from Matthew 23), but I think we all know how that’ll turn out.

“My kingdom is not of this world”

Jesus wanted nothing to do with the governments of this world. It would be hard to be clearer than this statement from John 18, though there are others that are similar. Jesus defied the state agents of his time, and his first followers did the same. These things are obvious to any reader who isn’t hell-bent on evading them.

Christian “leaders” have whored themselves out to governments since the third century, and their ideas currently dominate many Christian minds. But with every theological excuse they spin, they push Jesus farther away from themselves.

“A new commandment…”

This last saying, from John 13, is, in my opinion, of central importance:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

Church people (and yes, I am generalizing, which isn’t entirely fair) are happy to debate doctrine at any length, but they consistently evade loving. Indeed, they become agitated or worse if you press the subject.

And to love one another the same as Jesus loved his disciples? They won’t accept that as a serious possibility.

But Jesus did think of it as a serious possibility. He thought his followers could do this. If not, he was simply being cruel.

So, again, you are free to shuffle past this saying with all due haste, but you are not free to call yourself a proper follower of Jesus at the same time.

You could of course call yourself a faithful churchgoer, son of the church, daughter of the church, or whatever. And that’s my point:

I hold that you should be free to choose whichever way you like, but I also hold that you should be honest about it: Jesus and church are not the same thing."

The Swamp Fox (Recap #15A)

Fox Becomes the Hound

As I left off in Snippet #14B, Marion had just bet that Watson did not have a place in mind to engage his troops like Kingstree, but was in fact acting like the Hound chasing the Fox.

Sure enough Watson's troops passed the road to Kingstree but then stopped abruptly and doubled back towards Kingstree and towards the Whigs stronghold of the Williamsburg area. Marion reacted and adjusted quickly and detached Major John James with 70 men including 30 of McCottry's riflemen (this is important) on horseback to outrace Watson, destroy the bridge at Black River and take post there. Watson had foot soldiers and artillery which slowed his movements. Marion would also make his way there but on a less hectic timetable.

1) The men chosen for the bridge destruction and taking up post were from the Williamsburg area and was motivated to defend it. Having local knowledge of terrain they took shortcuts that enabled them to arrive in plenty of time, remove planks from the middle of the bridge and set fire to the cords at the east end where they hunkered down in the woods near a low marshy area. Watson would approach at the bridge's west end which was considerable elevated. Watson's only option was to ford the river just downstream BUT knowing this, McCottry's men took a position where both bridge and fording locations were in sight. Men with muskets protected the SHARPSHOOTERS on their flanks. Marion then arrived in time to join the scene that was set and waited for Watson.

2) Watson arrived and evaluated the situation and got his artillery out which drove the rebels away at the two previous engagements. Being on the high west bank, the grasshopper cannon could not shoot low enough and would just rain grapeshot in the trees above Marion's men. Watson tried to move the cannon lower but the marksmen drove them back. McCottry's unit was armed with the American long hunting rifle each personally owned. While these rifles had two disadvantages, bayonets could not be added AND it took minutes to reload (muskets took seconds).  The big advantage was effective range .. muskets 50 yards and rifles 200 - 400. Sharpshooters under cover, safe from opponent's bayonets could be quite effective .. especially enemy leaders whose uniforms stand out and are fair game in irregular warfare.

3) Determined to cross at this point at this time, Watson sent an officer with men to ford the river. The officer raised his sword and was promptly shot in the chest and then others of this advanced party were cut down as well. Watson called off the attack and retreated to the Witherspoon Plantation whose daughter was engaged to one of Marion's men Brigade Captain Daniel Conyers. Overnight the daughter heard Watson say he had never seen such shooting in all his life.

4) The very next day, Marion sent the McCottry unit to harass Watson at the Witherspoon Plantation and Sgt. McDonald who had bayoneted Ganey outside of Georgetown climbed a tree and shot Brit. Lt. Torriano through the knee at 300 yards! This caused Watson to retreat to the Blakeley's Plantation a half a mile away .. now who is the fox and who is the hound now? :)

The balance of chapter 15 will be next .. including a letter in which Marion responded to Watson's correspondence (asking safe passage by his wounded to Charleston to receive better care there) implying that Marion was not fighting by civilized rules and Marion says "you may be assured that I will not act in any other way than what I find is done by British troops".

