Marion to Florence to Clarendon County to Williamsburg County to Kingstree
Total mileage: approximately 201
THIS TOUR TRAVERSES the swampy area in the eastern portion of South Carolina that was the setting for the Revolutionary War adventures of one of the most legendary figures in American history. Due to his amazing exploits, General Francis Marion, known to friend and foe alike as the “Swamp Fox,” emerged from the Revolution as one of the new nation’s greatest heroes.
The tour begins at the junction of U.S. 501 and S.C. 38 in Marion County, named for the Swamp Fox. Drive south on U.S. 501 for 2.3 miles to a state historical marker for the Moody Cemetery, located on the right. The ancient cemetery is in a grove of trees just west of the marker. Among the graves here is that of John Smith, one of the many local partisans who continued to fight for the American cause even after the fall of Charleston.
Continue south on U.S. 501 for 0.7 mile to the state historical marker for the Battle of Bowling Green. On June 8, 1782, the Swamp Fox defeated Major Micajah Ganey and his five-hundred-man army of Tories at a site approximately 0.5 mile northeast of the marker. Soon thereafter, Ganey signed a peace treaty with Marion, and the Tories laid down their arms within site of the Lone Oak, the huge tree that had served as their rendezvous point. Partisan warfare in the area was brought to a halt with the treaty.
It is another 1.5 miles on U.S. 501 to the junction with U.S. 501 Business. Follow U.S. 501 Business for 1.5 miles into downtown Marion. The city of Marion is the seat of the county of the same name. Adorning the town green in front of Pee Dee Savings Bank at the junction of U.S. 501 Business (East Main Street) and Dozier Street is a magnificent statue of General Marion.
During the Revolutionary War, South Carolina produced more than its share of military heroes. Thomas Sumter, William Moultrie, and Andrew Pickens were illustrious sons of the Palmetto State. But the most radiant of its military stars was Francis Marion (1732–95). Born in coastal South Carolina, Marion gained his first military experience as an Indian fighter. At the outbreak of the fight for independence, he took an active role in political and military affairs as a delegate to the South Carolina Provincial Congress and a militia captain in William Moultrie’s Second South Carolina Regiment. His skill and cunning as a soldier and his ability to inspire his men led to his promotion to major and then to colonel.
It was not until Charleston fell to the British that Marion began to gain his enduring fame. With his native state devoid of Continental Army troops and any organized resistance to the British army, Colonel Marion found a haven in the almost impenetrable swamps of the region where he had grown to manhood. He and his band of partisans took to hit-and-run tactics. Operating from his junglelike lair, the Swamp Fox achieved a remarkable measure of success through speed, stealth, and surprise.
Once Marion’s guerrilla tactics began to exact a heavy toll on Cornwallis’s army, the British general dispatched Banastre Tarleton to take care of the pesky rebel. Tarleton’s efforts were futile. On one occasion, after chasing Marion for seven hours through 26 miles of swamp, the cavalry commander welcomed a recall by Cornwallis. He told his legion: “Come, my boys! Let us go back. … As for this damned old fox, the devil himself could not catch him!”
As this tour unfolds, you will see the swamps where Marion hid and the places where he chose to do battle with the enemy.
Continue south on U.S. 501 Business for 1.4 miles to the junction with U.S. 501. Follow U.S. 501 southeast for 7.7 miles to S.C. 41. Nearby stands a state historical marker for the Battle of Blue Savannah.
Approximately 0.25 mile to the south, on a swampy island near the Pee Dee River, Francis Marion, recently appointed to the rank of brigadier general, used his guile to defeat the two-hundred-man Tory army of Major Micajah Ganey under the command of Captain Jesse Barfield on September 4, 1780. (The historical marker incorrectly gives the date as August 13.) Earlier in the day, the Swamp Fox and his fifty-two mounted soldiers had routed a portion of Ganey’s army. Marion then feigned a retreat in an apparent attempt to avoid Barfield’s larger force. He then simply circled back and ambushed the unsuspecting Tories. Losing only three men, Marion won a decisive victory and broke the back of Tory support east of the Little Pee Dee River.
