n--- at Wadboo Aug. 29, 1782

nBritish foraging ever-farther from Charlestown.

nAmbushes Fraser’s dragoons.

nMisses chance for  knock-out blow:  cavalry quartered five miles away.

nNew roles

nCommissary

nMathews: “The situation of the Army for want of beef is truly distressing…”

nGadsden: “I send to the Governor every day for my rations of beef.  This moment my boy has returned without any--bringing a note that there are none and that the army is dissatisfied about them.  I wish these dissatisfactions may not increase daily more and more and bring on some dangerous crisis. “

nPoliceman: Stop flow of goods into Charlestown

nMarion Brigade Orders, Sep. 18:

n“The Sedition Act makes every person who goes or attempts to go to the Enemy or who gives any Intelligence or Supplies them with Provisions or any Article, Death without Benefit of Clergy.”

nMarion to Mathews:

n“…So Great a Trade is carried on along Wambaw & Goose Creek…that all my Vigilance to stop it is fruitless…” I find to stop this Trade of feeding the Enemy, must be Effected by taking every person adjacent to Town & make them prisoners...”

n…believe me good Sir I wish to be Clear of every Publick Employment; but to retire when my Country calls for my poor Abilities, I should Call it Cowardice, & am determined, notwithstanding my debilitated Body, to do everything in my Power to see this once happy Country Enjoy its former Liberty.”

n“The Governor and Council are desirous that no Military parties but those particularly pointed out nor Citizens should be permitted to enter Charlestown on the evacuation, until the Civil Authority are introduced.”

n“I plainly foresee a great deal of confusion and perhaps worse consequences that will arise from an indiscriminate admission of the inhabitants previous to the re-establishment of Civil Government in the town.”

n“For fear the Militia with you may imagine they are kept out of Town should the enemy leave at the instance of the Army, I have sent you a copy of the Governor’s letter…”

n“My reasons for requesting that the militia should be Discharged here is that they wish to return to there family as soon as possible…”

n“…my reason…is that I never had the small pox & it may be in town & I woud not wish to take it naturally.”

nBritish complete evacuation:

nMore than 5,000 slaves

nNearly 4,000 Loyalists

nContinental Army enters Charlestown

n“…the Town was evacuated and possessed without the least confusion, our advance following close upon their Rear.  The Governor was conducted into his Capital the same Day, the civil police established the day following, and the Day after the Town opened for business.  This important event gives us compleat possession of all the Southern State…The People are once more free…”

n“General Marion Congratulates the troops under his Command on the Evacuation…The General returns his warmest thanks to the officers and men who with unwaried patience & Fortitude have under gone the greatest fatigues & Hardships which must ever reflect the Highest honour on them.”

nReturn to Pond Bluff

nPlantation had been confiscated by British

nRansacked, when abandoned

nOnly ten Negroes left

n“Overcomes” fear of smallpox

nReturns to Charlestown

nIntercedes for suspected Loyalists; letter to Mathews read in House Jan. 25

n Dr. Lynah – neighbor and physician to prisoners

nWayne – merchant and spy

n“I only lament that my Country had not considered the merits of such Officers & provided for them , Instead of Giving to Strangers.  Ten Thousand Guineas…would have a Great way in Elevating the distresses of a great many good & faithful servants…But as the old saying is, ‘That kisses go by favour.’   I have lost one half of all I had & am now to set down with half Pay & 10 Working Negroes which is all my fortune…but all this Cannot alter my love for my Country,  My principles Cannot be Altered by Neglect…”

nGadsden: 

n“I perfectly agree with you, we cannot be too watchful and jealous of men in power, and can not look too narrowly into all their actions…”

nWith regard to the Confiscation Act—it has haunted me… when the Bill came to the last definitive passing I then told the House, holding up both my hands, that before I would give my vote for such a Bill I would suffer them to be cut off.“

nBurke on the Confiscation Act:

nLaw of Nations “allow the people to shift for themselves, when the lawful prince is driven out…”

nMarion:

nSilent voice of reason

nHis sentiments had been made official in treaty with Loyalists on the Pee Dee, June 1781:

nArticle  VIII:  “…they shall have a full pardon for all treasons committed by them against the state, and enjoy their property, and be protected by the laws thereof.”

nChaos in the Country

nCountryside decimated:

nMoultrie, “…not the vestiges of horses, cattle, hogs, pr deer etc. was to be found.”

nDragoons “on their scouts, no living creature was to be found.”