US Military Oath vs. "Democracy"

I Fully Agree with This Message

Writes Vincent Castigliola:

"Contrary to the oft heard Wilsonian assertion that the US and members of the US military have some duty to make “the World Safe for Democracy”, we who have, or are serving in the United States military gave our oath to protect and defend the Constitution.  Nowhere in that Oath, either express or implied, is a duty to protect, much less promote, democracy in the US, or worldwide.  

Likewise, the word “democracy” is nowhere present in the Declaration of Independence nor in the US Constitution. The authors of the Constitution were in fact, fearful of any form of tyranny, including tyranny of the majority.

On the other hand the Constitution makes clear a person’s right to due process

Article [V] (Amendment 5 – Rights of Persons)

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury,…; nor shall any person ….be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;…

Section 8

1: The Congress shall have Power …;

10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

11: To declare War, …

How often have members of United States military been sent off on quests for “regime change” in pursuit of some nebulous democratic ideal?

Last week members of the United States Navy were directed by president Trump to execute missile attacks which denied a number of persons their lives, without any sort of due process, but based merely upon very questionable and disputed allegations.

In addition to requiring our good US sailors to violate their oath, President Trump as commander-in-chief ordered them to engage in acts of war where no war had been declared, as required the US Constitution, and likewise commanded them to take actions which killed people without any justification of self defense. Many statues define killing persons without the justification of war or self-defense as murder.

I respect and support the men who serve in our military; however, I find it difficult to afford that same respect to the persons who order servicemen to violate their oath.

No President owes the people in in any foreign country, including Syria, a particular form of government. On the other hand, the president most certainly does owe the people of United States and the members of our military under his command, the duty to respect both his and their oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and to act consistent with the principles actually stated therein."

The Swamp Fox (Recap #14B)

The "Bridges Campaign" was the biggest test for Marion and his men yet. Two weeks of chasing and be chased was similar to that of Grant and Lee on the way to Appomattox Court House, VA. While being hunted there was also the prisoner exchange that was on Marion's mind, injustice fueled him every day towards solutions towards liberty and freedom.

1) Wyboo Swamp proved that while Marion only checked Watson's advance, Watson had not cut off Marion's retreat so he lived to fight another day. It is extremely hard to anticipate the fox's move as most hounds are aware. Marion at this point, post-battle, took up where he left off in a series of correspondences with the British in Georgetown, specifically the commander there Capt. John Saunders, regarding certain named prisoners. The Brits had retaliated against the Postell brothers' raid on Brit supplies by kidnapping John Postell Sr. The 33 prisoners who Marion had from the Monck's Corner raid back in July were a drain on their food resources so Marion sought an exchange in which he said "... on account of his age, and hope humanity will induce you to treat him as a gentleman .." Prior to this, one of the Postell brothers took things into his own hands and led a party to reclaim his family's plantation 20 miles north of Georgetown and busted into the kitchen demanding surrender of the commander Capt. James DePeyster (rumor was that James was the most handsome man in British Army, he came from a Tory family in NY state). DePeyster refused to surrender which then has Postell start the kitchen on fire prompting the commander and 29 soldiers to unconditionally surrender. It was this action that had stalled the prisoner exchange. Saunders had written up a counter offer for prisoner exchange but by then Marion had already shipped DePeyster to a Continental prison camp up north.

2) Marion at this point bet that Saunders would agree to a limited prisoner exchange, four Brits that had been at Snow's Island in exchange for four rebels at Georgetown. This turned out to be a miscalculation as when John Postell approached Georgetown with a truce flag the British captured him and said he had violated parole terms after Charleston's surrender. Postell countered with claims the Brits plundered his home and therefore the parole terms were violated on the British end. Marion even went up the chain of command to Balfour, commander at Charleston, to no avail. Marion even tried dialog with Watson including copies of his attempted dialog with Saunders and Balfour.

3) March 9th Watson sat down at a plantation that Marion had stayed two nights prior (during the Bridges Campaign) and penned a sarcastic and condescending letter treating Marion like a bumpkin. His take was that the rebels and their leaders never followed international conventions and laughed that Marion would use this tactic. He wrote: "Men like his Majesty's troops, fighting from principle for the good of their country, with hearts full of conscious integrity, are fearless of any consequences" Marion made no immediate reply but continued to pick off Watson's sentries and pickets.

