and hastened through the overflowed swamps to confront Watson, who was again in motion, with fresh troops, and had encamped upon Cat-fish Creek, near the present Marion Court House. The partisan halted within five miles of him, and there, on the 14th of April, he was again joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Lee, with a part of his legion. This junction alarmed Watson. He burned his heavy baggage, wheeled his fieldpieces into Cat-fish Creek, and fled precipitately by a circuitous route back to Georgetown. Marion was anxious to pursue Watson, but Lee dissuaded him, and the next morning they were marching toward the Santee. Marion left Captain Gavin Witherspoon on Watson's trail, and on the evening of the 15th he and Lee sat down before Fort Watson. It was a small stockade upon the top of one of the ancient tumuli supposed to have been made by an early aboriginal race, upheaved near the border of Scott's Lake, an expansion of the Santee. It was garrisoned by eighty men, under Lieutenant M'Kay. Marion immediately demanded an unconditional surrender. M'Kay promptly refused, for the besiegers were without cannon, and he vainly hoped for the approach of VOL. XVII.-No. 98.-L Watson. The assailants were conscious of the dangers of delay. What could they do? Their rifle-balls were powerless upon the pickets, and the garrison could not be reached. Marion's Brigade never lacked expedients in emergencies, and at the suggestion of Maham, one of his lieutenants, a plan was readily executed by which the fort was taken. There was a wood near by. The trees were felled, carried on men's shoulders to rifle-shot distance from the fort, and piled up so as to form a quadrangular tower sufficiently high to overlook the pickets. Upon the top of this a parapet was made of sapplings for the defense of persons mounted there. This work was accomplished during the darkness of night, intensified by a clouded sky; and at dawn the next morning, the unsuspicious garrison were awakened by a deadly shower of balls from a company of sure marksmen upon the top of the tower. Detachments assailed the fort at different points at the same time. Resistance was vain, and M'Kay surrendered the fort and garrison by capitulation. Marion, with the prisoners and booty, pushed forward to the High Hills of Santee, and there, with his Brigade reduced to less than eighty men, he watched the movements of Watson and awaited Watson had escaped. Harden had captured orders from Greene. Marion was as impatient as a hound in the leash upon the Santee Hills. He heard the cannons boom at Camden when Greene and Rawdon fought on the 24th of April, and his scouts told him of the march of Watson up the Congaree, while he was too weak in numbers to oppose him. Lee and his legion had been withdrawn by Greene; four-score men of the Brigade, under Colonel Irvine, were harassing convoys of provisions for Rawdon's camp; a smaller party were watching the rising Tories on the Pedee, and the brave Colonel Harden, of Beaufort, with another detachment, was spreading terror among the British and Tories from Monk's Corner on the head-waters of the Cooper to the far-off banks of the Savannah. To enable Marion to confront Watson, Greene had sent Major Eaton, with some Continentals, to join him. They did not reach the Santee Hills until the 2d of May, and then it was too late, for Watson had arrived safely at Camden, and was preparing to cross the Wateree with Rawdon, to drive Greene beyond the Broad Riv Fort Balfour, at old Pocotaligo, with a hundred prisoners. His corps of seventy men had swollen to two hundred, and he had opened a communication with Pickens, Clarke, and Twiggs, then menacing the British posts at Augusta and Ninety-Six. Sumter was keeping watch and ward between the Edisto and Santee; and on the 8th of May, being again joined by Lee, Marion crossed the Congaree at Wright's Bluff, and proceeded to invest Fort Motte, one of three of the chain of British posts between Nelson's Ferry and the upper country. Fort Motte was the principal dépôt between Charleston, Camden, and Ninety-Six. It was the fine mansion of Rebecca Motte, the widow of a wealthy planter, and herself a sterling patriot. The British had driven her from her dwelling to the farm-house upon a hill, fortified it, and garrisoned it with one hundred and fifty men, under Captain M'Pherson. Marion and Lee took position near the farm-house, and planted a six-pounder upon a mound, in a position to rake the most important part of the British works. M'Pherson had no artillery, and his safety depended upon expected aid from REBECCA MOTTE. Ninety-Six or Camden. The besiegers commenced regular approaches by a trench; but when intelligence reached them that Rawdon was on his march from Camden to Nelson's Ferry, and would probably fall upon their rear within forty hours, it was resolved to abandon the too slow advance to certain victory. Lee delicately suggested to Mrs. Motte the necessity of burning her mansion in order to dislodge the British. Her assent was not only promptly but cheerfully