https://johnsonvilleschistory.org/files/original/8a88ba9d0713536201faf34f1d82b1cc.pdf 44652f48b4970f45d38ba03e011ebc85 PDF Text Text Our Human Heritage • ' By WILLIAM H. CHANDLER ditor's Note: The third and final gment about the Prospect area will be ted in The Weekly Observer in early · . Publication of the third inment was postponed in order to blish this week's article which esponds with Bicentennial events arring at this time. The year 1780 was probably the most tful one in the struggle for inndence in South Carolina. In early September, 1780, British es were actively moving into the • • • ' • loyalist militia commanded by Col. John Coming Ball and Col. Joseph Wigfal had also been called in to Georgetown. And, in a final attempt to purge the area .. of insurrection, Major James Wemyss w.a s ordered · to lead the Sixty-Third Regiment, reinforced by Lt. Col. John Hamilton's loyalist militia, into Williamsburg. Following Cornwallis' order ••to put a good face on · things," Wemyss desolated the country between Black River and Lynches River, an area seventy miles long and as much as fifteen m'iles wide. Homes were plundered and burned, livestock was killed and • to the Great White Marsh on the Waccamaw River in North Carolina. Marion's men did not fare well. About ten days had passed by the time Major James arrived at the Great White Marsh to find many of his compatriots suffering from malaria. This situation was compounded by the news he brought of the destruction wrought by Wemyss . However , Major James also reported that the ''wantonness and cruelty' ' of Wemyss and his command had so enraged the population that many men were ready to take the field. Marion • The militia came .and went based on . .. . the dictates of their family and economic . situations, their inclinations, and thei~ consciences. , ,. • msburg area. This activity was y due to the fact that Lord Cornis was preparing for a major effort e British operations in North and th Carolina, and the forces of cis Marion posed a definite threat the British stronghold at Georgetown. Col. Balfour, commander of English es at Charleston ordered Major es Moncrieff and a battalion of the Regiment of Georgetown. The provisions were destroyed. It was during this invasion that the church at Indiantown was burned as a ''se~ition shop.'' Marion's amazing intelligence network reported that resistance was hopeless---it was obvious that his forces were far outnumbered. Allowing most of his militia to return to their homes and leaving Major James and ten hand-picked men to gather information, Marion fled with a few men ,. { ('ontinued to Page 7 , go decided to make his move. On. September 24, 1780, Marion broke camp. Early in the evening on September 28, his troop had reached Witherspoon's Ferry on Lynches River where they were joined by Capt. James and his ten men, Capt. Henry Mouzon, Lt. Joseph Scott and some of the militia. Some of Marion's group were near exhaustion but ''finding his men unanimous for battle, he gratified their wishes,'' They headed for Black Mingo. Col. John Coming Ball with approximately 50 men had moved from Georgetown and camped at the Red House, the tavern of Patrick Dollard. At this strategic point near Shepherd's Ferry on Black Mingo, the tories could control traffic on the creek as well as the post road which passed nearby. Ball was alSD close enough to Kingstree and Indiantown to move his troops if the need arose . It was nearly midnight when Marion arrived at Black Mingo where he approached the bridge at Willtown. Historians have widely speculated on Marion's inability to swim; however, it is doubtful that this condition affected his decision to cross the bridge over Black Mingo. Marion had successfully forded many streams on horseback. Nevertheless, the approach to the bridge • . . THE WEEKLY OBSERVER, fteinlngway, S. C., Thursday, March 25, 1976 Pat CoaUnued from Page I , . . ---- -- -------~---~--------~----~-----~-------------~------~~~~---~ was a muddy causeway and the bridge itself was of loose planks. '!'he sound of the cavalary crossing the bridge was heard in Ball's camp and a warning shot was fired. At the sound of the shot, Marionadvancedhistroopatfullgallup. About three hundred yards from the ferry, most of the troop dismounted. Cai>t. Thomas Waties led the ''corps of supernumerary' officers·'' to