4) The next engagement was on March 10th when Marion's men took down a bridge on Watson's route to Kingstree or Georgetown ... Watson's artillery drove the rebels off but Marion managed to get away with his forces intact. Marion knew he could not run forever but had something in mind at yet another Bridge downstream to hopefully turn the tide. (But that is in chapter 15 ... ) Marion did not know if Watson was going to Kingstree or Georgetown but bet that he was really just following Marion. Acting on that intuition, Marion veered away from Kingstree to prevent Watson from upsetting the locals in that Whig stronghold.

The Swamp Fox (Recap 14A)

The last we knew it was February 11, 1781 and Francis Marion had received a letter that said Thomas Sumter was back in action and that the Gamecock was the highest ranking officer in the state. Sumter was not happy that Daniel Morgan had been given permission by the Continental Army to operate in the Catawba region of SC and made it look easy by what he pulled off at Cowpens, SC.

What has to be remembered is that the united States (emphasizing the thirteen sovereign states) under the Articles of Confederation which was to be formally ratified the next month (March 1781) did not give the federation's government power over the state's armed forces. Sumter was senior to Marion in the SC State militia even though Marion still held a commission in the Continental Army and Sumter had resigned his in 1778. At this point, recently promoted Andrew Pickens and Francis Marion would be reporting to Thomas Sumter who reported to the SC governor in exile John Rutledge.

1) With Cornwallis chasing Greene and Lee in NC, Sumter directed Marion to assist him in attacking smaller British outposts in SC. Sumter had just laid siege to Fort Granby on the Congaree River on Feb 19th. Sumter had wanted Marion's actions to distract Rawdon, Brit officer in charge at Camden, SC. Unknown to Sumter was that Rowden was on the move and had forced Marion to retreat 20 miles right after Marion had tried to recruit more men west of the Santee. Marion did not do well because a rogue Whig militia leader named Snipes had been plundering the civilian areas telling people he was under orders from Marion! Marion countered by re-emphasizing his philosophy of no looting and no taking provisions from plantations without direct orders from himself. He also published a proclamation that said unidentified parties not associated with his militia would be identified by name and at that time all would be free to put them to death without prosecution. It had come to that.

2) Marion then moved back to Snow's Island with Rowden in pursuit. The "Swamp Fox" was almost caught when Rowden was directed to go after Sumter who was threatening Ninety-Six. In Rowden's reports he lists Marion's strength at 300 and all mounted. It wasn't until Feb 26th that Marion received Sumter's orders from a letter dated Feb 20th. In the mean time Sumter had given up a siege of Fort Granby which he attempted without artillery and also an aborted effort to storm a stockade at Belleville SC. Marion responded that the British pressure was too great to his west at this time but would venture out at the next opportunity. Marion was not enthusiastic about Sumter, considered him a showboater and word of his recent attacks seemed like a fools errand. Marion knew his men did not like being at large distances from home but Marion saw this as an order and moved somewhat slowly 100 miles west toward Sumter.

3) Sumter was impatient and struck at Fort Watson on Feb 28th but called off action after 18 of his men were killed. Sumter again penned a letter emphasizing that Marion needed to connect with him but then on March 1st Sumter heard of a British until heading his way so he retreated to the High Hills region above the Santee, grabbed his paralytic wife and their son and rode another 40 miles to Black River at Bradley's Plantation. More than likely Sumter and Marion passed each other in the night and did not know it.

4) Sumter then penned another letter on March 4th expressing disappointment that they could not connect when there was such a need to have a combined force. Sumter waited one more day then took his 250 men further north running into a British force under Fraser dispatched by Rowdon to go after Sumter before he could connect with Marion. Heavy casualties were experienced by Sumter's men so he retreated to the Waxhaws region in NC. Sumter's men were greatly disillusioned by the whole campaign and did not hold Sumter in high regard. Sumter had a long talk with his militia and released them for spring plowing. In communique to Greene, Sumter blamed the poor show on Marion's non-appearance/assistance. Sumter took his family to near Charlotte, NC to recover, psychologically.

