Who Was Francis Marion?

Brigadier General Francis Marion (1732—1795) had served in the French and Indian War. Marion has been loosely depicted in cartoons, books, and the recent Mel Gibson movie, "The Patriot." Marion is known for the guerilla tactics that he and a small, ragtag group of men used to stage small surprise attacks on British soldiers and supply and communication lines in the South Carolina's lowcountry. After these attacks, Marion withdrew into the swamps unfamiliar to the British, causing British Commander Colonel Banastre Tarleton to complain that it was impossible to catch the "swamp fox." Marion was later elected to the state Senate, and was appointed commander of Fort Johnson in Charleston. Just as he had refused to allow his troops to pillage the homes of British sympathizers (even though the British had burned his home), he fought legislative attempts to similarly punish state residents. He died in Berkeley County near the National Forest that now bears his name, along with counties in 17 states and at least 29 towns.