attack the Red Ho••se, two companies under Col. Hugh Horry charged to the right, and the small cavalry supported the attack from the left. Dorry's men were the first to see action. The cunning Col. Ball had no intention of being trapped in the Red House. He had deployed his men near an open field between the tavern and the $\Vamp, leaving open an avenue of escape. The tories, in fo1·111ation with guns primed, waited until Horry's infantry waswithincloserange. Their first volley killed Capt. Logan who had ridden that day all the way for the Great White Marsh to join Marion; Capt. Mouzon and Lt. Scott were so badly wounded that they saw no further service during the war. · . Horry's men falling back in con- , fusing were rallied by the gallant Capt. James. But hi~ ti!11e.' Waties had come claimed the spirited sorrel gelding coun~~ was suffer,ing . from th up on the Tories right flank and the which had belonged to the Tory com· ·· . atroc1t1es of Wemyss raid .. And .s Tories fl~d in dism·ay for the shelter of r,nander:. ,, · Marion all?":'ed ..them leave,' 1mplor1 Black Mingo swamp. ~~ter Horry later · The an~mal was named ''Ball and them to reJo~n him at Snow s Island commented that the f1r1ng was at such served · Marion well through . the ·soon ~s possible. . . . close range that ''wads fell on either remaining years of the war. · Parso~ · ·. lt1sextremelyd1ff1~ult1n~~seda side.'' Weems states in a rare note of humor .of a structured profession.al military t The victory for .the Americans was that ." After this ,event Marion adopte~ unders~and . the exploits of o cos~ly, ~ut according to Horry, the the precaution, w~eneve~ about the revolut1~nary fore~athers. . Tories did n~~ stop when they ~eached cross ~ bridge by night, with an. enemy . Marion .h~~ little legal author1 Geor~etown though twenty mil~s for near, to ·cover the planks with . the · over the m1l1~a men ":ho com the. fiel~ of battle; ~ut. they continued blankets· of his men. But he generally almost the entirety of his fo~e. Th their .flight, not th1nk1ng themselves preferred fords; where they could . . · came and went based on the dictates safe, until they got the Santee River possibly be had, to bridges.'' History their family and economic situat·o~ between him and them.'' William leaves no doubt, however, as to ''Ball's'.' their inclina'tions, and their conscience; Doxei~ James wrote that ''t~ los~ on ability to swim. It is to these detern1ined men th· both sides was nearly on~ thi~d, kill~d Five of the prisoners taken at Black we owe our freedom. In recording a!1d wounded.'' Recent hisl?rians in· Mingo joined Marion's Brigade and events of the skirmish at Black Ming d!cate that ~wo of the Americans were . ''behaved 'Yell afterwards'' and the we pay tribute· to Francis Marion wli killed and eight others were .wounded. · · others appear to have been· humanely maraculously organized a band of loc Ball left three dead a~d thirteen had · . treat.ed. After the encounter, Marion • fa,r1ners into an effective attack fore been woun?ed or taken prisoner. several probably planned to attack Col. Wigfall The same Marion could so quickly find others died on the retreat to who was camped nearby at Black River in his heart to forgive his Tory prisone Georgetown. . . .Church. TheS.e are the memories · which ha ~~ Tories had outnumbered · . I.Ii~ °:l~n were anxiou~ ~o return ·to kept alove .the legend of the ''Swa Marion s men, ,yet there were. less ~an their·families al)d homes since the whole Fox.•• fifty of them and the entire skirmish . . ·· , · · lasted approximately fifteen .minutes . . . . The American8 collected muskets and ammunition abandoned by· the Tories in ,their flight. Several hor~s were also taken. Among these Marion 0 • e � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Weekly Observer Description An account of the resource The Weekly Observer was published out of Hemingway, SC from 1973 until printing ceased in 2012. The paper continues as an e newpaper on scnow.com Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-2012 Subject The topic of the resource Local Newspaper covering the Johnsonville and Hemingway communities. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Marion's Men Win Skirmish at Black Mingo, 3-25-1976 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 3-25-1976 News Newspaper Weekly Observer