5) Greene was able to out pace Cornwallis to the Dan River and was resupplied and back in NC with Lee, Pickens and William Washington. This meant that Marion was on his own and Rawdon in a March 7th communique was set to get the fox once and for all. Rowdon assigned John Watson, 32 year old who was a Lt. Col in the 3rd Reg. of Foot Guards (Scots) who had opted for war in America to escape gambling debts. He had served three years in the North before arriving in Dec 1780 in Charleston. It seemed that no British commander wanted this guy as he had a reputation that he was difficult to work with. Being unfamiliar with Southern terrain and guerrilla warfare Watson asked a British office for advice. All he received was a shrugging of shoulders. Watson had been dropped off with his men in the region near Nelson's Ferry on Christmas Day 1780 and proceeded to build an outpost and name it after himself. This was one of the fortifications Sumter tried to take on his unsuccessful expedition in February 1781. In an attempted pincer movement, Watson would confront Marion from the front and another Brit unit under Doyle would attach toward Snow's Island at Marion's rear. Watson had 500 men and two "3 pounders" called grasshoppers while leaving only 40 men at his fort. Marion's 300-400 mounted force was not that far away and was alerted by a scout.

6) Marion moved his men to a causeway in the swamp and Watson getting plenty of intel as well met him there where the two of them met and stared at each other across the causeway for a time in a "high-noon" showdown. Watson dispatched a former Whig militia member who had his home plundered by rebels and was now a staunch Tory lead the charge. Marion had his men retreat several hundred yards so when the Tory thought he would see confusion, all he saw was Marion's men on horseback ready for attack. Back across the causeway the fight moved only to have Marion's men have their first experience with cannon grapeshot. At this point Watson sent the dragoons in to push back the rebels. At this point a Private of gigantic size slew two Tories and dragged one more 50 years before finishing him off. Marion then sent in cavalry charge ... and Watson countered with infantry and a bayonet charge. This too was a first time experience for Marion's militia and he ordered a retreat from Wyboo Swamp. The following two weeks the British superior force would try and bring a decisive battle. It was also during Marion's So-Called Bridges Campaign that he would morph from pure guerrilla tactics towards more conventional tactics.

Snippet 14B will be used to wrap up this chapter 14 which includes Marion attempting prisoner exchange in order to have released four named men (in exchange for 33 British/Tories) .. one of which was the father (in his 60s and ailing) of two militia members who was taken from his plantation and imprisoned near Georgetown.

Never a dull moment!

The Swamp Fox (Reflections)

Halftime in this book, time for a little reflection as to how things were in 1780, how things were for us in the 1990s .. and reflecting on the future.

In dialog over the past week with my son Mark regarding the recaps I have been sharing went like this:

Mark: ".. Can't imagine evading, hiding, having limited food n clothes, fighting a long war away from family as your brothers and neighbors die... its crazy .."

Ken/Dad: ".. Back then society consisted of mainly pioneer types ... this allowed Marion to be supplied buy a slim majority in some areas .. today society is full of snowflakes IMHO . look at your neighbors and think how many would risk to supply you if you led rebellion against the Government. Yup .. a LOT of work to do to change hearts and minds .. will probably need to be preceded by government defaulting on it's promises in a big way .."

Mark: "..That's some truth right there. I don't think there'd be anyone willing to help lol. Smh!.."

I was sitting on the deck this morning in the mid-40s sunshine that SW Michigan offered up with my eyes closed. My mind reflected back to the 1990s when we had a time as family where springtime, especially by April 10th meant it was time for chickens and pigs:

As a young father, what were my priorities? Family first .. and then community/extended 'family'. What gave the capacity to do this? Love. Plain and simple, there were just some things that one sacrifices for that don't always benefit ones self.

As a dad, I love all my kids ,, and time with them was a premium. But there was also a time that I expanded that to what I call 'extended family' .. usually good friends would emerge (whether it was neighbor Mike or Louie who I met at church, or Brian or Joseph or even Pastor Ron) that would expand my world. My daily thoughts were/are still for them and their families.

It does seem that since 9/11 the distractions from the American Empire and the world have taken center stage, and our love for country wants safety for all involved .. the soldiers as well as the civilians caught up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not long after this "noble" war we learned that it was all based on a lie. Soldiers that did return from the Middle East felt as betrayed as the ones that returned from Vietnam in the 1970s. The American "exceptionalism" meant that we were to go around the world and create new democracies .. however, this too has turned into a lie.

The American media which for generations have brought Americans the journalism that shaped our worldview has started to reveal their true allegiance .. and it is not towards telling the truth.

The American educational system which for generations have taught us a local/regional/national view that has begun to unravel. More Americans everyday are starting to wakeup to the fact that we have been lied to, our parents have been lied to .. our grandparents as well as the version of history, economics and even psychology taught is a subset of what is real.