In the aftermath of the battle, Marion’s jubilant men took time to revel in their triumph and enjoy the spoils of war. They celebrated with roasted pigs and turkeys and a half-pint of brandy each. After a night of merriment, the Patriots struck out after the survivors of the battle. During the march through the swamp, they came upon a dead British soldier. An examination of his body revealed no bullet holes, and the guerrillas were bewildered until one of them saw a rattlesnake crawl into the nearby undergrowth. A gun was lifted to kill the snake, but one of Marion’s band pleaded for the reptile’s life.
A court-martial was ordered for the serpent. A horsehair noose was used to carry the rattler to camp, where the trial began. One of Marion’s men served as attorney for the snake and presented a convincing defense: “If this creature is a murderer, then so are we all. This snake has killed one British soldier; we have killed many. This is not murder, gentlemen. This is war!”
The sympathetic jury cried out in unison, “Not guilty!”
Without further delay, the snake was released into the wilderness.
Turn right on S.C. 41 and drive 7.9 miles south to S.C. 908. Turn left, proceed 7.4 miles to U.S. 378, turn left again, and go 0.2 mile to the state historical marker for Brittons Neck and Britton’s Ferry. Located 6 miles south of the current tour stop, the ferry on the Great Pee Dee River was used extensively by both armies during the Revolution. If you care to see the old ferry site, turn right on to the dirt road at the historical marker and follow it to its terminus near the river.
Turn around near the state historical marker and drive 0.3 mile north to the junction with Dunham’s Bluff Road. A nearby state historical marker notes that Snow’s Island, the lair of the Swamp Fox, is 1.5 miles south.
To enjoy an excellent view of Snow’s Island, turn left on Dunham’s Bluff Road and drive 1.8 miles south to the turnaround along the banks of the Great Pee Dee; en route, take notice of the swampy terrain characteristic of the area in which the Swamp Fox operated. From the turnaround, look directly across the river. On the opposite side lies Snow’s Island, a swampy parcel of land bounded by the Great Pee Dee, Clark’s Creek, and the Lynches River. Accessible only by boat, this isolated outpost in southern Florence County is very little changed from the time when General Marion established his camp here in 1780. From this wilderness, the Swamp Fox sent forth his partisans to inflict damage on the British cause in South Carolina.
Despite the geographic isolation of Snow’s Island, Marion’s base was not immune from enemy attack. In March 1781, while the Swamp Fox was away at Wyboo Swamp masterminding one of his most spectacular missions (discussed later in this tour), an army of New York Tories commanded by Colonel Welborne Doyle surprised Marion’s second-in-command, Colonel John Ervin, at Snow’s Island. After sustaining twenty-two casualties, Ervin ordered the camp’s defenders to retreat and to dump supplies in the Lynches River.
Although the attack cost Marion his prized base of operations, it came too late to aid the British cause, since Major General Nathanael Greene was soon to arrive in South Carolina to begin large-scale operations against the enemy.
Return to the junction with U.S. 378. Turn left and drive northwest for 5.5 miles to where U.S. 378 merges with S.C. 41. Follow U.S. 378/S.C. 41 for 1.2 miles to the bridge over the Great Pee Dee River. Here, Marion County gives way to Florence County. Continue on U.S. 378/S.C. 41 as it swings south for 1.8 miles to the junction with S.C. 51 and S.R. 21-57. Follow S.C. 41/S.C. 51 for 1.5 miles to the state historical marker calling attention to Port’s Ferry on the nearby Pee Dee. If you wish to see the site, turn left on S.R. 21-99 and drive east for 3.3 miles.
In Revolutionary War times, a ferry was operated here by Frances Port (1725–1812), the widow of Thomas Port, who was a member of the South Carolina Provincial Congress. During the autumn of 1780, General Marion used the ferry extensively in his operations against the British. To fortify his position here, Marion constructed a redoubt and mounted two old cannon to ward off Tories. Traces of the fort existed well into the twentieth century.
Continue south on S.C. 41/S.C. 51 for 1.4 miles to the bridge over the Lynches River. Near the bridge is a state historical marker at the site of Witherspoon’s Ferry. It was here that the Swamp Fox assumed command of the partisan militia in 1780. It was also here that Colonel Hugh Horry, one of Marion’s lieutenants, caught Colonel Doyle and his Tories retreating from their raid on Snow’s Island.
