FRANCIS MARION 339 



brother's militia troop of horse in Littleton's expedition, 

 and two years later was serving as lieutenant under Capt. 

 William Moultrie, in Grant's expedition to the Indian 

 country. 



When a regular army was formed in 1775 to defend 1775 . 



'' '' Captain 



South Carolina against Great Britain, Marion was ap- 

 pointed a captain in the second South Carolina regiment, 

 and before the fall of Charleston had risen to the rank of 

 colonel. A fractured leg caused his absence from the 

 garrison at its surrender and saved him from being made 

 prisoner. He retreated to North Carolina, and on the coionei 

 approach of General Gates made his way to the Santee, 

 where he found a number of his French countrymen ready 

 to put themselves under his command, to which he had 

 been appointed by General Gates. This corps acquired 

 the name of Marion's Brigade, and its exploits became 

 famous. Its original members were French and Irish. Marion's 

 For chief officers Marion had Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh "^^ ^ 

 Horry, his bosom friend, Colonel Peter Horry, Captain 

 Lewis Ogier, and the Postell brothers of his own nation- 

 ality ; with Major James, a gallant Irislmian who had been 

 the means of arousing the section to resistance through 

 his insolent treatment by a British officer ; Major Vauder- 

 horst, representing the Dutch blood 5 and Captain John 

 Milton of Georgia. 



II 



Marion's Brigade immediately set itself to serious busi- 

 ness. A few days after taking command, General Marion 

 led his men across the Peedee at Post's Ferry, to disperse a 

 large party of Tories. He surprised them in their camp, 

 killed one of their captains and several privates, and 

 routed them, horse and foot. This was the beginning of 

 a series of remarkable encounters and victories. We find Remarkable 

 him, on hearing of the defeat of General Gates at Cam- 

 den, marching to intercept and rescue the prisoners on 

 their way to Charleston. One of his divisions, sixteen 

 men, under command of Colonel Hugh Horry, by a dash 



