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Swamp Fox: The Life and Campaigns of General Francis Marion
One of the most fascinating figures of the American Revolution, General Francis Marion slipped in and out of the Carolina swamps to strike sudden, devastating blows against the British. Cutting through the Swamp Fox legend, Robert Bass has arrived at a realistic and fascinating appraisal of this military genius
275 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 1, 2025
Twentieth-century historian Robert D. Bass returns to the Revolutionary War in the South with a case study of the campaigns of Francis Marion—the elusive “Swamp Fox.” Written in the late-1950s, Bass’s work relied primarily on Marion’s own memoirs and journals, as well as the then-unpublished correspondence of Lord Cornwallis which he was grateful to rely on firsthand. With a brief prologue that touches on the hagiography of Marion from previous generations, Bass sets out in the opening chapter by chronicling the Marion family’s Huguenot upbringing in South Carolina, as well as Francis’s tiny stature developed from birth into adulthood.
Devoid of any endnotes or footnotes (a final ‘Sources and Notes’ section is included), Bass’s writing nonetheless is easily captivating and descriptive—with short yet concise chapters that carry the American Revolution forward through the years. Marion’s adolescence is skimmed over, with Bass noting a rather exciting shipwreck that the fifteen year old took part in—making the apt decision to keep his feet permanently on land after a devastating week with the surviving crew in the open water. Further on, Bass mentions Marion’s enlistment in the French and Indian War as a First Lieutenant, serving in the latter stages of the Cherokee War under Captain William Moultrie.
With South Carolina joining the Continental Congress’s call to action in 1775, Marion’s experience and esteem among compatriots (such as Henry Laurens and Andrew Pickens) allowed him to be promoted to the rank of Major in 1776. Chapters are fortunately sectioned off with breaks found throughout the text—albeit without titles or symbols—which allow for timely reflection and comprehension of specific moments in Marion’s war years. Typical to campaign studies, much of Marion’s personal life away from battle is left untouched, with Bass instead focusing on such engagements as the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, Camden, Black Mingo, and the Siege of Fort Watson. Notably, Bass also narrates Green Dragoon leader Banastre Tarleton’s struggle to bag both Marion and Thomas Sumter, the “Carolina Gamecock,” concisely highlighting battles such as Fishing Creek, Blackstock’s, King’s Mountain, and Hobkirk’s Hill which didn’t involve the Swamp Fox.
The eyewitness accounts of Loyalists (officer and soldier alike) are relied upon as much as the militiamen under Marion, with correspondence and dialogue from the heat of battle spread amongst the chapters. While these are indeed interesting, almost too much attention is given to these and other Continental Army accounts—instead of primarily utilizing Marion’s own journals and correspondence. On the flip side of that coin, Bass’s research and facts pertaining to eighteenth-century warfare and culture are both entertaining and insightful, as he time and again provides respective details of life in the Southern theater of the war that go hand in hand with Marion’s personal experiences:
What a precious commodity was salt! The manufacturers in All Saints Parish on Waccamaw Neck extracted it from sea water in huge evaporation vats and sold it for ten silver dollars a bushel. As few Whigs or Tories had gold or silver, their families ate unsalted meat and unsavored bread. With the instincts of a guerrilla chief, who somehow provides necessities for his people even when he denies his troops, Marion sent a detachment with wagons and sumpter horses to bring off those 150 bushels. “As soon as Gen. Marion Could collect a sufficient quantity of this desirable article at Snow’s Island,” James afterward wrote, “he distributed it out in quantities, not exceeding a bushel for each Whig family; and thus endeared himself the more to his followers.”
In the second half of the book, Bass explains the honor and good tidings that came with Marion receiving the rank of Brigadier General from South Carolinian Governor Rutledge; with Tories becoming more fearful and fair-weather Patriots finally having the courage to commit to the Continental Cause. With Swamp Fox, Bass sheds light on Continental officers who are typically left out of Revolutionary War histories—notably Colonel Peter Horry, Marion’s occasional right hand man and a fierce militia leader in his own right. As is typical of most prior-century works of history, the vocabulary and creativity of the narrative creates a vivid and fascinating time capsule to the past—at times even providing the occasional exclamation point and other rather aged and rare techniques for nonfiction. This is especially prevalent when Bass reimagines the excitement and heat of battle, placing himself and the reader among the frontlines and almost directly in the saddle of Marion’s militia.
