Francis Marion & the Legend of the Swamp Fox

Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, is almost a mythical figure in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. He was one of the first patriot leaders to use guerilla tactics of ambush, hit and run and then retreat before the British or Tory forces could launch a counterattack. His band of militia was made up of mostly farmers. He also had slaves and Native Americans, most of which were armed. He was a charismatic leader, who fought with the 2nd Regiment at Fort Moultrie at the beginning of the war, and later became the commander of all South Carolina militia. His actions, along with other militia leaders like Thomas Sumter and Andrew Pickens and Continental Commanders like Nathanael Greene, led to a slowdown of the British Army's movement north, so that General Washington had adequate time to build a Continental Army strong enough to defeat the British at Yorktown and end the war.