The American government's war on poverty, war on drugs, etc. are utter failures, by design, as their monopoly works so that they just need a little more money to get it right while tricking the pawns caught in the web to experience perpetual government dependence or life in prison.

The American corporatism (corporate welfare recipients) have also corrupted our country, with a suspect food supply, suspect health"care" system that only benefits those elites that can gain profit and power from these intrusions into families and communities across America.

The American police state has made it their business to know everything about everybody, and the CIA/FBI/NSA and 14 other intelligence agencies in this country can control both individual lives as well as politics. They now have the dirt on everyone over the past decade plus that can be used as blackmail since all that data can easily be taken out of context to prove ones guilt to the myriad of laws on the books .. and even remove anyone from society with a trip to Gitmo or soon, a drone strike.

Twenty short years from the 1990s it seems that we have lost almost the rest of what America had to offer to those pioneers in the 1600/1700s that provided Francis Marion that opportunity to serve his FAMILY and COMMUNITY by doing sacrificially what he did over the course of two plus years to help the "cause" for each of the thirteen sovereign states to be independent from the English Empire.

While the erosion of locality, family & community, has been ongoing since almost right after the American Revolution .. the last 20/50/150 years has seen times that accelerated this slide.

Personally, I am in the middle of unlearning all that government schools taught me in the 1960s/1970s .. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are not the people the text books make them out to be. This is NOT an exercise in bashing others to make me look good or right. This is an effort to knock down those idols, those deified gods our state has propped up to support their narritive on being that "shining city on a hill" BS.

The real heroes are the family men and women who sacrifice their time, money and sometimes life to provide their kids and community with liberty and freedom.

Francis Marion is one of those rare people that became a legend and yet when a light is shined on their lives they were real people with a heart for others.

So while the evening news, Yahoo News or Google searches try to distract you into thinking that only the American Empire can keep you and your family safe, and that the Nanny State loves all her children and that the Daddy State (Military Industrial Complex) is a righteous power for good in this world and that the Police State can keep you safe from all the bad guys by knowing everything (if you see something, say something) .. think again.

Do your own homework and research. Teach your kids and challenge your co-workers to "change minds and hearts". Above all, know that Papa is especially fond of you, that He has been greatly misunderstood by many religious teachers and know that Jesus is with you and can relate to where you might be at when you feel you are at the end of your rope. Trust the Holy Spirit in your heart to be your guide and your True North.

"The true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops – no, but the kind of man the country turns out." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love y'all
dad

The Swamp Fox (Recap #13)

Winter 1781

The end of 1780 was near as Marion took refuge in his winter quarters on Snow's Island, I am sure it seemed to him to be a lifetime ago when he started his gig as the leader of the militia in this area of SC even though it was only four months ago. I am sure it was a quick time of reflection that gave him some hope to preserve the "cause" to have at least some better communication with the Continental Southern Army's leader Greene.

At the start, it almost seemed like Greene needed Marion verses the other way around. Greene wanted intel, horses, corn, rice and even Negroes. While Marion in return would get ammo .. he eventually received even better resources.

1) Marion proceeds to have John Postell collect fifty Negroes from enemy area above Georgetown "taking care not to distress any family, but taking them where they can best be spared" and deliver them up the Pee Dee River at the NC/SC border where Greene was in winter quarters. Greene had moved here from Charlotte since this area had a more fertile forage area.

2) Greene pushed to ensure timely intel arrived regarding British reinforcements headed toward Cornwallis' winter quarters in Winnsboro, SC that might threaten his army should Cornwallis proceed to invade NC. Greene made a move that goes against military strategy in that he split his already small force to allow 600 men under Daniel Morgan to get within striking distance of the British stronghold at Ninety-Six, SC. Part of this was the reality that he could not feed all the men he had at the winter quarters. This forced Cornwallis to split up his force by detaching Tarleton to defend Ninety-Six and he had to stay put in case Greene's force combined with Marion's might threaten his force, at least until reinforcements (under Gen. Alexander Leslie) arrived. Cornwallis knew that he had to drive Greene from NC to stabilize SC.

    a) Marion came through on intel and in late Dec 1780 confirmed that Leslie arrived in Charleston and estimated his force at just under 2000 (was actually closer to 1500). Marion also came though in alerting Greene when Leslie started moving to the interior of SC.

    b) Marion also was directed to harass the enemy, which was a challenge since his men were spread thin already by their intel role. Marion dispatched Peter Horry to the Waccamaw Nech region near Georgetown where rice was picked up and cattle driven off.