Turn around and retrace S.C. 41/S.C. 51 to the junction with U.S. 378 and S.R. 21-57. Proceed north on S.R. 21-57 for 19.6 miles to S.C. 327. Turn right, go 4.8 miles to U.S. 76/U.S. 301, turn left, and follow U.S. 76/U.S. 301 for 11.1 miles to S.C. 52 in Florence, the county seat of Florence County. Continue west on U.S. 76 for 4.4 miles to the junction with South Ebenezer Road and South Cashua Drive. On the left side of U.S. 76 just west of the junction is a state historical marker for William Gee, a private in the North Carolina Continental Line.
Gee settled in this area fifteen years after the war. As a member of the Washington Society, he was a prime mover in building an academy on nearby Jeffries Creek. To see his grave, walk southwest for 250 yards. Gee’s government-issue headstone is located in an unkept cemetery that is virtually inaccessible in the warm-weather months.
Return to the junction with U.S. 52 in Florence. Turn right and proceed 1.9 miles south to U.S. 301. Follow U.S. 52/U.S. 301 for 10.1 miles to where U.S. 301 veers southwest. It is 13.5 miles west on U.S. 301 to the Clarendon County line; continue another 13.2 miles to S.R. 14-50. Turn right and go north for 2.9 miles to the state historical marker near the site of the skirmish at Tearcoat Swamp.
Under direct orders from General Horatio Gates to continue his harassment of the enemy, the Swamp Fox seized an opportunity to strike here on October 25, 1780. Marion and his force of 150 soldiers launched a surprise attack on Colonel Samuel Tynes and his Tory army just after midnight. Without losing a single man, the Patriots inflicted severe casualties on the Tories and captured a good supply of badly needed horses and stores. Of even greater importance, a number of the Tories joined forces with Marion following the attack.
Return to U.S. 301. Turn right and drive west for 11.3 miles to U.S. 521 in Manning, the county seat of Clarendon County. Turn left and drive 0.5 mile south to the bridge over Ox Swamp, a swampy branch that flows into the Pocotaligo River.
It was here that a disgusted Banastre Tarleton called off his quest to capture Francis Marion. His troops and horses were greatly fatigued, and he had no clue as to where the Swamp Fox might be hiding. Lying ahead of Tarleton was only more of what he had seen for miles and miles—a forbidding wilderness of swamps and bogs.
Return to the junction with U.S. 301. Turn left and proceed west for 9.2 miles to S.R. 14-26 in Summerton, then turn right and go 2.3 miles to the bridge over Jack’s Creek.
On the night of November 7, 1780, after escaping an ambush planned by Banastre Tarleton, Marion rested his men at Richbourgs Mill, which stood nearby along the creek. Alerted that Tarleton had laid a trap for him, the Swamp Fox and his men galloped south through Woodyard Swamp until they reached the mill dam. As his warriors dismounted, Marion proclaimed, “Now we are safe!”
During Marion’s brief sojourn here, a Tory prisoner escaped and headed straight to Tarleton. As the new day broke, Tarleton’s horse soldiers set out to capture their elusive prey. But the Swamp Fox was not about to be caught. His men were likewise in the saddle at first light, and they led Tarleton on the arduous chase that ended without success at Ox Swamp.
Continue north on S.R. 14-26 for 8.2 miles to S.R. 14-76 at Rimini. Turn left and proceed south for 1 mile to the state historical marker for the “Encounter at Halfway Swamp.”
It was in this vicinity on December 12, 1780, that the Swamp Fox was outfoxed for one of the few times during the entire war. The episode began when Marion’s men slammed into the rear guard of a sizable force of British regulars and recruits under the command of Major Robert McLeroth. Realizing he was in trouble, McLeroth attempted to buy some time by proposing to Marion that the two forces fight out in the open. Marion countered with a proposal that each army send forth its twenty best men to do battle. McLeroth tentatively agreed to the proposition, but when darkness came, he pulled his army off the field and placed the soldiers in defensive positions.
For one of the few times in his partisan campaign, Marion had a numerical superiority in troops. However, he decided to wait for first light to launch his assault on the British. To his dismay, word reached him just after midnight that McLeroth and his troops had slipped away.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church stood near the site of Marion’s encounter with McLeroth. Established in 1757, the original structure was burned by the British during the Revolution.
