| Tentative plans:
Oct 10-11, 2008 6th Francis Marion/Swamp Fox Symposium “Explore the Rev. War Southern Campaign, Marion & his Contemporaries” Immerse yourself in Francis Marion's world and learn how his contemporaries such as Horatio Gates, Nathanael Greene, Mary Esther Videau Marion, John Rutledge, Hezekiah Maham interacted with him, as well as the modern applications of Marion's style and Significance of Francis Marion. Site: FE DuBose Campus of Central Carolina Technical College, I-95, Exit 122, ½ mi E on US 521, Manning, SC. |
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| General
Francis Marion Memorial Day Enacted by the state of South Carolina May 2, 2007: The twenty-seventh day of February of each year is designated as 'General Francis Marion Memorial Day' in honor of this South Carolina Revolutionary War hero."
The best one yet: October 19-20,
2007: 5th Francis Marion Symposium, Manning, SC
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Fifth Annual Francis Marion Symposium by Chris Swager for SCAR The fifth Gen. Francis Marion Seminar, held on October 19 and 20, 2007 in Manning, SC, pulled off another all-star performance giving the public interesting scholarship and demonstrations. SCAR author, Scott Withrow, presented his paper on the myths and realities of Francis Marion in the 1761 Cherokee campaign which paper will be published in SCAR. The Friday program ended with information about the marsh tacky horses and included a trip to Silver Lakes Plantation to see them work. Eric Nason, dressed in period clothing and taking on the persona of Col. Peter Horry, presented an engaging presentation on Gen. Francis Marion’s most trusted lieutenant. In addition to being a major player in the Southern Campaigns from the beginning of the war through the end, Horry became a general of the SC militia after the war, a member of the SC General Assembly, and namesake of one of South Carolina’s 46 counties. Interestingly at the end of the war, Horry was in a political controversy with his peer, Col. Hesikiah Maham. Eric later demonstrated the difference between 18th Century rifles and muskets, the British and American musket drill and some of the usage of edged weapons of the period. Daniel J. Tortora, a Ph.D. student at Duke University, presented an excellent paper on religion in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War wherein he looked at the experiences of Anglicans, Baptists and Presbyterians. He chronicled early Patriot efforts to secure the support of Anglican clergymen and backcountry Baptists and Presbyterians. He covered the Drayton-Hart-Tennent political mission to the South Carolina backcountry that attempted to sway those residents to join in the rebellion. He traced the constitutional movement to disestablish the Anglican Church and showed how Patriots incorporated religious freedom into the 1778 state constitution. In addition, he described the wartime struggles and divisions of clergy and congregations and detailed the deprivations of South Carolina churches. Religious life was deeply shaken. At war's end, he argued, the Episcopal Church struggled, the Presbyterians slowly rebuilt and the Baptist church united and thrived under the leadership of Revs. Richard Furman and Edmund Botsford as many new churches were constituted. Storyteller and author Christine Swager entertained the attendees by telling about Gen. Marion’s life after the September 1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs. Retired history professor, Joseph Taylor Stukes, gave a dramatic interpretation of SC General Assembly member, Francis Marion, and USC - Sumter history professor, Thomas Powers, replied as US Congressman Thomas Sumter. Both focused on their subject’s post-war political careers. Dr. Powers did an hour in costume as Thomas Sumter and he was magnificent! Dr. Stukes performed for an hour as Francis Marion in his old age wondering how history would record the events of the war - spellbinding. Joe and Tom did an impromptu presentation for the dinner. Marion was on his porch in 1794 when Thomas Sumter, on his way to Charleston, stopped by. The conversation was sharp with Marion prodding Sumter, giving him an opportunity to talk about the war, their mutual disappointment and disgust at the failed 1779 allied Siege of Savannah, the noted personages Sumter had met in Washington, his increasing distrust of the Federalists, and his vision for South Carolina when the canal will allow traffic by water from Charlotte to Charleston. George Summers announced that the Harvin Foundation will donate $5,000.00 for a living history event at Bob Cooper Park in February 2008 to sponsor every third grader in Clarendon County, SC for a day visiting with colonial era gunsmiths, weavers, tanners, candlemakers, etc. This program is patterned after an Over Mountain Victory Trail event at the Mineral Museum in NC where they bus children in from as far as Charlotte for the day. Chris and Robert Swager, Carole and George Summers, Dickie Felder and his wife, and some Jack's Creek militia reenactors attended this event in 2007 and decided they needed to provide that opportunity for their local Clarendon County, SC kids. So lots of efforts to 'push back the frontiers of ignorance' succeeded in funding this project. |
