The tories lay at Shepherd's ferry on the south side of that creek. To approach them Marion was obliged to cross the creek at a bridge one mile above the ferry. As soon as the front files of his advance had struck the bridge, with their horses' feet, an alarm gun was fired by the enemy and they were advantageously posted to receive him. A sharp conflict ensued. In an interval of platoons Marion was heard to call out, "advance cavalry and charge on the left." Instantly the tories broke and ran for Black Mingo swamp. The parties had been engaged for a considerable time so near to each other that the wads of their guns struck on each side, and both fired balls and buckshot. Neither had bayonets, or they would have been used. Captain Logan, and one private of Marion's party were killed; but of those engaged, nearly onehalf were wounded. Two gallant officers, Captain Mowzon and his Lieutenant Joseph Scott, were rendered unfit for further service.

The tories had five killed, and a considerable number wounded. Several of these had lately been companions in arms with Marion's party, but from mistaken views had changed sides. The General without delay marched into Williamsburg. In a short time his party was four hundred strong.

Thus re-inforced the General proceeded up Lynch's creek, to chastise the tories who had assisted Weyms. On his march he obtained information that Colonel Tynes was collecting a large body of tories in the fork of Black river, distant about thirty miles. The General instantly proceeded towards them; crossing the north branch of Black river, he came up with Tynes-surprised and completely defeated him without the loss of a man. When Marion approached, the first party of tories was playing cards; and Captain Gaskens one of the plundering companions of Weyms, was killed with a card in his hand. Several other tories were killed and wounded. In all these marches Marion and his men lay in the open air with little covering, and with little other food than sweet potatoes and meat mostly without salt. Though it was in the unhealthy season of autumn, yet sickness seldom occurred. The General fared worse than his men; for his baggage having caught fire by accident, he had literally but half a blanket to cover him from the dews of the night, and but half a hat to shelter him from the rays of the sun. Soon after the defeat of Tynes, General Marion took a position on Snow's Island, This is situated at the conflux of the Peedee and Lynch's creek, is of a triangular form, and is bounded by Peedee on the northeast-by Lynch's creek on the north-and by Clark's creek, a branch of the latter, on the west and south. Here,

by having command of the rivers, he could be abundantly supplied with provisions, and his post was inaccessible except by water. Major John Postell was stationed to guard the lower part of the river Peedee. While there, Captain James DePeyster of the royal army, with twenty-nine grenadiers, having taken post in the house of the major's father, the major posted his small command of twenty-eight militia-men in such positions as commanded its doors and demanded their surrender. This being refused, he set fire to an out-house and was proceeding to burn that in which they were posted; and nothing but the immediate submission of the whole party restrained him from sacrificing his father's valuable property to gain an advantage for his country.

From Snow's Island during the winter next after the fall of Charlestown, General Marion sent out his scouts in all directions. In January 1781, he sent two small detachments of militia dragoons, under the command of Major Postell and Captain Postell, to cross the Santee. The former destroyed a great quanity of valuable stores at Manigault's ferry; the latter did the same at another place in the vicinity. Thence he marched to Keithfield near Monk's Corner, where he destroyed fourteen wagons loaded with soldiers' clothing and baggage; besides several other valuable stores, and took forty prisoners chiefly British regulars, and effected the whole without any loss. In the course of these desultory operations, Marion killed and captured a number of the British and their tory friends more than double of his own force.

warriors

In the course of the contest, a new race of young had sprung up. The General was desirous of employing them, and to give some repose to those who had served from the beginning. Among these the brothers, the Postells, were all active and enterprising. Major Benson commanded the cavalry; under him was John Thompson Green; under them were Daniel Conyers and James M'Cauley; who on every occasion signalized themselves. Captain M'Cottry commanded a company of riflemen.* Wherever his name was repeated it struck terror into the hearts of the enemy. The warfare was various and bloody. Lieutenant Roger Gordon, of Marion's party being upon a scout upon Lynch's creek, stopped at a house of refreshments. While there, the house was beset and fired by a Captain Butler and a party of tories greatly superior in number. Gordon's party surrendered upon a promise of quarters, but after laying down their arms, Butler fell upon them and butchered them in cold blood.

No man was more beloved by his men than M'Cottry; his active services brought upon him a complication of disorders which shortened his life.

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In consequence of this massacre no quarters for tories," was the cry with Marion's men when going into action. Still however the regular British forces were treated with lenity, and agreeably to the generally received rules of war, when they laid down their arms. The pruning hook was converted into a spear; and the saw, under the hands of a common blacksmith, became a terrible sabre. Powder and ball were much wanted. On account of the small stock of both, the orders often were to give the British one or two fires and to retreat. Those fires were always well directed and did great execution.

Marion so effectually thwarted the schemes of the British against South Carolina, that to drive him out of the country was with them a favorite object. The house burnings and devastations perpetrated by Weyms and the tories under his direction, had not produced that intimidation and disposition to submit which had been vainly expected from men who disregarded property when put in competition with liberty. A new and well concerted attempt to destroy, or disperse, the brigade which had given so much trouble to the late conquerors was made early in 1781.

