A Brief and Continuing History of Clarendon County

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Chapter Two: Turmoil and Travail- Part One

by JERRY ROBERTSON

Life in the colony was disrupted with the Revolutionary War. England now attempted to tax the colonist for debts incurred during the French and Indian wars. Many colonists objected because they were not represented in the English Parliament. Those supporting England were called Loyalists or Tories, those supporting independence were Patriots or Whigs.

South Carolinians supporting independence (Loyalists) joined Regiments to protect South Carolina. At Sullivan's Island, the British were repulsed, so they then abandoned the South and concentrated their efforts in the north-east with New York as the base of operations. But, after George Washington defeated the British at Saratoga, they again turned their attention to the South. Georgia was retaken and Charleston, SC seized in May, 1780, they then marched into South Carolina and established a base in Camden.

A Santee resident, Colonel Francis Marion, who had escaped capture when Charleston fell, was appointed Commander of the Williamsburg Militia by General Horatio Gates. Marion’s men mostly lived north of the Santee River and along the Black and Pee Dee Rivers. Their hit-and-run tactics were so successful that the British sent five different commanders into Marion’s area to subdue him. They all failed. Marion and his men would disappear into the swamp when outnumbered, when the British forces were smaller, Marion would ambush them. Clarendon County played an important role in Marion’s campaign. There are at least twelve Francis Marion battle locations in Clarendon County. Lord Cornwallis first learned of Francis Marion when Marion attacked a detachment of British soldiers escorting a number of American prisoners to Charleston at Thomas Sumter’s burned plantation. After campaigning in the Pee Dee, Marion and his men again appeared in Clarendon County after mid-night on October 25thand attacked the British at Tearcoat Swamp.

Lord Cornwallis sent Lt. Colonel Bannister Tarleton, the most hated and feared British Officer to pursue Marion. Lacking enough troops to confront Tarleton, Marion led the British on a chase through Ox Swamp, Jacks Creek and Pocotaligo River. Marion prepared to ambush the British at Benbow’s Ferry, but Tarleton broke from the chase and went to the plantation home of the deceased General Richard Richardson. Forcing the family to watch, Tarleton had his troops dig up the grave of General Richardson. He forced Mrs. Richardson to prepare dinner for him, and after eating he had his troops move her livestock into the barns and set them on fire.

In December, Marion attacked a detachment of British soldiers at Halfway Swamp and Singleton’s Mill. It was clear that Marion controlled the road through Clarendon County and beyond.

Marion’s last action was the siege of Fort Watson, a British placement atop an Indian Burial Ground, which allowed the British to control a portion of the Santee River and much of the surrounding terrain Marion’s men built a tower of saplings with a platform at the top allowing his men to actually fire down on the British fort. The British soon surrendered.

General Marion was at the Canty Plantation in Clarendon County when he learned of the British surrender. The conflict officially ended in 1783.

This is the second of a continuing chronicle of Clarendon County from its early beginning to its present existence. Much of the information and facts in borrowed from Dr. Sylvia H. Clark’s excellent publication “Shadows of the Past,” a copy may be purchased from the Clarendon County Archives or the Clarendon County Museum & History Center.