life of francis marion(弗朗西丝·马利翁传)-第54章
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having been captured with the garrison of Charles Town Marion was
without a command。 He was directed by Gates to go down to the Santee
River and assemble a militia force and destroy the ferry boats on the river
to prevent the British from retreating to Charles Town or receiving aid
therefrom。 Marion found a willing force of militia at hand on the Santee
with which he speedily drove off the guard at Murray's Ferry and captured
the guard at Nelson's Ferry and also captured a convoy from Cornwallis's
army taking American prisoners to Charles Town。 From then on he was
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Life of Marion。
very active。 In November； 1780； Governor Rutledge appointed him
brigadier general of the Lower Brigade of the State militia and his activity
knew no bounds from then to the end of the war。
This history of Marion's career thereafter； accurately and authentically
tells the story； for Judge James； its author； was one of Marion's active
officers。
Perhaps Marion's highly meritorious services would never have
received the widespread attention that has been accorded them had it not
been for a fictitious publication issued in 1809 by Matthew Carey； a well
known publisher； of Philadelphia； entitled： ~The / Life / of / Gen。 Francis
Marion； / a Celebrated / Partizan Officer； / in / The Revolutionary War； /
against the / British and Tories； in South…Carolina and Georgia。~ From
documents furnished by his brother in arms； Brigadier…General P。 Horry：
and his nephew； the Hon。 Robert Marion； Esq。 of Congress。
General Peter Horry； who had been one of Marion's most active
colonels； had written a history of Marion's brigade； but had not readily
found a publisher when he encountered Rev。 Mason L。 Weems； an
itinerant book agent and preacher。 Weems persuaded Horry to let him have
the manuscript； assuring him that he would secure a publisher。 Horry
agreed； but admonished Weems 〃not to alter the sense or meaning of my
work； least when it came out I might not know it； and； perverted； it might
convey a very different meaning from the truth。〃 Those were Horry's own
words to Weems； as recalled by Horry to Weems in a letter dated at
Georgetown； S。C。； February 4； 1811。
In the same letter he reminded Weems： 〃I requested you would （if
necessary） so far alter the work as to make it read grammatically； and I
gave you leave to embellish the work； but entertained not the least idea of
what has happened though several of my friends were under such
apprehensions； which caused my being urgent on you not to alter as above
mentioned。〃 。 。 。 〃Nor have the public received the real history of General
Marion。 You have carved and mutilated it with so many erroneous
statements your embellishments； observation and remarks； must
necessarily be erroneous as proceeding from false grounds。 Most certainly
'tis not my history； but your romance。〃 。 。 。 〃Can you suppose I can be
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Life of Marion。
pleased with reading particulars （though so elevated； by you） of Marion
and myself； when I know such never existed。〃
The book has been through scores of editions and printings and the
falsehoods that Weems concocted sometimes in malice have been
accepted as truth and retold throughout the United States and used in
encyclopaedias and text books； government reports and political speeches。
As a result； Marion has been honored by having counties and towns
named for him to an extent equalled or surpassed by few of America's
greatest men。
Judge James's book had but a limited circulation and it has long been a
very scarce book； hence it has not been the factor it should have been in
correcting the fabrications in Weems's book。
Judge James's book is not entirely free from error。 He begins his first
chapter with the statement： 〃Francis Marion was born at Winyaw； near
Georgetown； South…Carolina； in the year 1732。〃 Marion's family had no
connection with Georgetown until six or seven years after Marion's birth；
when his father moved with his family to that town from St。 John's Parish；
Berkeley； where he had resided since marriage。 His wife's family resided
in the adjoining St。 James's Parish； Goose Creek； and； as there is no
definite record of the place of Marion's birth； it could have been at the
home of either family。 The year of his birth cannot be fixed as 1732。 The
inscription on his tombstone gives the date of his death as February 27；
1795； 〃in the sixty…third year of his age。〃 If he had been born at any time
between January 1st and February 26； 1733； he would have been in the
63rd year of his age February 27； 1795。
（3） For the purists： A list of changes and corrections to the text。
The following changes in spelling were made； to update them。 In
some cases； both spellings were used； or an odd spelling was only used in
one distinguishable section of the text。 They are listed more or less in the
order they appeared in the text。
South…Carolina 》 South Carolina Broad…Street 》 Broad Street North…
Carolina 》 North Carolina Major Weymss 》 Major Wemyss （both
spellings given in the original） These spellings appeared only in the
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Life of Marion。
quotations from Lawson： staid 》 stayed turkies 》 turkeys hickorynuts 》
hickory nuts West…Indies 》 West Indies Hugonots 》 Huguenots （The
correct spelling is the latter； but the former spelling may have some
connection with the common American mispronunciation； as 〃Hyoo…go…
nots〃； rather than 〃Hyoo…ga…nose〃。） intreaties 》 entreaties Great…Britain 》
Great Britain co…operate 》 cooperate ancle 》 ankle controul 》 control
（both spellings given in text） shew 》 show New…Orleans 》 New Orleans
dispair 》 despair （extract from Lincoln's letter； chapter I） Port…Royal 》
Port Royal New…York 》 New York Lenud's…ferry 》 Lenud's ferry （both
spellings given in text） Black…Mingo 》 Black Mingo harrassed 》 harassed
adviseable 》 advisable New…Jersey 》 New Jersey Goose…Creek 》 Goose
Creek Wyley 》 Wiley （both spellings in a footnote； only Wiley in the text）
downfal 》 downfall three pounders 》 three…pounders alledged 》 alleged
swoln 》 swollen six pounder 》 six…pounder intreat 》 entreat （Gen。
Greene's letter； Chapter III） New…England 》 New England True…Blue 》
True Blue All…Saints 》 All Saints These spellings appeared only in the
Appendix： Your's 》 Yours inclose 》 enclose
Frequently the hyphen was omitted from numbers； but not always。 A
few specific cases： twenty five 》 twenty…five twenty four 》 twenty…four
seventy five 》 seventy…five thirty five 》 thirty…five