Colonel Watson moved down from Camden along the Santee, and Colonel Doyle crossing Lynch's creek marched down on the east side of it. The point of their intended junction was supposed to be at Snow's Island. General Marion heard first of the approach of Watson, and marched from Snow's Island with almost the whole of his force to meet him. At Tawcaw swamp, nearly opposite to the mouth of the present Santee canal on the east side of the river, he laid the first ambuscade for Watson. General Marion had then but very little ammunition, not more than twenty rounds to each man. His orders were to give two fires and retreat; and they were executed by Colonel Peter Horry with great effect. Watson made good the passage of the swamp, and sent Major Harrison with a corps of tory cavalry and some British in pursuit of Horry. This had been foreseen by the cautious Marion; and Captain Daniel Conyers, at the head of a party of cavalry, was placed in a second ambuscade. As soon as the tories and British came up, Conyers, in a spirited and well-directed charge, killed with his own hands the officer who led on the opposite charge. Conyer's men followed his gallant example. Many of Harrison's party were killed, and the remainder made their escape to the main body of the British. Such work required little powder and ball. General Marion continued to harass Watson on his march, by pulling up bridges and opposing him in like manner at every difficult pass until they had reached near the lower bridge on Black river, seven miles

below King's Tree. Here Watson made a feint of marching down the road to Georgetown. Marion being too weak to detach a party to the bridge, had taken an advantageous post on that road; when Watson wheeling suddenly about gained possession of the bridge on the west side. This was an important pass on the road leading into the heart of Williamsburg and to Snow's Island. The river on the west runs under a high bluff; the grounds on the opposite side are low and the river, though generally fordable, was then raised by a swell nearly up to the summit of the opposite shore. Watson still hesitated about passing.

General Marion, informed of Watson's movement, without delay approached the river, plunged into it on horseback and called to his men to follow. They did so. The whole party reached the opposite shore in safety, and marched forward to occupy the east end of the bridge. Marion detached Major James with forty musqueteers, and thirty riflemen under M'Cottry to burn the bridge. The riflemen were posted to advantage on the river bank, but as soon as their friends had gained possession of the east end of the bridge, and had applied fascines to it, Watson opened the fire of his artillery upon them, but it was unavailing. The west bank of the river was so much elevated above the east that before his field pieces could be brought to bear upon the Americans, his artillerists were exposed to the fire of the riflemen, who deliberately picked them off as they advanced to the summit of the hill. In the meantime Major James' party had fired the bridge. Thus were Marion's friends saved from similar plunderings and conflagrations with those they had suffered under Weyms. The practice of Watson was to burn all the houses of Marion's men that were in the line of his march.

Watson was so much intimidated by this affair, that he immediately quitted the lower bridge and proceeded by forced marches to Georgetown. General Marion repassed Black river, and hung alternately on the rear, the flanks, or the front of the enemy until they had reached Sampit bridge, nine miles from Georgetown. There M'Cottry gave them a parting fire from his riflemen. During these transactions, Watson commanded five hundred men, and Marion not half that number. The loss of the British is unknown, that of Marion but

one man.

The three officers, and all the men employed by the General at the lower bridge, were inhabitants, whose plantations and families would have been exposed to the enemy had they made good their passage. From Sampit bridge Marion marched directly for Snow's Island. There he heard of the approach of Doyle, who had driven Colonel Erwin from the Island and

taken possession of the pass of Lynch's creek, at Witherspoon's ferry. When M'Cottry, advancing in front, arrived at Witherspoon's, on the south bank of the creek, the British on the north were scuttling the ferry boat. He approached softly to the edge of the water and gave them an unexpected fire. A short conflict took place between ill-directed musketry, whose balls hit the tops of the trees on the opposite side, and riflemen, whose well directed aim seldom failed of doing execution at every fire. Doyle fell back to Camden.

In addition to these skirmishes, Marion made two descents on Georgetown. In the first, he came unexpectedly on a body of tories, whom he charged and dispersed after their Captain and several of their men were killed. In this affair Captain Marion, brother of the present member of Congress from Charlestown District, was killed and, it was believed, after he had been taken prisoner.

Shortly

Marion's second descent was more successful. With a party of militia he marched to Georgetown, and began regular approaches against the British post in that place. On the first night after his men had broken ground, their adversaries evacuated their works and retreated to Charlestown. after, one Manson, an inhabitant of South Carolina, who had joined the British, appeared in an armed vessel and demanded permission to land his men in the town. This being refused, he sent a few of them ashore and set fire to it. Upwards of forty houses were speedily reduced to ashes.

After the return of General Greene to Carolina, in 1781, Marion acted under his orders, and the exploits of his brigade, no longer acting by itself, made a part of the general history of the revolutionary war.

It was no sooner known in South Carolina that Lord Cornwallis had left the State in pursuit of the American army, than General Sumpter, who had just recovered from his wound, collected a force to penetrate into the heart of the country, as well with the design of distracting the views of the British as of encouraging the friends of independence. Early in February, 1781, he crossed the Congaree, and appeared in force before Fort Granby and destroyed its magaznes. Lord Rawdon advanced from Camden for the relief of the post, on which General Sumpter retreated, but immediately appeared before another British post, near Colonel Thompson's. On the second day after this excursion he attacked and defeated an escort convoying some wagons and stores from Charles