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| Report
from the 5th Francis Marion Symposium October 19-20, 2007, Central Carolina Technical College Manning, SC by Dr. Anthony J. Beninati, Valencia Community College, Orlando, FL 
This annual event focuses on the life of General Francis Marion, better known as “The Swamp Fox”, and the role of South Carolina in the American Revolution. Few scholars realize that South Carolina suffered through more battles (63 major encounters with the British and their allies) than all of the other states combined (New York followed with 11). Once the British abandoned their “New England Strategy” to divide the Northeast following the defeat of General Burgoyne and the capture of his army at Saratoga, NY in October, 1777, few major battles occurred in the North. The last significant encounter took place at Monmouth Courthouse, NJ in 1778. In the following year (1779), Britain successfully launched a “Southern Campaign”, quickly taking Savannah, Georgia and then Charleston, South Carolina in 1780. The English strategy counted on their superior naval power to bombard Southern port cities as well as the allegiance of many local Tories, Americans who sympathized with Mother England due to their trade ties and property interests. Absent from their calculations was the cunning home-grown military prowess and anti-British fervor of Patriots such as Francis Marion, William, Horry, Thomas Sumter, and many others, especially backwoods Scots-Irish who took up arms against the invaders and their local allies. Marion would become known as "the greatest guerilla fighter of the American Revolution" during what is called the “Civil War” phase of the Revolution, an era depicted in the film The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson. Photo by Barinowski The conference began with a warm welcome from symposium organizer George Summers, founder of the Swamp Fox Murals Trail Society. He introduced key patrons of the conference and recommended a car tour of the Francis Marion murals on the various public buildings in Clarendon County. Scott Withrow (“Marion among the Cherokees: Myths and Realities”), a semi-retired educator and part-time ranger at Cowpens National Battlefield (site of a key American victory against the British in January, 1781), examined the role of Native Americans in the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas. The war bitterly divided Native Americans across the continent as they resisted colonial intrusions into their homelands but also established close ties to Americans through trade and intermarriage. The northern Iroquois League divided internally when all groups except the Oneida and Tuscarora supported the English, who in 1763 had issued a proclamation prohibited further colonial settlement west of the Allegheny-Appalachian range. 
When the British and their Seneca and Mohawk allies suffered
defeat at Saratoga by the Patriots, the Oneida, and the Tuscarora,
the Iroquois League suffered from internal disunity. A similar
situation occurred in the Carolinas as the largest groups there –
especially the Cherokees – predominately attempted to remain neutral
or aligned with the British but had factions that joined the Patriots.
The Sioux-speaking Catawba, traditional enemies of the Cherokee, joined
with Francis Marion to fight the British, providing important service
as scouts in the inland river areas (“Catawba” is often translated
as “River People”). The session thus explored the many dimensions
of the difficult position of Native Americans in what became the United
States.Photo by Westfall The second session on Friday afternoon focused on the role of colonial horses in the fighting of the Southern campaign. ln the session "The Marsh Tacky Horse: History on the Hoof", Ms. Jeannette Beranger, Research and Technical Programs Manager of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy(ALBC), explored the role of the once-common "Marsh Tacky" breed of horses in the American Revolution, particularly among the partisan South Carolina forces. DNA testing reveals that the Marsh Tacky is a descendant of Spanish colonial horses. By the late 1800s, Tackles likely were found as far north as Myrtle 
Beach, SC and as far south as St. Simons Island, GA.
