lded to
his love of justice, made them always willing to abide the decisions of
his judgment. Officers and men equally yielded to the authority of his
opinion, as they did to that which he exercised in the capacity of their
commander. No duel took place among his officers during the whole of his
command.

The province which was assigned to his control by Governor Rutledge, was
the constant theatre of war. He was required to cover an immense extent
of country. With a force constantly unequal and constantly fluctuating,
he contrived to supply its deficiencies by the resources of his own
vigilance and skill. His personal bravery was frequently shown, and the
fact that he himself conducted an enterprise, was enough to convince
his men that they were certain to be led to victory. In due degree with
their conviction of his care and consideration for themselves, was their
readiness to follow where he commanded. He had no lives to waste, and
the game he played was that which enabled him to secure the greatest
results, with the smallest amount of hazard. Yet, when the occasion
seemed to require it, he could advance and strike with an audacity,
which, in the ordinary relations of the leader with the soldier, might
well be thought inexcusable rashness. We have, already, in the opening
of this biography, adverted to the melancholy baldness of the memorials
upon which the historian is compelled to rely for the materials of his
narrative. The reader will perceive a singular discrepancy between
the actual events detailed in the life of every popular hero, and the
peculiar fame which he holds in the minds of his countrymen. Thus, while
Marion is everywhere regarded as the peculiar representative in the
southern States, of the genius of partisan warfare, we are surprised,
when we would trace, in the pages of the annalist, the sources of this
fame, to find the details so meagre and so unsatisfactory. Tradition
mumbles over his broken memories, which we vainly strive to pluck from
his lips and bind together in coherent and satisfactory records. The
spirited surprise, the happy ambush, the daring onslaught, the fortunate
escape,--these, as they involve no monstrous slaughter--no murderous
strife of masses,--no rending of walled towns and sack of cities, the
ordinary historian disdains. The military reputation of Marion consists
in the frequent performance of deeds, unexpectedly, with inferior
means, by which the enemy was annoyed and dispi