was all before them where to choose their place of rest;
and Providence their guide.
But Marion and Louisa did not leave their country empty handed.
Her Parents, 'tis
supposed, gave Louisa money, but what sum,
after this long lapse of time, is
uncertain. Nor does
tradition say
for how much Marion sold his little farm. But it is well known
that on their
arrival in Carolina, they went up into the country,
and bought a
plantation on Goose Creek, near Charleston,
where their dust now sleeps, after a long life endeared by
mutual love,
and surrounded by every comfort that industry and
prudence can bestow.
We have said that Marion left his country for the sake of his RELIGION:
which appears to have been of that
cheerful sort for which a wise man
would make any sacrifice. It was the religion of the gospel,
that
blessedphilosophy which asks not a face of gloom, but a heart of joy.
And thereunto
enjoin a
supreme love of God, and a close walk with him
in a pure and
benevolent life. From this, the
genuine spring
of all the sweetest charities and joys of life, Marion derived
that
cheerfulness which appears never to have failed him.
Even in his last will, where most men fancy they ought to be
gloomyas the grave whither they are going, his
cheerfulness continued to shine
with undiminished lustre. It was like the
setting of a cloudless sun: which,
after pouring its fattening beams on the fields of a live-long summer's day,
goes down in smiles to rise a brighter beauty on another day. This will
is certainly an
amiablecuriosity, and as it may be of service to the reader,
by showing him how free and easy a good life makes a man with death,
I will record it: at least the
principal features of it,
as I got them from the family.
After having, in the good old way, bequeathed "his soul to God who gave it,"
and "his body to the earth out of which it was taken," he proceeds
in the manner following:
In the first place, as to debts, thank God, I owe none.
And
therefore shall give my executors but little trouble on that score.
Secondly -- As to the poor, I have always treated them as my brethren.
My dear family will, I know, follow my example.
Thirdly -- As to the
wealth with which God has been pleased
to bless me and my dear Louisa and children, lovingly we have
labored together for it -- lovingly we have enjoyed it --
and now, with a glad and
grateful heart do I leave it among them.
He then proceeds to the
distribution. Liberally to his children:
but far more so to his wife -- and at the end of each bequest
assigns his reasons, viz.,
I give my ever
beloved Louisa all my ready money --
that she may never be alarmed at a sudden call.
I give her all my fat
calves and lambs, my pigs and
poultry --
that she may always keep a good table.
I give her my new
carriage and horses -- that she may visit her friends
in comfort.
I give her my family bible -- that she may live above
the ill tempers and sorrows of life.
I give my son Peter a hornbook -- for I am afraid he will always be a dunce.
But Peter was so stung with this little squib, that he
instantly quit
his raccoon
hunting by nights, and betook himself to reading,
and soon became a very
sensible and
charming young man.
His
eldest son, who, after his father, was named Gabriel,
married a Miss Charlotte Corde, by whom he had six children --
Esther, Gabriel, Isaac, Benjamin, Job, and our hero Francis,
the least as well as the last of the family. As to his sister Esther,
I have never heard what became of her; but for his four brothers,
I am happy to state, that though not
formidable as soldiers,
they were very
amiable as citizens. They bought farms -- proved their oxen --
married wives -- multiplied good children, and thus, very unlike
our niggardly bachelors, contributed a
liberal and laudable part
to the population, strength, and glory of their country.
God, I pray
heartily, take kind notice of all such; and grant,
that having thus done his will in this world, they may
partake of his glory
in the next.
Chapter 2.
Marion's first appearance -- a
humblecultivator of the earth --
the great Cherokee war of 1761 comes on --
volunteers his services
to his country -- is appointed a first
lieutenant in the
provincial line --
commands a
forlorn hope --
narrowly escapes with his life --
the Anglo-American and the Indian forces engaged --
bloody battle --
the Indians defeated -- their country laid waste -- peace made --
Marion retires.
Among the Mohawks of Sparta, it was a
constant practice
on the birth of a male
infant, to set a military
granny to examine him,
as a
butcher would a veal for the market, and if he were found any ways puny,
he was
presently thrown into a horse pond with as little ceremony
as a blind puppy. Had such been the order of the day in 1732,
Carolina would never have boasted a Marion; for I have it from good authority,
that this great soldier, at his birth, was not larger than
a New England
lobster, and might easily enough have been put into a quart pot.
This puny appearance continued with him till the age of twelve,
when it was removed by the following
extraordinaryprovidence.
On a trip to the West Indies, which his friends put him upon
for his health's sake, the little
schooner in which he was embarked
was suddenly attacked by some
monstrous fish, probably a thorn-back whale,
who gave it such a terrible stroke with his tail as started a plank.
The frightened crew flew to their pumps, but in vain; for the briny flood
rushed with such fury into their
vessel, that they were glad to quit her,
and tumble as fast as they could into their little jolly boat.
The event showed that this was as but a leap "out of the frying pan
into the fire"; for their
schooner went down so suddenly
as not to give them time to take a
mouthful of food with them,
not even so much as a brown
biscuit or a pint of water.
After three
wretched days of
feverishhunger and thirst,
they agreed to kill a little cabin dog who had swam to them from the
schoonerjust before she sunk. On his raw flesh they feasted without restraint;
but the blood they preserved with more
economy, to cool their parched lips.
In a few days, however, their own blood, for lack of cooling food,
became so fiery hot as to scald their brain to
frenzy. About the tenth day
the captain and mate leaped
overboard, raving mad; and the day following
the two remaining seamen expired in the bottom of the boat,
piteously crying to the last for WATER! WATER! God of his mercy
forgive me,
who have so often drank of that sweet
beverage without
grateful acknowledgments! Scarcely was this
melancholy scene concluded
before a
vessel hove in sight,
standing directly for the boat,
as if purposely sent to save the child that was tossing in it
on the
gloomy waves.
Little Marion was so weak that he could not stir hand or foot to climb up
the side of the
vessel. The captain, however, soon had him on board;
and by means of chocolate and
turtle broth, sparingly given him at first,
recruited him so fast, that, by the time he reached his native shores,
he was in much better health than ever. So that on his return to his friends,
it was found, as is often the case, that what was at first looked on
as a great
misfortune, had proved a very noble
blessing. His constitution
seemed renewed, his frame commenced a second and rapid growth;
while his cheeks, quitting their pale suet-colored cast,
assumed a bright and
healthy olive. According to the best accounts
that I have been able to
procure, Marion never thought of another trip to sea,
but continued in his native
parish, in that most independent and happy
of all callings, a
cultivator of the earth, till his twenty-seventh year.
A report then
prevailing that the Cherokee Indians were murdering
the
frontier settlers, Marion turned out with his rifle,
as a
volunteer under
governor Lyttleton. The affair, however,
proved to be a mere flash in the pan: for the Cherokees finding
that things were not exactly in the train they wished, sent on a deputation
with their wampum belts and peace-talks to bury the hatchet
and
brighten the old chain of friendship with the whites;
and the
good-naturedgovernor, thinking them sincere,
concluded a treaty with them. The troops of course were dismissed,
and Marion returned to his
plantation.
Scarcely, however, had two years elapsed, before the perfidious Cherokees
broke out again in a fresh place, killing and driving
the defenceless inhabitants at a most
barbarous rate.
Marion
instantly flew again to the
governor with the tender of his services
to fight for his afflicted countrymen. His
excellency was so pleased
with this second
instance of Marion's patriotism, that he gave him
a first lieutenancy in the
provincial line under the brave captain
William Moultrie. The reported force and fury of the Indians
struck such a
terror through the colony, that
colonel Grant (of the British)