Marion’s bravery and steadfast leadership in numerous conflicts comes to a close with his help in the Siege of Fort Motte and battles of both Orangeburg and Eutaw Springs, fighting alongside the likes of Colonel “Light Horse Harry” Lee, General Nathanael Greene, and the Swamp Fox’s oft-problematic rival and ally, Thomas Sumter. Retiring as a “mild Federalist” in Bass’s words and marrying a fellow Huguenot (Mary Esther, a distant relation), after the war Marion would honorably defend the plight of Tories seeking redemption from their fellow countrymen until his death in 1795. A pleasurable experience from beginning to end, Bass stays faithfully true to his subject’s campaigns and engagements throughout the War of Independence—leaving room for further study on Marion’s personal life and career both before and after the war. A few illustrations and maps are provided, as well as condensed notes and sources, followed by a useful index.
Devoid of any endnotes or footnotes (a final ‘Sources and Notes’ section is included), Bass’s writing nonetheless is easily captivating and descriptive—with short yet concise chapters that carry the American Revolution forward through the years. Marion’s adolescence is skimmed over, with Bass noting a rather exciting shipwreck that the fifteen year old took part in—making the apt decision to keep his feet permanently on land after a devastating week with the surviving crew in the open water. Further on, Bass mentions Marion’s enlistment in the French and Indian War as a First Lieutenant, serving in the latter stages of the Cherokee War under Captain William Moultrie.
With South Carolina joining the Continental Congress’s call to action in 1775, Marion’s experience and esteem among compatriots (such as Henry Laurens and Andrew Pickens) allowed him to be promoted to the rank of Major in 1776. Chapters are fortunately sectioned off with breaks found throughout the text—albeit without titles or symbols—which allow for timely reflection and comprehension of specific moments in Marion’s war years. Typical to campaign studies, much of Marion’s personal life away from battle is left untouched, with Bass instead focusing on such engagements as the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, Camden, Black Mingo, and the Siege of Fort Watson. Notably, Bass also narrates Green Dragoon leader Banastre Tarleton’s struggle to bag both Marion and Thomas Sumter, the “Carolina Gamecock,” concisely highlighting battles such as Fishing Creek, Blackstock’s, King’s Mountain, and Hobkirk’s Hill which didn’t involve the Swamp Fox.
The eyewitness accounts of Loyalists (officer and soldier alike) are relied upon as much as the militiamen under Marion, with correspondence and dialogue from the heat of battle spread amongst the chapters. While these are indeed interesting, almost too much attention is given to these and other Continental Army accounts—instead of primarily utilizing Marion’s own journals and correspondence. On the flip side of that coin, Bass’s research and facts pertaining to eighteenth-century warfare and culture are both entertaining and insightful, as he time and again provides respective details of life in the Southern theater of the war that go hand in hand with Marion’s personal experiences:
What a precious commodity was salt! The manufacturers in All Saints Parish on Waccamaw Neck extracted it from sea water in huge evaporation vats and sold it for ten silver dollars a bushel. As few Whigs or Tories had gold or silver, their families ate unsalted meat and unsavored bread. With the instincts of a guerrilla chief, who somehow provides necessities for his people even when he denies his troops, Marion sent a detachment with wagons and sumpter horses to bring off those 150 bushels. “As soon as Gen. Marion Could collect a sufficient quantity of this desirable article at Snow’s Island,” James afterward wrote, “he distributed it out in quantities, not exceeding a bushel for each Whig family; and thus endeared himself the more to his followers.”
In the second half of the book, Bass explains the honor and good tidings that came with Marion receiving the rank of Brigadier General from South Carolinian Governor Rutledge; with Tories becoming more fearful and fair-weather Patriots finally having the courage to commit to the Continental Cause. With Swamp Fox, Bass sheds light on Continental officers who are typically left out of Revolutionary War histories—notably Colonel Peter Horry, Marion’s occasional right hand man and a fierce militia leader in his own right. As is typical of most prior-century works of history, the vocabulary and creativity of the narrative creates a vivid and fascinating time capsule to the past—at times even providing the occasional exclamation point and other rather aged and rare techniques for nonfiction. This is especially prevalent when Bass reimagines the excitement and heat of battle, placing himself and the reader among the frontlines and almost directly in the saddle of Marion’s militia.