3) Greene's appetite for horses almost harmed this regular / militia partnership. Greene realized that the fight in the south meant traversing deep rivers (horses swim better than most men, so horses helped) and and moving in and around impassible creeks/swamps. Greene was a quick study using maps to understand the geography and in weeks he knew more than Cornwallis did in half a year.

    a) Marion would sometimes not reply directly to the request for horses since he had none to spare, His own men, who routinely had 3-4 rounds of ammo needed the horses in their hit-n-run style. His men were also farmers, and horses were essential to a good working farm. Greene would remind Marion and would drop the exiled SC governor's name (Rutledge) to force the issue and even ask how many Marion had and how many he could spare. Marion's men, unpaid volunteers, giving their horses to an army that was supplied by the Continental Congress? Some of Marion's men deserted him when they learned of this.

    b) Marion's cavalry tactic meant that the British could never force a decisive action on the militia. Even with bird shot, effective at only 20-30 yards, Marion's men could effectively harass the British. In time Greene admitted that taking horses from the militia was like robbing Peter to pay Paul, so eventually he got the message.

4) By January 14 Marion thanked Greene for a shipment of ammo and also addressed the need for some reinforcements as the Tories near the NC border were joining forces with other Tories around Georgetown. Within about a week (delayed because of difficulty in finding the Swamp Fox) a detachment of 250 men (mix of cavalry and infantry) led by Lt. Col. "Light-Horse" Harry Lee age 25 (father of Robert E. Lee).

    a) Light-horse Harry was different in some ways from Marion, a highly educated Virginia gentleman who dressed elegantly and had his men in full uniform with short green coats (similar to Tarleton's on the British side). This color accent hampered his ability to find Marion as the locals were very suspect of the green!

    b) Light-horse Harry also was an egotist, a self-promoter unlike Marion BUT similar to Francis with being small in stature as well. Both were believers in discipline, agility and speed.

    c) Light-horse Harry would eventually tout his own achievements in his memoirs while settling scores with his enemies including Thomas Jefferson. But in the end, Harry would speak fondly of Francis Marion even though in his reports he used "I" where he should have used "we".

5) January 23rd found these two leaders bringing their forces to bear on Georgetown in an amphibious assault (by land and sea), however, delays in the land portion led to a premature attack from the sea the morning of the 25th. The garrison's commander and four others were captured and then paroled but the element of surprise was gone and the taking of Georgetown would not be that day. Both commanders erred toward preserving their men's live than achieving a bloody victory. The psychological impact was there as the British held back resources to protect Georgetown which as a supplier of salt in the region as well as a transportation crossroads. The Continentals and militia also saw positive traits in each other that would help toward future operations together.

6) Returning to their camps it was communicated that on January 17th, Daniel Morgan achieved a double pincer movement at Cowpens, SC that utilized militia in the front lines to supply 2-3 volleys and then retreat which brought Tarleton's dragoons into a trap (remember that from the movie The Patriot?) and resulting of 85% loss in the dragoon's 1050 man force (100 dead, 230 wounded and 600 captured). Also captured was two field cannon, 800 muskets and 100 horses.

7) On the heels of this, Cornwallis, having lost 25% of his force proceeded to chase Morgan and Greene. These two commanders headed towards VA for supplies and reinforcements. Cornwallis with Gen Alexander Leslie's 1500 men would burn their supply train including the rum and chase Greene throughout NC. By January 31st, even Light-horse Harry Lee was ordered to join Greene in the race to the Dan River at the NC/VA border.

    a) Militia recruiting dropped again as the Whigs in the area, knowing the Continental Army had left the lower south, became concerned for their lives and their farms once more.

    b) Marion was able to inflict some more damage as he was now alone in this theater of operation by sending Postell and 25 men to Wadboo Bridge and Monck's Corner to burn British supplies there and he even warned about not sparing the burning of the rum they would find. Pretty sure the men, having been off the rum for five months took this opportunity to reward themselves.