Significantly smaller (13.5 to 15 hands high) than Arab or Quarter
Horses, the five-foot tall Tackles were reliable and good-natured
work horses of the Carolina colonists. Breeders consider the modern-
day Tacky a steady mount ideal for the wetlands and forests of the
region. They do not panic in mud and water unlike the "blood horses"
that the British imported for many of their officers. While they had
a bulkier body, their long yet narrow chest efficiently functioned
to release heat and increased their endurance in the sultry Carolina
climate. Marion and his guerrilla warriors saw this horse as providing
a distinct advantage over the more skittish and less heat-tolerant mounts
of the Redcoat officers.The evening concluded with a reception at the Silver Lakes Plantation in nearby Paxville, SC where hosts Don and Annamarie Marshall provided symposium participants with an opportunity to see the Marsh Tackies up close. Breeders Janson Cox of the Dragoon Horse Farm and David Grant, an avid horseman, hunter, and colonial era history enthusiast, demonstrated the breed’s ability to travel the backcountry and swamps of the region. Photo by Westfall The Saturday session began as Erick Nason gave a "Living History" presentation on patriot Peter Horry. ln full white "home-spun cotton" militia-garb (unlike the stereotypical woolen blue and red uniforms), "Horry" related episodes in his activities along with trusted friend Francis Marion in the Revolutionary period. He reported on both the difficulties and successes of their campaigns against the British and their local Tory allies. "Horry" also 
demonstrated the use of the colonial musket and differentiated
it from the more sophisticated but less-preferred rifle as a military
firearm. Likewise, his al|-leather helmet provided much more practical
service (even as a bowl or water ladle) than a "tri-cornered hat"!
And he confided that his problem of stuttering or "buck fever" sometimes
inhibited his shouting of commands at critical times but never impeded
his physical leading of men into a forward charge.In "The Alarm of War: Religion and the American Revolution in South Carolina, 1774-1783", Duke University doctoral candidate Daniel J. Tortora assessed how issues of faith caused rifts during the war. The Anglican (Episcopalian) Church, the "established" official Church of England headed by the King, accounted for approximately 75% of the church membership of the Carolinas. Congregationalist Presbyterians and Baptists composed about 15% of the general population but comprised a much larger percentage of the inhabitants of the backcountry and more ardently supported the Patriot cause. Nevertheless, the official Anglican Church in the Carolinas suffered sharp division among its clergy and membership as many of them offered support for the rebels. Resistance to the "taxes" of the official church often prodded Americans to defect to the patriot side as much as did parliamentary levies! Photo by Westfall Dr. Christine R. Swager, a retired professor of education, storyteller, and author of several notable books on the American Revolution, provided a comprehensive analysis of Marion’s later activities in her presentation "Marion after Eutaw Springs", a major battle that earned a Congressional Medal for the "Swamp Fox". She recounted his struggles with subordinates and colleagues, his retirement to civilian life, his marriage in his 50s, and his success as a planter and member of the legislature prior to his death in 1795. Dr. Thomas Powers, Professor of History at the University of South Carolina, presented a "living history" vignette of the life of “General Thomas Sumter - the Gamecock”, a Carolina veteran of the battlefield and member of the first Congress of the United States in 1789. "Sumter" discussed his ideological struggles as an adherent of "states' rights" as they existed under the Articles of Confederation with his role as a member of the U.S. Congress under the Federalist Constitution. He also explained how this led to a rift between him, Continental General Nathaneal Greene, and Francis Marion due to conflicting lines of military authority between State of South Carolina forces and the congressional Continental Army. Sometimes derided as not being "a team player", “Sumter" argued that the "weathercock" wavering