nPlantations ruined

nNo crops planted, no stock

nNo slaves to work the fields

n96 -- Over 1,400 widows

nCamden & 96 – more males under 16 than adults

nNo hard cash (specie)

nPoverty

nRampant banditry (“Out-Lyers”)

nBounties to hunt Loyalists

nAnti-Tory rallies 1783-1785

nMobs railed against Loyalists, leniency of confiscations, easy terms for British merchants.

nBy June 1783 four murdered.

n Ramsay: “A spirit has gone forth among the lower class of people to drive away certain persons whom they called Tories.”

nNo Courts

nBurke, “Holding courts at present is a farce, a mockery of justice…” 

nAfter a Tory was acquitted, he was hanged by a mob.

nSenate finally convenes Jan. 23

nMarion named to Senate committee to review confiscation, banishment, and amercement

n250 relief petitions

nSusan Smyth petition first of many Marion supported

nPostponed banishment for most:  77 returned to state

nConfiscation: Militia commanders submitted 678 names of men who joined British army

n66 confiscated properties sold

nMarion toast: “Damnation to the confiscation act.”

nResigns part of militia command

nSenate votes to award Marion a gold medal

nCharlestown incorporated as Charleston, Aug. 1783

nBritish merchants to stay until Jan. 1, 1784

nSettle debts

nSell inventory

nMarion moves to reduce dues:  12 days’ pay to 4.

 nPreliminary Peace Treaty Announcement

nGrand Party in Charlestown  April 1783

nSC Continentals marched from the State House to Moultrie’s house with “a general volley of musquetry from the whole line…drums beating…huzzas” of  God save the State.

nIndicators

nRice                      Pre-war         1782          1783

nSlave imports  1783       1784

nNew capital from England

nEasy credit, but at extreme interest – 50-75%

nCash-poor planters went deeply in debt

nJuly 1784: Gov. Guerard advises calling session of Legislature to call out the “Generals Marion’s and Winn’s Whole Brigades” if  the “armed citizens of the city” cannot quell the next riot.

nConference Committee rules on Loyalists: Marion’s reviews:

nDr. James Lynah: (surgeon to Marion), carried Pulaski from field at Savannah:  pardon.

nRichard Wayne: amercement.

nPhilip Porcher: amercement.

nRobert Blair: amercement.

nJames Gordon identified by Marion as a Lt. Col. “who Commanded the militia under the British Government & acted in Conjunction to keep the Little Pede men in arms against us…”:  amercement.

n125 relieved

nSumter & Pickens indemnified from prosecution for Rev War actions.  Marion insisted on being excluded.

nDebtor Relief

nLand tax on value, instead of acreage.

nLow Country up 200-500%

nBack Country down 50-75%

nMarion Commandant of Fort Johnson

nAt Pond Bluff sends to Mr. Watson at Wadboo Landing list of goods needed.

nAsks Watson to allow Robert Marion to have goods from store and charge to Gabriel’s estate.

nInforms Watson what he is sending to Charleston & what he needs. 

nOrders broad hoes and adds in postscript, “Let Buddy have a fidell and Charge it to F M.”

 nMarion Family

nTheodore Samuel Marion--son of Job Marion--and Robert Marion--son of Gabriel Marion--graduate from Penn.

nState unraveling

nPre-war debts coming due, creditors pursuing claims.

nRioting continues.

nPrivy Council votes to “call the Legislature by Proclamation and advise the sending for Generals Marion’s and Winn’s whole Brigades” to quell the riots in Charlestown, since “the Militia and Artillery of the city…are found not to be depended upon…”

n1,000 planters/farmers riot, block

ncircuit court in Camden.

nThreaten violence for debt tax relief.

nJudge Faucheraud Grimke faces

nGov. Moultrie calls special session of Legislature

nEconomy addressed through debt relief laws

nPine Barren Act – debtor pays with land at 75% of value

nExecution Sales Act – State issued £100,000 in currency to pay taxes or debts.

nClosed courts until currency put into circulation

nSouth Carolina pays Marion 700£  “for Sundries for Continentals and Militia in 1780, 1781, 1782, & 1783.“

nMarion receives land grant for 302 A. in St. John’s, Berkeley County.

nMarion petitions Congress for the cost of goods supplied during the war.  He would be paid $6,000 in 1790. 

nEconomy – Since 1783

nRice–up 250%;  Lumber–up 700%; Shingles – up 1500%

nLand Values – up 300% 

nIndigo – disappears as cash crop.

nGeneral Assembly

nVotes for new capital.

nMarion & others petition  for the  Santee Canal.

nMaham petitions House for refund of 100£ fine.

nWhen Maham was served “a Writ at the Suit of Doctor Lynah,” he stuffed the writ into the mouth of the civil officer delivering it.

nMarion named to the Senate committee to review case.