given, and when several attempts to hurl ignited combustibles upon the roof by means of inferior bows and arrows had failed, the patriotic lady brought out some superior ones, which an English gentleman from the East Indies had presented to her. These carried their fatal burdens with unerring precision, and soon the dry shingles, upon which the rays of the sun had been pouring for twelve consecutive days, were all in a blaze. British soldiers ran up from within to quench the flames, when two shots from Marion's field-piece raked the loft, and they retreated below. M'Pherson hung out a white flag, the firing ceased, the flames were extinguished, the garrison was surrendered, and two hours afterward the American and British officers were entertained together with a sumptous dinner at the table of Mrs. Motte. Colonel Horry, who was present on that occasion, relates an amusing anecdote. The bland courtesy of Mrs. Motte, and the kind deportment of the American officers, gave even the tone of hilarity to the company. Among the prisoners was Captain Ferguson, an officer of considerable reputation. He introduced himself to Colonel Horry, and said, "I was with Colonel Watson when he fought your General Marion on Sampit. I think I saw you there with a party of horse; and also at Nelson's Ferry, when Marion surprised our party at the house. But," he continued, "I was hid in high grass and escaped. You were fortunate in your escape at Sampit, for Watson and Small had twelve hundred men." "If so," replied Horry, "I certainly was fortunate, for I did not suppose they had half that number." "I consider myself," added the Captain, "equally fortunate in escaping at Nelson's Old Field." Truly you were," answered Horry, dryly; "for Marion had but thirty militiamen on that occasion!" The officers present laughed heartily. When Greene (who arrived just after dinner) asked Horry how he came to affront Captain Ferguson, the partisan replied, "He affronted himself, by telling his own story." A cloud of ill-feeling hung momentarily between Greene and Marion at about this time. Greene wanted cavalry horses, and because Marion was unwilling to dismount his Brigade to furnish them, the commanding general was vexed, and spoke harshly. He would have withheld his words of censure had he understood Marion's necessities. They were keen stings to the sensitive spirit of the partisan, and, conscious of their injustice, he tendered his resignation. Greene soon learned his mistake, generously admitted his error, and apologetically urged Marion to continue in the field. The patriot's indignation was allayed by his general's justice, and the cloud passed away. The great evil of his loss to the service was avoided, yet a lesser evil accrued. Marion's men heard of the requisition for their horses, and, fearing the loss of them, many fled upon the deserter's path, with the plausible plea that planting-time required them at home. Yet Marion was not disheartened. He confided in all his men, and turning from Fort Motte with the remnant of his corps, he hastened after Lord Rawdon, then retreating rapidly toward Charleston, and smote his laggards with terrible effect. At the same time Sumter was successfully besieging the British fort at Orangeburg, and Lee and Finley were wresting Fort Granby, near modern Columbia, from a garrison of loyalists under Major Maxwell, a refugee from the eastern shore of Maryland. One after another the British posts on the Santee and Congaree fell into the hands of the republicans. Early in June the forts at Augusta and Ninety-Six were the only foot-holds of the enemy in the interior, and the latter was then closely besieged by General Greene. Marion and Sumter were charged with the duty of keeping Lord Rawdon in check, while Greene prosecuted the siege of Ninety-Six. They also watched with keen vigilance the British posts at Dorchester and Monk's Corner, and the more remote garrison at Georgetown. The latter, much weakened by drafts for Rawdon's army, was a tempting bait for Marion's ambition; and while Sumter kept an eagle eye upon the country between the Santee and Edisto, up which Rawdon would march to the relief of Ninety-Six, the bold Brigadier, accompanied by a troop of cavalry under Maham (now promoted to Colonel), hastened toward the Winyaw region. The people of Williamsburg District flocked to his standard as he passed through, and on the 6th of June he suddenly appeared be- | Charleston had organized under the command fore Georgetown. The affrighted garrison made but slight resistance, fled to vessels in the harbor, and escaped down the bay, leaving Marion master of that important post. He could not spare men enough to garrison it, so he moved every thing of value to the service up to his old camp on Snow's Island, demolished the military works, and abandoned the place. A cry for help now came from the country beyond the Lower Santee. The loyalists of of Colonel Ball, and had commenced laying waste the plantations in the Whig parishes of St. John and St. Stephen, and were carrying off provisions and live