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".
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