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Francis Marion "The swamp fox"
Here's a cool article.
Archaeologists looking for treasurers of Revolutionary War hero
by The Associated Press
published April 13, 2007 3:55 am
Columbia, S.C. – Searchers found a brass candle holder, a small British cannonball along with rifle shot and horse gear. It may not seem like much, but for those looking for hideaways of the state's craftiest Revolutionary War hero, it's a treasure trove.
Francis Marion was known as the Swamp Fox for hiding in Low Country bogs while organizing attacks on the British. His hideouts still are a mystery.
But now archaeologists are opening up one site where Marion may have slept for a few weeks in 1780.
''The case gets built up to 'Gee, this looks pretty darn good,' '' archaeologist Steven Smith said. ''It's as good as it gets for Francis Marion.''
The Francis Marion Trail Commission will hold a public dig Saturday at Dunham Bluff along the Pee Dee River in Marion County.
The physical evidence points to a Revolutionary War camp on the bluff, Smith said. Written documents mention a Marion camp at Dunham Bluff and one reason the trail commission decided to go public with the Dunham Bluff site is because it's on public property. The 25,668-acre Woodbury tract was bought by the state Natural Resources Department last year.
The commission hopes the dig and any findings could boost tourism in the county that typically has the highest unemployment rate in the state.
Some historians contend the British might have won the war if they hadn't been held up in South Carolina. Marion led the few organized resisters in the state after the fall of Charleston. He almost immediately became a hero after the war and gained modern fame with the film ''The Patriot,'' which was loosely based on his life.
''We have this incredible historical resource that we weren't taking advantage of,'' said Ben Zeigler, commission chairman. ''We can pull people off the interstate and get them on the back roads, give them something to see, and they can spend money in places that need an economic boost.''
The state has allocated about $300,000 to creating the Francis Marion Trail – about $75,000 of that has been spent on archaeological work. ''We want to be historically accurate,'' Zeigler said.
Written accounts of Marion's exploits led to 15 camp or skirmish sites and Smith's crews fanned out with metal detectors and did preliminary digs.
The resulting finds of ceramics, belt buckles and musket shot sit in boxes that cover much of the floor in Smith's office at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina.
The candle holder and cannonball from Dunham Bluff are the stars.
But the most anticipated items of the Francis Marion search – the silver crescent Liberty emblems worn by militia members – have not been found.
''He's elusive,'' Smith said. ''He's going to be elusive both archaeologically and historically.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information from: The State, www.thestate.com
kenb
Here's a cool article.
Archaeologists looking for treasurers of Revolutionary War hero
by The Associated Press
published April 13, 2007 3:55 am
Columbia, S.C. – Searchers found a brass candle holder, a small British cannonball along with rifle shot and horse gear. It may not seem like much, but for those looking for hideaways of the state's craftiest Revolutionary War hero, it's a treasure trove.
Francis Marion was known as the Swamp Fox for hiding in Low Country bogs while organizing attacks on the British. His hideouts still are a mystery.
But now archaeologists are opening up one site where Marion may have slept for a few weeks in 1780.
''The case gets built up to 'Gee, this looks pretty darn good,' '' archaeologist Steven Smith said. ''It's as good as it gets for Francis Marion.''
The Francis Marion Trail Commission will hold a public dig Saturday at Dunham Bluff along the Pee Dee River in Marion County.
The physical evidence points to a Revolutionary War camp on the bluff, Smith said. Written documents mention a Marion camp at Dunham Bluff and one reason the trail commission decided to go public with the Dunham Bluff site is because it's on public property. The 25,668-acre Woodbury tract was bought by the state Natural Resources Department last year.
The commission hopes the dig and any findings could boost tourism in the county that typically has the highest unemployment rate in the state.
Some historians contend the British might have won the war if they hadn't been held up in South Carolina. Marion led the few organized resisters in the state after the fall of Charleston. He almost immediately became a hero after the war and gained modern fame with the film ''The Patriot,'' which was loosely based on his life.
''We have this incredible historical resource that we weren't taking advantage of,'' said Ben Zeigler, commission chairman. ''We can pull people off the interstate and get them on the back roads, give them something to see, and they can spend money in places that need an economic boost.''
The state has allocated about $300,000 to creating the Francis Marion Trail – about $75,000 of that has been spent on archaeological work. ''We want to be historically accurate,'' Zeigler said.
Written accounts of Marion's exploits led to 15 camp or skirmish sites and Smith's crews fanned out with metal detectors and did preliminary digs.
The resulting finds of ceramics, belt buckles and musket shot sit in boxes that cover much of the floor in Smith's office at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina.
The candle holder and cannonball from Dunham Bluff are the stars.
But the most anticipated items of the Francis Marion search – the silver crescent Liberty emblems worn by militia members – have not been found.
''He's elusive,'' Smith said. ''He's going to be elusive both archaeologically and historically.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information from: The State, www.thestate.com
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