Continue south on S.R. 14-76 for 1.2 miles to the state historical marker for the Richardson family and its cemetery. To visit the isolated burial ground, turn right on the unimproved road at the marker and drive three hundred yards west. Buried within the graveyard are several members of the Richardson family who rendered outstanding military and political service to South Carolina: Richard Richardson, a brigadier general during the Revolution; James B. Richardson, governor of South Carolina from 1802 to 1804; and John Peter Richardson, governor of South Carolina from 1840 to 1842 and the founder of the Citadel. Six of General Richard Richardson’s descendants became governors of South Carolina.
General Richardson died during the war and was laid to rest on the grounds of his plantation, which was located nearby. After Banastre Tarleton gave up his attempt to catch the Swamp Fox, he paid a visit to Richardson’s plantation. Highly angered that General Richardson’s widow had enabled Marion to escape by alerting him of the approach of the British cavalrymen, Tarleton sought retribution. He directed his troopers to dig up the body of General Richardson, who had been buried six weeks earlier. When asked the reason behind such a ghoulish act, Tarleton stated that he wanted to “look upon the face of such a brave man.” The Richardson family was forced to witness the hideous spectacle.
Tarleton also allowed his men to plunder the plantation house. More indignities followed. He ordered the Richardsons to prepare a meal for him. Once it was over, his troopers were unleashed to round up all the livestock on the plantation. The animals were placed in barns, and then the final order was given: the torch was to be put to the plantation.
When he reported to Cornwallis, Tarleton was boastful, despite his failure to catch Marion. “I returned on my steps & laid the Houses & Plantations of violent rebels waste about Richardson’s and Jack’s Creek,” he wrote. “The Country seems now convinced of the error of Insurrection.”
Continue south on S.R. 14-76 for 7.4 miles to S.R. 14-373. Turn right, drive 1.2 miles south to U.S. 15/U.S. 301, turn right again, and proceed 3.8 miles west to S.R. 14-803. En route, you will notice a state historical marker for Fort Watson. To see the site, turn right on S.R. 14-803 and follow the road for 1 mile to its terminus on the shore of Lake Marion (named for the Swamp Fox) in Santee National Wildlife Refuge.
Towering above the lake and the moss-draped trees near the water’s edge is the giant Indian mound that later became Fort Watson. A wooden walkway allows visitors to ascend to the summit. A climb to the top affords a view similar to that enjoyed by British soldiers when they established their outpost here during the Revolutionary War.
Named for Colonel John Watson, who commanded a large Tory force in the area, the fort consisted of a small stockade protected by three rings of abatis. All of it stood atop the fifty-foot-high ancient Indian mound. A garrison of eighty British regulars and forty Tories manned the installation, which was a key link of communication to Charleston.
On April 14, 1781, Colonel Lighthorse Harry Lee joined forces with the Swamp Fox to invest Fort Watson. When the British command refused to comply with the American demand to surrender, Marion and Lee laid siege. They cut off the water supply to the fort, but the defenders dug a well.
The American commanders found themselves lacking in siege artillery, so they turned to Colonel Hezekiah Maham for a solution. Maham devised a log tower by which soldiers could direct fire into the fort. Five days were required to cut and prepare the logs for the rectangular crib upon which the rifle platform was placed. Finally, on the night of April 22, American marksmen took their elevated position in the “Maham Tower” and rained deadly fire on the hapless troops in the fort. Meanwhile, two attack parties scaled the mound and forced a surrender. Fort Watson thus became the first important British installation retaken by the Americans in their quest to liberate South Carolina.
Retrace your route to S.R. 14-373. Turn right on S.R. 14-373 and drive south for 1.4 miles to S.R. 14-664.
If you care to take a side trip to visit the former site of Nelson’s Ferry (now under the waters of Lake Marion), turn right on S.R. 14-664 and proceed west for 2.8 miles to S.R. 14-400. It is 0.8 mile on S.R. 14-400 to an unimproved road that leads to the shore of Lake Marion; turn right and proceed to the water. Nelson’s Ferry was located near here. In Revolutionary War times, the ferry was a major crossing of the upper Santee River. Great Savannah, the plantation of General Thomas Sumter, was located just north of the ferry. Tarleton raided and burned the plantation in the summer of 1780. Soon thereafter, the Swamp Fox, only recently promoted to brigadier general, ambushed a force of British regulars at the plantation site and rescued 150 Maryland Continentals who had been captured four days earlier at the Battle of Camden. Return to S.R. 14-373 to complete the side trip.