leadership of Governor John Rutledge often left him in an ambiguous military role when the Governor changed his mind about the nature of Sumter’s command of the Carolina forces. The personal appearance of the Swamp Fox himself, General Francis Marion, played by Dr. Joseph Taylor Stukes, retired Professor and Dean at Erskine College and Francis Marion College, touched the heartstrings of the audience. "Marion" recounted his trials and tribulations in service to the Revolution from the perspective of his retirement after the war. Proud that he followed the "rules of engagement", “Marion” noted that his men never looted and that he always observed terms of parole imposed on fellow Patriots released by the British. He fondly examined how South Carolinians rather than the Continental Army "won the war." The Dinner Theater opened with the talented pianist, Norvelle Walker, playing the Richardson Waltz, which is now the SC State waltz and Bea Rivers and Tommy Brown dancing the waltz. Following the dinner featuring dishes such as Mary Esther Videau Cordon Bleu and Spy Nancy Morgan Hart Corn Pudding, Thomas Sumter (Dr. Powers) stopped by to visit Francis Marion (Dr. Stukes). The audience was treated to a dynamic exchange as the two relived their roles in the Southern Campaign. You missed the very best to date: “Marion and the War in South Carolina” Friday, October 19, 2007 Clarendon County Archives & History Center, Manning, has displays open to you today for their 10th Anniversary. 2:00 PM Registration / Sign-In / Welcome folders 2:30 PM Scott Withrow: Francis Marion Among the Cherokee: Myths and Realities 3:30 PM J. Beranger & Marsh Tacky owners: The Marsh Tacky Horse: History on the Hoof 5:30 PM Jeannette Beranger, The Marsh Tacky Owners and their horses Reception with the Marsh Tacky (to demonstrate their qualities for riding the backcountry and swamps 225 years ago): Silver Lakes Plantation Saturday, October 20, 2007 Revised 10-20-07 9:15 AM Opening 9:30 AM Erick Nason: Peter Horry, Marion’s most trusted Confident. 10:30 AM Daniel J. Tortora: "The Alarm of War": Religion and the American Revolution in South Carolina, 1774-1783 11:30 AM Peter Horry demonstrates the Manuel to Arms 12:30 AM Discussions and Catered Lunch 2:00 PM Christine Swager: Marion after Eutaw Springs 3:00 PM Joe Stukes as General Francis Marion T. Powers as General Thomas Sumter 5:00 PM Displays and Book Signings 6:30 PM Dinner Theater: An Evening in Revolutionary War History When Marion and Sumter Converse; as well as The Richardson Waltz (State Waltz of South Carolina) will be played and waltzed to. * Schedule subject to change. Remember you’re in the backcountry with the militia, so be comfortable. Symposium Site: FE DuBose Campus of Central Carolina Technical College, I-95, Exit 122, ½ mi E on US 521, Manning, SC. This was the 5th Francis Marion Symposium October 19-20, 2007 The Marsh Tacky: South Carolina Farmer Magazine provides background about the Marsh Tacky. Recent DNA testing shows the marsh tacky is a descendant of Spanish colonial horses. By the late 1800s, tackies were reported to have been found in the area as far north as Myrtle Beach and as far south as St. Simons Island, Ga. Tackies were found all over St. Helena, Daufuskie and Hilton Head islands up through the 1950’s. The little horses -- which stand about 5 feet tall and are known for their sure-footedness, their gentle dispositions and their ability to remain calm in the water -- were used for transporting goods, plowing and providing private transportation for children and adults. Tackies more than 50 years ago were on Hilton Head Island and brought over on a ferry. Tackies began disappearing after people stopped farming on the islands; and when the bridge to Hilton Head Island was built in the 1950s. Tackies have a good temperament, long manes, tails that drag to the ground and hips that turn straight down instead of rounded like quarter horses. Also, the horse is easy to break in for riding. Francis Marion’s militia probably would have ridden the marsh tacky 225 years ago and Tarleton's men did too. |
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| Two day Symposium: October 10-11,
2008: All events included:
$95/person, $165/ Couple
