A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion and a History of His Brigade

From the furnace of the Revolutionary War emerges a vivid portrait of the elusive “Swamp Fox” and the men who followed him. Written by a teenager who exchanged schoolbooks for a musket under Marion’s command, the narrative blends first‑hand recollection with freshly unearthed correspondence between the general and his contemporaries. Readers are led through the ragged birth of the brigade in June 1780, its daring raids across South Carolina’s wetlands, and the fierce loyalty that bound its members.

Beyond the battlefield, the author intersperses intimate sketches of the soldiers’ daily lives—hungry evenings by firelight, whispered prayers, and the constant threat of Loyalist pursuers. The appended letters grant a rare glimpse into the strategic thinking of General Nathanael Greene and Marion’s own candid reflections, adding depth to the larger revolutionary drama. Together, these elements form a richly textured glimpse of a pivotal, yet often overlooked, chapter of America’s fight for independence.