Continue on S.R. 14-373 for 0.1 mile to S.R. 14-727. Turn right and go east for 8.7 miles to S.R. 14-25. Turn right, drive 2.3 miles to S.C. 260, turn right again, and head south for 5.5 miles to S.R. 14-410. Turn right and drive 0.2 mile to the state historical marker for the skirmish at Wyboo (or Weboo) Swamp.
Approximately six weeks before Fort Watson was captured by the Americans, Colonel John Watson—the man for whom the fort was named—was assigned the daunting task of leading an army of five hundred Tories down the Santee River in search of the menace who had been disrupting British communications between Charleston and Camden. Naturally, the culprit was the Swamp Fox. At about the same time, a second British force, consisting of three hundred Irish volunteers under the command of Colonel John Doyle, left Camden on a mission to attack Marion’s base at Snow’s Island.
Upon receiving intelligence about the movements of both columns, Marion had to choose between defending his base and intercepting Watson’s large force. Relishing a fight, the Swamp Fox positioned a small guard at Snow’s Island and took the bulk of his wily band with him to meet Watson at the current tour stop.
When Marion reached this area on March 5, 1781, he deployed Colonel Peter Horry and a small group of soldiers near the entrance to the swamp. Marion then lay in wait with the remainder of his force. Watson’s army soon came into view. Horry’s men held the enemy in check until two pieces of artillery were brought up, at which time Horry fell back, followed closely by Tory horsemen.
Had it not been for a private serving under Marion, the tide of battle might have turned in favor of Watson. Gavin James almost single-handedly checked the enemy advance until the Swamp Fox could bring up the main body of his force. James put himself in harm’s way atop his gray horse. With musket and bayonet, he took on three Tories almost simultaneously. He fired a well-placed bullet into the body of the lead dragoon, bayoneted the second, who was charging hard with drawn saber, and then impaled the third on his bloody bayonet. The latter victim grabbed the barrel of James’s gun and was dragged for fifty yards until death caused him to release his grip. James’s heroics allowed Marion to disperse Watson’s Tories.
Over the next three weeks, Marion and Watson would do battle three more times. Meanwhile, Colonel Doyle carried out his successful raid on Marion’s base at Snow’s Island. But Watson enjoyed no success in his mission to destroy Marion and his army. Ultimately, he skulked into Georgetown complaining that the Swamp Fox “would not fight like a gentleman or a Christian.”
Return to the junction with S.C. 260. Turn right, drive south for 1.3 miles to S.R. 14-323, turn left, and go 1.4 miles to S.R. 14-351. Turn right and drive 3.8 miles to S.R. 14-48. It is 2.1 miles east on S.R. 14-48 to Williamsburg County, named for Prince William, the son-in-law of King George II.
Continue east on S.R. 45-48 for 2.3 miles to a junction with an unnumbered road. Turn right and drive east for 1.5 miles to the bridge over Mount Hope Swamp.
The Battle of Mount Hope Swamp, the second of the encounters between Watson’s Tories and Marion’s Patriots, was fought in this vicinity. In preparation for the enemy’s arrival, Marion destroyed the bridge here and once again left Colonel Peter Horry to block the advance. As a result, Watson had to use artillery to force passage. Historians believe the action at the current tour stop took place around March 9, 1781.
Continue east for 1.8 miles to S.R. 375. Turn left, drive south for 5.7 miles to S.R. 377, turn left again, and go 8.7 miles to the Black River. En route, you will pass a state historical marker for the Battle of Lower Bridge.
Soon after the encounter at Mount Hope Swamp, Marion grew concerned that Watson was going to proceed against Kingstree, the county seat of Williamsburg County. To counter Watson, he crossed to the north side of the Black River near the current tour stop, then destroyed the bridge and placed sharpshooters at the bridge site and the nearby ford.
Upon his arrival, Watson surveyed the landscape and once again called up his field pieces. However, he found the terrain here unsuitable for efficient fire. The Tories’ attempt to cross the ford was repelled with deadly accuracy by Marion’s marksmen, led by John James, Thomas Potts, and William McCottry. Over the next few days, American snipers and raiders constantly harassed Watson, forcing him to forgo his plan to attack Kingstree.
The tour ends here. If you wish to continue following the life and adventures of the Swamp Fox, you can combine this tour with Tours 2 and 3.