Marion’s bravery and steadfast leadership in numerous conflicts comes to a close with his help in the Siege of Fort Motte and battles of both Orangeburg and Eutaw Springs, fighting alongside the likes of Colonel “Light Horse Harry” Lee, General Nathanael Greene, and the Swamp Fox’s oft-problematic rival and ally, Thomas Sumter. Retiring as a “mild Federalist” in Bass’s words and marrying a fellow Huguenot (Mary Esther, a distant relation), after the war Marion would honorably defend the plight of Tories seeking redemption from their fellow countrymen until his death in 1795. A pleasurable experience from beginning to end, Bass stays faithfully true to his subject’s campaigns and engagements throughout the War of Independence—leaving room for further study on Marion’s personal life and career both before and after the war. A few illustrations and maps are provided, as well as condensed notes and sources, followed by a useful index.
July 6, 2024
Loved it. Engaging, well written and researched.
December 30, 2017
After reading the author's biography of Banastre Tarleton earlier this summer, I did not have high hopes regarding this biography of an American hero that who has always fascinated me since my youth. I was pleasantly proven wrong. In this book, Bass has a better narrative style and does not rely so heavily on long quotations from primary sources as he did with "The Green Dragoon;" perhaps it's because that Marion's life is not as well documented as Tarleton's. In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more of the what happened in the Carolinas during the American Revolution. I'm preparing to start John Oller's "The Swamp Fox," the first new major biography on Marion since 1973.
September 8, 2023
I learned a lot about the American revolution in South Carolina, and a bit less about Francis Marion himself. I was pleasantly surprised at the readability of this biography written in the 1950s; most non fiction I have read written before 2000 have been difficult to enjoy because they are so dull.
The book describes militia and skirmishes in minute detail, which are not usually covered in other books set during the American revolution. I found it interesting to learn more about them. I appreciated Marion's dedication to respecting the people he dealt with and his mercy to the Loyalists after the war.
I was disappointed that the book mostly ignored Marion's life outside of his service during the American revolution.
The book describes militia and skirmishes in minute detail, which are not usually covered in other books set during the American revolution. I found it interesting to learn more about them. I appreciated Marion's dedication to respecting the people he dealt with and his mercy to the Loyalists after the war.
I was disappointed that the book mostly ignored Marion's life outside of his service during the American revolution.
October 2, 2023
An excellent history of the Revolutionary War in South Carolina. Francis Marion was famous in his time and lots of towns and counties are named for him. If you're interested in digging deeper into the Revolutionary War, this well-written biography will take you into an area of action rarely touched in other books.
February 14, 2023
I learned a lot about the American Revolution in the southern states. However, I found it a difficult to read because of the large number of people involved, I really should have kept a list from the very begining of te book..
October 16, 2022
I live in the county named for him in Florida
October 3, 2023
Reads much like something a high school student would find in the school library. Badly needs maps.
August 30, 2007
A good, straightforward account of Francis Marion's campaigns in the South Carolina Lowcountry during the Revolutionary War. This book deals extensively with troop movements and tactics without looking at the broader context of the war. At the heart of the book lies the author's deep admiration for Francis Marion, the man; by the end, I found myself enthralled by his modesty, honor and ultimate desire for peace. With a name as mysterious and suggestive as "Swamp Fox," I did not expect to find such a noble citizen and forgiving politician. This is the kind of "old school" historical monograph that makes one reconsider the merits of deconstructionist (i.e. post-modern) cultural studies.
February 8, 2010
I liked this one better than The Gamecock. But this one has fewer maps. It is sometimes difficult to understand the geography, as alot of the names have changed and a portion of the setting currently sits under lakes Marion and Moultrie. You can really tell that the Author has admired Gen. Marion since childhood, but he is mostly unbiased.
December 28, 2015
This is really good. I've lived in the areas of South and North Carolina where Marion was most engaged in his campaigns, so I'm familiar with the geography. But the reader unfamiliar to the lower state of South Carolina may get a bit lost in this book. The inclusion of some maps would have been very helpful for such person, I believe.
January 20, 2009
Really good.
August 16, 2016
Lot of history that I didn't know. Quite confusing unless you know who is on whos side. So so so many names and which side are they on??? Much back and forth rereading made it a troublesome read.
March 21, 2008
History is captivating and should never be forgotten.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews