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978-0-89587-196-1
0-89587-196-3
$9.95 paperback
5 1/2" x 8 1/2"
240 pages
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After the fall of Charleston
during the American Revolution, South Carolina was devoid of any
organized resistance to the British army. It was under these
circumstances that Francis Marion organized his famous band of
partisans. They resorted to hit-and-run tactics, operating out of the
impenetrable swamps of the region. Every man and boy who joined Marion's
force was a volunteer. Everyone furnished his own clothing and weapons.
When Marion issued a call, his men left their farms and reported with
arms in hand.
Under Marion's clever
direction, the band eluded British general Banastre Tarleton so
frequently that he was recalled by Cornwallis. As Tarleton left, he
remarked, "As for this damned old fox, the devil himself could not
catch him." The nickname "Swamp Fox" stuck with Marion
from then on.
After the war, those who knew
of Marion's exploits pressured Peter Horry, one of Marion's closest
friends and an officer in his brigade, to write a biography of the hero.
Horry later sent his manuscript to Mason L. "Parson" Weems,
who had gained fame for his publication of The Life of Washington.
Just as he had evoked poetic license with the story of young Washington
chopping down a cherry tree, Weems took liberties to spice up Marion's
story. Horry therefore disassociated himself from the book when it was
published in 1824.
William Gilmore Simms, who
wrote a later biography of Marion, described Weems's efforts: "Weems
had rather loose notions of the privileges of the biographer, though in
reality, he has transgressed much less in his Life of Marion than
I generally supposed. But the untamed, and sometimes extravagant
exuberance of his style might well subject his narrative to
suspicion."
Recently, Hollywood has shown
renewed interest in the life of the Swamp Fox, so it seems only
appropriate that the first biography of this true American hero be made
easily accessible once again. Marion's daring, cunning, and
adventuresome spirit still inspire admiration over 200 years later. And
although Weems may have taken some liberties with the facts, he sure
tells a whopping good story.
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