Francis Marion was probably the most romantic figure to emerge from the American Revolutionary War. Of Huguenot ancestry, Marion was descended from a French family fleeing the religious persecutions of Louis XIV. His grandfather came from the French region neighboring Belgium and settled in South Carolina in the late 17th century. 

Marion was born on the family plantation in Berkeley County in 1732. He gained his first military experience in the French and Indian War in 1757, and was a keen observer of Indian tactics and those of the colonists in defeating them. Marion was commissioned a captain at the outbreak of war with Britain in 1775, and later as a general. Desultory fighting extended through 1779. Then, in 1780, the British took Charleston and a new and deadly phase of the war commenced. During the next two years, with several devastating defeats to the Americans ensuing, South Carolina found itself prostrate, with numerous British garrisons spread around the state.

The dashing British cavalry officer Colonel Tarleton was ravaging the estates and homes of patriots all over the state. And Washington’s army was too far away to send much help. Into this desperate and seemingly hopeless situation stepped one of America’s greatest heroes. Gathering a small force of irregulars around him, Francis Marion headed into the backwoods and swamps to carry on the war. He succeeded so brilliantly, it is hard to imagine South Carolina turning the tide without him.

Listen to this great history as you learn how Marion used guerrilla tactics to defeat one British force after another. It is a thrilling tale of patriotism, determination, and sacrifice.