Early Bird Fee by 9/21/08: $85 / person ($155 / couple), registration closes October 3, 2008 For a view of Swamp Fox murals: www.swampfoxtrail.com or Francis Marion history in Clarendon County, SC: www.francismariontrail.com Registration to Attend 5th FM Symposium Name ________________________________ Address ______________________________ City _________________________________ State, Zip __________________ Phone ____________________ E-mail ____________________
2008 Important
Dates for 5th FM Symposium
Fees include:
All lectures, Friday evening reception
with Hor d'oeuvers
Payment: Make
check payable to Francis Marion Symposium,
Mail to:
Francis Marion Symposium, C. Hester Questions call:
803-478-2645
or E-mail gcsummers@ftc-i.net |
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Looking for Revolutionary
War Enthusiasts!! Read on. |
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| Call
for Symposium Presenters - Complete
this form for 2008:
Call for 6th Francis Marion Symposium Presenters “Explore the Rev. War Southern Campaign, Marion & his Contemporaries” Manning/Summerton,
Clarendon County, SC Presenter Selection Process Topics: Prime consideration will be given to those topics relating to Francis Marion, explanations of the near-by engagements, the Southern Campaign and the war in South Carolina. However, any papers relating to the American Revolution will be considered. Important Presenter Dates 2008 August 15 Proposals dueSept 1 Notifications about status of proposals Sept 10 Presentation Outline due to hosts Sept 21 Close of Early Registration October 3 Close of Registration October 10 5th FM Symposium Opens: 2 PM Welcome/Presentations/Reception/ Presentation October 11 Presentations, Lunch, Evening Dinner Theater Note: We prefer that presenters do not read their papers. Projectors are available for slide or computer presentations. 6th FMS (all sessions & Saturday evening special presentation): no charge to presenter and $60 for presenter spouses. Dress comfortably and walking shoes are appropriate. Book your own room and advise motel you are attending symposium for the special rates.Transportation and accommodations: responsibility of attendee. 6th Francis Marion Symposium Mr. C. Hester, Treasurer PO Box 667 Manning, SC 29102 Questions: George Summers: 803-478-2645 or gcsummers@ftc-i.net Latest Info & Details at www.francismarionsymposium.com |
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Proposal
to Present
at the 2008 6th Francis Marion Symposium
October 10-11, 2008 “Explore the Rev. War Southern Campaign, Marion & his Contemporaries” Mail your proposals to: Name _______________________________________________________ Title/Profession _____________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ City _____________________________ State _____ Zip __________ Phone ______ - ______ - ________ Fax ______ - ______ - _________ E-mail ______________________________________________________ Area(s) of Expertise _________________________________________ Topic _______________________________________________________ Directions: In two pages, or less,
please provide us with information about
your qualifications - Presenter qualifications should be typed/printed.
Mail to hosts at above address or E-mail to gcsummers@ftc-i.net
with Marion
as the subject
2008 Important Dates for 6th FM Symposium
August 15
Proposal
Topics due
September 1
Notifications
about status of proposals
September 10 Presentation Outline Due |
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4th
Francis Marion Symposium
October 27-28, 2006
“1781, The War Changes,
Victory in the South.”
October 27 and 28, 2006 is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Revolutionary War History. Let the American Revolution come alive and be real for you as it approached its crescendo in South Carolina in 1781. Ride where Marion rode on the Old River Road. See the battle sites. Make friends and meet researchers and authors as they tell and act out the extraordinary story of the Revolutionary War. South Carolina is arguably the richest of all treasure troves of Revolutionary War History. We are just beginning to push back the curtain and understand the magnificent courage and character of our early ancestors. A refreshing, wonderful experience you'll treasure for a long time.
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