America has been blessed with more than her fair share of stellar individuals.
America has been blessed with more than her fair share of stellar individuals - people who have stepped up in a time of dire need and performed above and beyond the needs and requirements of the times. The reason for this, I believe, is that we are such a diverse and varied lot. We come from all types of backgrounds with an entire spectrum of talents and experiences from which to draw. No matter what type of individual the problems of the times require, there is someone in this primordial melting pot of players that will have just the right mix of talents and abilities to fit the purpose. There are the obvious ones, i.e. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln ... the list, of course, goes on. These are intellectuals and patriots who have led us, sometimes by the nose and in spite of ourselves, through the darkest and the most pivotal times in our history. But I am afraid that we sometimes are blinded by their luminescence which causes us to lose focus of the stars which burned perhaps, not quite so bright, or maybe for a shorter period of time. Perhaps the arena in which they worked was not as well known or less exposed to the world, but their work and achievements demand the same accord as their more published cousins. One of these individuals was the famed "Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War's southern campaign.
Francis Marion was born in 1732 in Berkeley County, South Carolina, the youngest of six children of French Huguenot settlers. As a child, he explored the surrounding swamps, until he knew them like the back of his hand. It is said that he never got lost. He learned about the local Indians and their methods of fighting and surviving in the swamps. His incessant exploring and foraging provided the means for his developing into an expert marksman as well as a horseman without equal. He was described as a small and light with a "hawk-like nose," but he always rode the fastest and strongest stallions that could be found. It was said that when chasing foes, none could escape him and when retreating, none could catch him. Normally sporting a grave demeanor that was often interrupted by flashes of insightful wit, he was considered courteous and kind, humane and considerate. Described as a true Christian gentleman, he was possessing of a knightly character. Marion developed his military experience by joining the local militia and fighting in the French and Indian War and against the Cherokee Indians in their uprisings.
Francis Marion was born in 1732 in Berkeley County, South Carolina, the youngest of six children of French Huguenot settlers. As a child, he explored the surrounding swamps, until he knew them like the back of his hand. It is said that he never got lost. He learned about the local Indians and their methods of fighting and surviving in the swamps. His incessant exploring and foraging provided the means for his developing into an expert marksman as well as a horseman without equal. He was described as a small and light with a "hawk-like nose," but he always rode the fastest and strongest stallions that could be found. It was said that when chasing foes, none could escape him and when retreating, none could catch him. Normally sporting a grave demeanor that was often interrupted by flashes of insightful wit, he was considered courteous and kind, humane and considerate. Described as a true Christian gentleman, he was possessing of a knightly character. Marion developed his military experience by joining the local militia and fighting in the French and Indian War and against the Cherokee Indians in their uprisings.