nTheodore-Samuel Marion marries Charlotte Ashby, niece of the general, widow of Anthony Ashby.

nOn the same day…

n Uncle Francis Marion (54) marries his cousin Mary Videau, (daughter of Francis’s mother’s sister) at Little Pond Bluff.

nMarion to Gov. Pinckney

nAsks Gov. Thomas Pinckney about Fort Johnson:

        no funds had been appropriated.

nMentions “complaint in my eyes which yet continues.”

nNotes that smallpox has broken out in Charleston.

n“Wrought” will.

nGov. Pinckney to Marion

nWill review the militia regiments.

nDirects Marion to assemble annual regimental musters and company musters every two months.

nGeneral Assembly

nSlave import banned for 3 years

nDebtor relief again a major issue

nSouth Carolina ratifies the US Constitution

nThe Vote:  149 Yeas, 73 Nays, 9 Abstentions.

nMarion was curiously absent.

nBack Country against Constitution, but Convention was stacked with Federalists: Low Country planters and merchants.

nGeneral Assembly

nHouse recommends repealing the act making Marion Commandant at Fort Johnson, but …

nGeneral Assembly uses different tactic, stipulating that Marion must reside at Fort Johnson and take an 80% pay cut.

nMarion files census

nPurpose – “for ascertaining a just and adequate representation.

n“all free white men of every age from 16 Years and upwards” in his militia district –

n… then heads for Pond  Bluff Oct. 30. 

Gen & Mrs Marion and Buddy (Oscar) depart Pond Bluff headed

to St. Stephens Church.   www.swampfoxtrail.com

nMarion

n Advises adjutant: brigade officers to take another census

nLeaves fort for Pond Bluff

n“…am Oblige to be at the Plantation… otherways I should be a very Considerable Losser and my finances will not bare it.”

nAdjutant and Marion at odds?

n“…time…is greatly alterd or I shoud have seen Major Muller before this day---I thought I Was an Old Alminack out of date with the Public but never thought I shoud be so with you!  Alas!  Aalas.

nResigns as commandant at Fort Johnson in November.

nColumbia opens for business as the capital of South Carolina.

nSC Constitutional Convention

nAntagonism between Low and Back Country

nJohn Lloyd: Gentlemen had to exert themselves to prevent “Malcontented Party” from electing representatives from the “lower class.”

nSea island cotton became largest cash crop

nMarion delegate to State Constitutional Convention

n attends 25 days (plus 5 days travel), paid $60.

nGives deposition,

nSupports Silvester Dunn’s contention that Col. John Marshall had taken the planter’s slaves.

nMarshall refused to return the slaves when ordered by Marion.

nMarion had written Sumter about Marshall in 1781,

nWashington’s Southern Tour

nMarion (on April 30) to Harriett Pinckney Horry, declares,

nWashington

nbreakfasted at Hampton May 1.

nadvised Mrs. Horry not to cut down the live oak in the front yard at Hampton -- the tree still stands.

nNo record of Marion meeting Washington:

nIn February elected Justice of  the Quorum and of the Peace for Charleston District.

nIn December succeeded Moultrie as senator.

nSlave insurrection in Saint Domingue (now Haiti): deaths of over 4,000 whites.

nSouth Carolina feared slave revolt.

nWar between Britain and

n“Citizen” Genet, French Minister to US, arrives,

nGenerates pro-French enthusiasm

nAttests will originally written in 1787.

nOn Dec. 21 named to joint Senate-House committee on appointment of tax collectors.

nEli Whitney’s cotton gin begins different revolution, changing the South forever.

nIn the election for Electors for US President and VP, Marion received 12 votes.  68 were needed for election.

nMarion and Sumter have strong support in the election for major general to command the militia for the lower district

nC.C. Pinckney agrees to be compromise candidate, if elected unanimously.

nThe vote is not unanimous:

nMarion – 22

nSumter – 21

n148 citizens thank Marion for his service:

n“Your Achievements…remain recorded in such Indelible Characters upon our minds that neither length of time nor  Change of Circumstances can Efface them…”

n“Continue to Enjoy Dignity…with the

n

nPeter Horry is the first signer.

n“Yr Aunt Is well & hearty as well as Miss Videau, my self is

 

 very Ailing . . .with Constant pain in my head for some time, by

 

[illegible] cold but Ardent[?] fevor –”

nFrom an historical preservation perspective, all you need is money and marketing, especially to the youth.

nYou have the food.

nYou have the manners.

nAnd some dynamite public figures in Nikki Haley and Trey Gowdy.

nAnd you have Francis Marion--the one you know and the one you don’t.