Encounter at Ox Swamp
(A story of Francis Marion)
by Erin Steelman
Links by Erin Steelman
Grades 4 to 6
The time is during the American Revolution. The place is the Low Country of South Carolina. As you tell this story, have students imagine themselves in this setting.
"I can't believe the mess I've gotten myself into this time," you grumble as you tromp through the scratchy underbrush of the forest. You had been so sure that the path you'd taken was a short cut. And now look where you are! Out in the middle of nowhere, with no idea where the next road is, or where it will take you, for that matter. A quick trip to the neighboring town has turned into a near nightmare! Your parents are probably worried sick about you, and boy, will you get it when you finally find your way home! Thoroughly annoyed with your own silliness, you keep on pushing through the foliage, whacking an azalea bush here and a kicking a pine cone there. Finally, you look up from kicking a particularly large pine cone (which had just fallen from the pine tree above you) to see--yes!--a dirt road! Excited, you begin making your way toward the road, forgetting to be cautious, even though your father has drilled caution into your head many times. You see them just in time, right before you dash out into the open--a troop of men, each wearing a bright red waistcoat, white breeches, and a tall hat. Redcoats! Lobsterbacks!You jump back behind a large live oak and hold your breath. Your pulse begins to race. You've always known there was always a possibility of seeing the British army around these parts, but this is the first time you've actually seen them up close. Just looking at them makes you angry. And scared.
As you stand hidden behind your tree, the British soldiers disappear around bend in the road, and you wonder what will happen next. You almost don't want to move out from behind your hiding place, but your practical side tells you that's not smart. You notice that the sun is beginning to creep slowly toward the horizon. You won't have time to make it to a town before nightfall, so you decide to call it a day. You'll look for a town tomorrow, when you're less tired--and when those British soldiers have had a chance to get very far away! You prepare a makeshift bed of pine straw, wondering how you'll ever get to sleep, thinking about those soldiers, hoping you'll be safe here in the forest . . . .
You wake with a start! How long had you been asleep? What had awakened you? In the pitch darkness, you strain your ears to hear something--anything. You think you can hear footsteps. Someone is running. Then you hear voices and try to make out what they're saying.
"British. . . coming . . . Tarleton . . . . Better get ready. . . leave," comes a muffled voice through the trees.
After a short pause, another voice answers back, "Thank you, sir. We are indebted to you for your warning to us."
At the word "British," you jump up and start making your way toward the voices, with only the light of the stars to guide you. All at once you hear a huge commotion coming from the direction of the voices. It sounds like a great many people all getting up at the same time. As you get closer, you realize that that is the case. Men are everywhere, packing things--it looks like they're preparing to leave. They are talking together in hushed voices, and you keep on hearing the name "Marion" over and over. Could it be? You peer around a tree trunk to watch the men. They're all dressed in ragged clothing, and all are wearing small leather caps on their heads. Suddenly, you realize--this is Francis Marion's brigade! You remember hearing your parents talking about Francis Marion, the great strategist and guerilla leader of the Revolution, known for his slyness and ability to outwit the British by hiding in swamps of South Carolina! [See a portrait of Francis Marion.] And he is here, in this place? You gather from the talking of the men around you that the group has just escaped ambush by the British, and now they are getting ready to flee the British once again. However, you forget your fear and concern about the British in the excitement of knowing that you are close to so great a leader. You're wondering if it would be possible for you to meet him, when all of the sudden . . . .
"Ouch!" you cry out as a small, but very strong, hand grips your left shoulder. You wheel around to find yourself face to face with Francis Marion himself![Learn more about Marion.]
"Get moving!" he sternly orders, mistaking you for a young member of his regiment. Fire is dancing in his dark eyes. "Don't you understand that Tarleton himself is after us?"
Tarleton! The name sends cold chills up and down your spine, and fear grips you once again. "Bloody Tarleton," as you've heard him called, is one of the most cruel and daring of all British officers!
"The situation is indeed dire," says Marion as he strides quickly away. He must have read the fear on your face.
"Move out, men!" The order comes roaring from the front of the camp, and all at once, you're surrounded by men and horses, all moving forward at top speed. You start to move too. You figure you're safer with Marion and his men than alone. You decide to keep as close to Marion's group as you can. The next few hours prove to be the most tiring that you've ever experienced in your life. Through fields, country roads, forests--all types of terrain--the brigade speeds, knowing all the while that Tarleton and his men are close on their heels. Then, just when you know you can't keep up any longer, the group halts abruptly. Silence. The only sound you can hear is that of your heart pounding in your chest. Then you look up. Before you, as far as you can see, there stretches a swamp. Ox Swamp, you hear someone call it. The trees are thicker than ever here, and their trunks are wide at the bottoms. Though the sun has, by this time, risen in the sky, it is dark here. Gray, curly Spanish moss hangs from some of the larger trees. The ground of this swamp is miry, deep mud, covered by a layer of murky water--very difficult to pass through. It smells, and you shudder to think of the creatures that call this place home.