cattle. Marion hurried to the relief of the people, and played the same game so successfully that he completely checkmated the enemy. He drove the cattle, and removed provisions and other valuables to a place of safety beyond the Santee, and then so ravaged the whole country in front of the ma rauders that they found nothing but a barren | Marion with his shattered troops went lower waste. The loyalists were appalled by his won- down that river to watch the movements of the derful achievements, and shrunk back toward enemy. the capital, while the British detachments on the head-waters of the Cooper and Ashley rivers cautiously remained within their fortified camps when Marion was near. Lord Rawdon, in the meantime, made his way toward Ninety-Six, and by his superior force compelled Greene to abandon the siege, and retreat toward the Saluda. Rawdon pursued him a short distance, and then turned to the right, and took post at Orangeburg, near the banks of the North Edisto. Greene wheeled and followed him, but Rawdon's strength and the increasing heats of summer caused the American general to cross the Congaree, and encamp upon the salubrious High Hills of Santee. From thence he detached Sumter, Marion, Lee, Hampton, and other brave partisan leaders to beat up the British posts in the direction of Charleston, and cause Rawdon to leave Orangeburg and move down the country toward the sea-board. Sumter was placed in general command, and, with Marion and Lee for his shield and buckler, he soon carried victories almost to the gates of Charleston. Lee captured the garrison at Dorchester; Hampton pushed forward and captured a patrol within five miles of the city gates, swept over the country to Strawberry Ferry, where he surrounded and seized fifty well-mounted refugees, and burned several vessels laden with stores for the British army; while Marion, with wonderful celerity, scattered Tory gatherings in every direction. Then the partisans with united forces proceeded to attack a large garrison near Monk's Corner. They sat down within a mile of the British works at sunset, with the intention of making an assault in the morning. At midnight the frightened enemy decamped, after setting fire to a church in which they had valuable stores, and by the light of the burning fane Sumter and his army pursued them. Marion and Lee overtook the rear-guard of the fugitives at Quimby's Bridge, after a chase of eighteen miles. They cast down their arms and begged for quarter, while the main body gained the opposite side of the stream and attempted to destroy the bridge. The fiery partisans, one after another, dashed over the half-loosened planks, and drove the British for shelter to a strong farmhouse a little distance up the stream, and there Sumter and Marion waged a bloody warfare upon them for three hours. Darkness, and a failure of powder in the American ranks, caused the firing to cease; and the approach of Rawdon down the Santee made it necessary for the Americans to withdraw the following morning. It was the most disastrous battle in which Marion had been engaged. Almost its entire weight fell upon his Brigade, and fifty of his brave followers were killed or disabled. Sumter retired to the Hills of Santee; and Marion now suddenly disappeared from the Santee, and as suddenly was seen sweeping across the country, in the direction of the Edisto, to relieve Colonel Harden, who was closely pressed by a superior force under Major Fraser, at Parker's Ferry, a few miles above Jacksonborough. That officer's camp was at the Ferry. Marion prepared an ambuscade, and then sent some of his fleetest horses, with experienced riders, to decoy Fraser into the snare by a pursuit. The stratagem was successful, and the British were terribly handled. The sure rifles of Marion's men thinned Fraser's ranks at every volley; but when victory was almost within their grasp their ammunition failed, and the commander, with the remainder of his cavalry, escaped. Marion, however, did not lose a man, and effected the rescue of Harden. He slept upon his arms that night, and early in the morning he was on his way toward Eutaw, obedient to the call of Greene. When Rawdon left Orangeburg and went down to Charleston, he left the British troops in command of Lieutenant Stewart. These were joined by the garrison at Ninety-Six, because Augusta had fallen; and that remote post, unsupported by those on the Congaree, could not be long maintained. Greene left the Santee Hills toward the close of August; and Stewart, fearing the Americans would cross the Congaree, and get between himself and the sea-board, left Orangeburg, and commenced a rapid retreat toward Charleston. Greene overtook him at Eutaw Springs, and on the 8th of September they fought a sanguinary battle there. Victory, at first with the Americans, appeared to remain with the British at last; yet so doubtful was Stewart of success that he resumed his retreat toward Charleston the next day, leaving Greene master of the field. Marion and Lee pursued him some distance; and the Brigade being join EUTAW SPRING. |