today we're looking at Francis Marion
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find more resources that go with many of the bellringer videos Francis Marion was a hero of the
American Revolution and would later be called the father of modern Guerrilla military tactics his
unconventional military strategy and ability to attack and then disappear earned him the nickname
The Swamp Fox much of Marion's life and military career was the inspiration for the action depicted
in the 2000 film The Patriot Francis Marion was born on February 26 1732 in Berkeley County South
Carolina on his family's Plantation he was one of six children born to Gabriel and Charlotte
Marion when Francis was about six years old his family moved to a new Plantation near present-day
Georgetown South Carolina at the age of 15 Marion joined the crew of a ship sailing to the Bahamas
on The Returned Voyage the ship was hit by a whale and sunk Marion spent seven days on a Lifeboat at
Sea with the crew before reaching Shore in 1757 at about the age of 25 Marion volunteered to join
the South Carolina State militia and fight in the French and Indian War much of the action Marion
saw during the war was fighting the Cherokee on the Western border of South Carolina during this
time he observed the manner in which the Cherokee fought using the terrain and cover of forests to
Ambush their enemy this manner of fighting was very different from the conventional British
tactic of lining up in lines and firing on their enemy years later Marion would apply these Native
American tactics during the American Revolution after the French and Indian War concluded Marion
returned to farming in eastern South Carolina by 1773 he purchased Pond Bluff Plantation Marion
became wealthy from his Plantation but that wealth was built upon the labor of enslaved
people it's estimated that Marion owned upwards of 200 enslaved people on his property during
this time he was elected to the South Carolina provincial Congress as tensions with Britain
continued to grow in the early 1770s after the opening shots of the American Revolution having
military and fighting experience Marion was made a cap captain of his own regiment with 400 men under
his command his first orders were to construct Fort Sullivan at Charleston South Carolina on June
28 1776 at the Battle of Fort Sullivan the British attempted to capture Charleston the British were
unsuccessful and instead turned their attention towards New York and would not return to South
Carolina until 1780. in early 1780 Marion suffered a broken ankle and left his post at Charleston
to recuperate while he was away the British laid seeds to Charleston and captured the city in May
of 1780 marking one of the worst defeats for the Americans During the Revolution despite his ankle
injury Marion was able to form a company of 50 men who attacked a British camp near Charleston and
was able to free over 150 American prisoners of War shortly after Marion and a small militia were
placed under the command of General Horatio Gates who had little respect for Marion and sent him out
on scouting missions while out scouting Gates and the Americans were easily defeated at the Battle
of Camden on August 16th of 1780 by British forces under General Charles Cornwallis the British army
under Cornwallis now began to March North sweeping through the Carolinas Marion and his militia now
embarked on a guerrilla war against the advancing British forces Marion used hit-and-run tactics
hiding undercover and never engaging the British head-on but rather picking away at them using
stealth and speed the British were forced to divide their forces to pursue the crafty
Americans Marion would go on to win victories at Georgetown terricote swamp great Savannah
among many others growing frustrated with Marion's attacks Lieutenant Colonel Bannister Tarleton and
his dragoons or horse soldiers were sent out to track down Marion in November of 1780. Tarleton
and his forces got on Marion's Trail and chased him for 26 miles through South Carolina swamps
but eventually gave up with Tarleton stating as for this old Fox the Devil Himself could not catch
him this earned Mary in the nickname The Swamp Fox and as Cornwallis and the British were eventually
defeated at Yorktown Virginia in October of 1781 Francis Marion continued to lead his militia until
he was elected to the South Carolina State Assembly in 1782. shortly after the British
withdrew their troops from the region Marion returned to his pond Bluff Plantation but found
that it was in Ruins after the British occupation shortly thereafter at the age of 54 he married his
49 year old cousin Mary Esther vadu he continued to serve in the South Carolina legislature until
his death on February 27 1795 at the age of 63. although not revered or remembered like other
revolutionary war heroes such as George Washington or Henry Knox Francis Marion's contribution to the
American cause was instrumental in bringing the war to an end with an American victory
and Independence so with that hopefully you learned something and thanks for watching