8) February 11th marked the day that Greene's letter would inform Marion that Thomas Sumter (Gamecock) was back in action and that Marion would be reporting to him. This did not sit well with the Swamp Fox, but in the end, he respected the chain of command. Thomas Sumter, however, a champion of "states rights" before it was cool actually sat out with his men at the battle of Cowpens. In his mind, he believed he was only accountable to the SC governor in exile, Rutledge. Sumter would follow an order from the Continental Army only if he agreed with it.

NOTE: What would you do? State's Rights OR the emerging Federation's priorities?

Next chapter is titled "Hound and Fox" and the following "Fox and Hound" ... this back and forth would be typical in the Spring of 1781 in South Carolina as the war in the South continue to rage while in the North there was a stalemate.

The Swamp Fox (Recap #12B)

Sherwood Forest" (Snow's Island)

Marion and his men setup the ideal safe space .. without drones/helos/planes/satellites or topo maps in those 2D days ..

At the confluence of the Pee Dee River and Lynches Creek was the winter of 1780 lair utilized by Marion and his men.  Pee Dee River was the north-east boundary, Lynches Creek on the north, Clark's Creek on the west and south and located within two miles of Witherspoon's Port and Britton's Ferry. Marion's fellow militia commander Hugh Giles had started development on this sanctuary mid-November 1780.

1) Inaccessible except by water, the cypress and pines offered the men enough cover to feel safe .. the canebrakes, briars and vines would signal those on guard of potential hostile activity. Beyond the natural aspects, Marion's men felled trees and broke down bridges .. sentries were utilized and even a small earthwork/redoubt at Dunham's Bluff on the opposite side of the Pee Dee River was made into one of several camps within the perimeter of this refuge.

2) A British officer's visit to this location from Georgetown for prisoner exchange had Marion offer dinner, sweet potato on tree bark along with vinegar/water mix (Roman Legion drink of choice for its anti-bio-tic qualities. The officer was so impressed by the sacrificial way this officer lived that he resigned his commission when he returned to Georgetown knowing the resolve of this mam and the men who looked up to him. Psych once more! (there is evidence that this MIGHT not had taken place on Snow's Island, but closer to Georgetown itself at another time)

3) Slaves were present and essential as Marion's servant Oscar ("Buddy") was his personal assistant, sous chef, bugler and oarsman. He also was a fiddler and Marion bought Buddy one after the war.

4) Nearby plantations and farms with Whig political leanings kept the men supplied and also kept the intel flowing. Marion made double sure that NO plunder was to take place in this region. In return, Marion also offered the locals some security from the Tory militia forces led by Ganey and Barefield. Also, when supplies were overflowing like when Capt. John Postell brought back 150 lbs of salt (most precious commadity in the state) from Georgetown after a raid, some of the salt was distributed to the local farms/plantations.

5) Local community support that Marion the guerilla had would be mimicked by later leaders like Mao Tse-tung and endorsed as part official US Army doctrine. Gaining the hearts and minds of the grassroots was imperative for good morale with the moral, material and intel support from the surrounding everyday people.

6) Crude lean-to huts were the norm for Marion and his men (unlike Washington who had much better quarters for most of the war). November 1780 the British had seized not only Marion's Pond Bluff Plantation, but also the plantations of Moultrie, Rutledge, Laurens as well as other "rebel" leaders.

7) January 1, 1781 had Marion promoted to Brig. Gen. of SC militia with a focus on the Lowcountry area east of Camden and above the Santee River. While Sumter was more senior being promoted earlier, their different styles would also lead to some continued friction as time went on in this war for independence. While five months earlier, with the devestating loss by the Americans against the British in Camden should have been the end of the road to independence in SC, Marion's tenacity ensured that the British would still be bogged down in SC for some time to come. 1780 was a year that saw 1000 patriots die, 66% of them in SC as well as 2000 patriots wounded, 90% of them in SC.

The Swamp Fox (Recap #12A)

"Do You Hear Me now?"

06 December 1780 finds Francis Marion putting pen to paper for yet one more communique with Horatio Gates, Continental Army Southern Commander. This was the tenth letter and Marion had only received one very brief reply to date. As he wrote he was unaware that on 03 DEC 1780 Nathaniel Green, the self-taught most brilliant military mind the Continentals had, had been made the Southern Commander.