As you're thinking, a hush settles over the crowd. Then a voice, full of authority, cuts through the stillness. "We're going in!" cries Marion from the front of the brigade.
The men begin to move again, but you're so exhausted from the long trek that you can't even stand up. So you lie there in the bog, shielded by several scraggly shrubs, waiting . . . for what?
After a while, you hear what sounds like galloping horses. You freeze. "Tarleton!" you think, and you shrink farther behind your bushes, dreading what you know is inevitable. Just as you expect, in a few minutes Tarleton and his men come riding, full force, up to the edge of the swamp. Your stomach begins to churn as you think about Marion and his men. What if Tarleton catches them? What if Marion is defeated? What if . . . ? You hold your breath as Tarleton and his men advance. Bloody Tarleton's face is white and strained--a portrayal of anger, frustration. He seems to be thinking intently. You're close enough to see the muscles in his jaw twitching. What is he going to do? Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Tarleton reels his horse around.
"Come, my boys!" he shouts loudly to his men. "Let us go back! As for this old fox, Marion, the devil himself could not catch him!" With that, the whole company turns around and retraces their path out of the forest.
You feel like shouting! Good old Marion! He's outsmarted those Redcoats again! You knew he could do it! You stand up and breathe a sigh of relief. Feeling rather jubilant, you wait a safe amount of time, and then begin to make your way back to the nearest road. Wait until you tell this story to the folks back home!
It was on this day, and during this encounter at Ox Swamp, that Banastre Tarleton gave to Francis Marion the nickname by which he would forever be remembered--Swamp Fox. This story is historical fiction which is based on the true story of an encounter of Marion and Tarleton at Ox Swamp during the American Revolution [more about the American Revolution].
Story Questions
1. The British soldiers in the story were called two other names that related to the color of their uniforms. What were those names?
2. What are several forms of plant life mentioned in the story that grow in the Low Country of South Carolina?
3. Why was Francis Marion called the "Swamp Fox"?
4. Pretend that you are Tarleton. Would you at least try to go after Marion and his men at Ox Swamp? Why or why not?
5. Do you think Francis Marion was being cowardly in running from Tarleton? Should he and his men stayed and fought Tarleton? Is it always cowardly to get away from your problems as quickly as you can? Give an example that illustrates why or why not.
Outline
I. Lost in the Woods
A. Thought processes
1. taking a short cut
2. silliness
B. British soldiers
1. Clothing
2. Feelings they evoke
III. Warning to Marion
A. Awakened by messenger
B. Joining the group
III. Flight from Tarleton
A. Encounter with Marion
B. The way to Ox Swamp
IV. Encounter at Ox Swamp
A. Marion's orders
B. Tarleton's failure
C. Marion nicknamed
Answers to Questions
1. The other names used in reference to the British soldiers were "Redcoats" and "Lobsterbacks."
2. Pine trees, live oak trees, azaleas were types of plant life mentioned.
3. Marion was called the "Swamp Fox" because he was sly and hard for the British to catch.
4. Answers will vary. Tarleton may have been demonstrating cowardice when he decided not to try to go after Marion, or he may have just being practical. Possibly, he could have just been lazy. This is an opinion question, but students should be able to give good reasons to back up their opinions.
5. Answers will vary. Students should be able to back up their opinions with examples, and their answers should demonstrate some thought.
Suggestions for Props
1. Spanish Moss--Sometimes you can find this used in potted flower arrangements at the grocery store, etc. If you can't find the real stuff, find pictures of it.
2. Pictures of British soldiers and American soldiers in uniform.
3. Picture of a swamp; samples of plant life that thrives in the swamp.
4. Any paraphernalia from colonial times. Some Revolutionary War battle sites sell musket balls, reproduced colonial currency, toy guns, coloring books, etc. Even if these things are not used during the telling of the stories, they will do much to enhance the students' understanding and enjoyment of the Revolutionary War period.
Ideas for Extension
1. Science. Ecosystems--study the swamp ecosystem. Learn about wildlife, plants, climate, etc.
2. Geography. Learn about S.C.'s geography--rivers, mountains, weather, cities, etc.
3. History. Look up "Charleston"--this Low Country city teems with history. Trace the history of the city, and find out what important things took place there during the American Revolution, the Civil War. Also, learn about Fort Moultrie, a fort on Sullivan's Island which was built out of palmetto trees. Marion had a part in helping to win this battle of the American Revolution.
Citations
1. My own knowledge
2. Bass, Robert D. Swamp Fox: The Life and Campaigns of General Francis Marion. London: Alvin Redman
Limited, 1960.