1) Nathaniel Green had NO formal military training and little formal education. A "lapsed" Quaker (meaning that his membership was suspended because he was seen at the bar, called a "public ale house", in 1773) Nathaniel eventually withdrew from this religious sect and in 1774 organized a militia in his native Rhode Island. Greene was self-taught with a 250 book personal library. By 1775 he was promoted from private to major general of the state army and by June he was promoted by Congress to Brigadier General in the Continental Army at age 32. His defense of Long Island commenced in 1776 as well as his defense of Fort Lee (NJ) and Fort Washington (NYC) later in the year eventually gave way due to overwhelming odds to a evacuation of NYC on Christmas Day 1776 with George Washington. He subsequently was part of the Hessian attack at Trenton as well as the losses at Brandywine and Germantown. His forces held fast at the stand-off at Monmouth Courthouse against British forces under Cornwallis which was the last battle before the Brits shifted their effort to the south in 1780 with both Cornwallis and Clinton operating in GA and then Cornwallis alone in SC at Charleston.

2) Greene was greeted in NC by 2300 men of whom only 1500 were fit for duty. Greene commenced to write George Washington and Thomas Jefferson on the state of the Southern Continental Army on 04 DEC 1780 .. and also wrote Francis Marion on that day ... and the letter reached Marion on 22 DEC 1780. Green would write dozens of letters to Marion over the next two years.

3) Marion had used most of December to melt away into the SC interior with the British again on the hunt for the fox and his men. He left small units to keep up the harassment of British and Tory forces .. and kept on the move so the British struggled to get a bead on his militia. By the time he received Greene's letter he was above Kingtree at Benbow's Ferry.

4) Letter of introduction: "I have not the honor of your acquaintance .. but am no stranger to your character and merit .. your services in the lower part of South Carolina in aiding the forces and preventing the enemy extending their limits has been very important and it is my earnest desire that you continue where you are until further advice from me .. I like your plan of frequently shifting your ground .. it frequently prevents a surprise and perhaps a total loss of your party .. until a more permanent army can be collected than is in the field at present, we must endeavor to keep up a partisan war and preserve the tide of sentiment among the people as much as possible in our favor .." Privately, Green thought less of the typical militia, thought that victory in these various states (SC, GA) cold only come from regular army. Greene also saw the typical bent of militia towards personal plunder and pillage .. personal gain and glory and went on to state that they like the locusts in Egypt, eating up all the greens. Thomas Sumter chaffed under such generalities .. and probably due to his allowance of plunder and pillage felt targeted when he learned of these opinions of Greene. However, Marion could empathize with what Greene was saying as his own experience pre-1780 in the war bore that out to be generally true. Having directed militia operations for much of 1780, Marion himself was probably more against the pillage/plunder asspect and at one time stated "any soldier from any denomination who is found taking an article from any plantation whether from black or white" may be executed!

5) Greene the realist - knowing that expecting any reinforcements from the north was futile thinking, Greene was willing to learn how to best utilize the militia he had at his command via Marion and others. In time he saw the value of securing small posts throughout the state vs one big battle to secure either SC or GA. Marion as well adapted his operations in tandem with Greene's overarching strategy. Marion still admired the discipline of the regular army verses the anarchy that seemed to prevail in the militia, so he was a very interesting hybrid at this point in time. Greene also wrote in response to some of the needs Marion indicated in his last letter and said ammo was on its way but the army had no clothing and he also did not yet have a good prospect for a surgeon and then empathized about the hard service and great suffering Marion and his men had experienced but countered with the hope of the "great prize for which we contend".

6) Greene on intel - Nathaniel Greene also went into detail as to how Marion might encourage the spy effort so that Greene could be made aware of British movements around Charleston. Marion wrote back on the same day he received Greene's letter 22DEC1780 that these spies needed to be paid in real money, gold or silver, and not IOUs that Greene had suggested. In subsequent letters Greene left Marion to handle the details of gathering intel as this was all about understanding each others gifts and talents already developed.

NOTE: The balance of chapter 12 is rich in how the Swamp Fox designed the winter quarters on Snow's Island, a triangular shaped three mile by two mile swamp plateau that made this location a safe haven until spring operations were to begin. Archeological digs have proven that instead of one base camp, Snow's Island actually had several smaller camps both on and around the island so in typical guerrilla style, he and his men could move between all these to keep it all real. Snippet 12B will be used to expand the very real aspect of what the famous author William Gilmore Simms described of Marion's Sherwood Forest was that "The swamp was his moat, his bulwarks were the deep ravines which, watched by sleepless rifles were quite as impregnable as castles on the Rhine"