lst he with about two
hundred picked men, by a circuitous route and forced march of at least
one hundred miles, crossed the Edisto, joined Harden and approached the
British. When sufficiently near he drew up his men in a swamp upon the
road near Parker's ferry, and sent out some of his swiftest horse to
lead the British into the ambuscade. While lying there a small party of
tories crossed at the ferry, and in passing on one of them called out
that he saw a white feather, and fired his gun. This occasioned an
exchange of a few shots on both sides; but (as is supposed) it was
thought by Major Fraser, who commanded the British, to be only Harden's
party that was in the swamp; he pursued the horsemen sent out as a
decoy, and led his corps in full charge within forty or fifty yards
parallel to the ambuscade. A deadly fire from the swamp, was the first
notice he had that a greater force than Harden's was there. He attempted
to wheel and charge into the swamp, but only exposed his men the more,
as they were thus delayed before the fire, and were wedged up on a
causeway so closely that every shot had its utmost effect. Finding all
his efforts ineffectual, Fraser at length retreated along the road to
the ferry, and thus passed the whole ambuscade. A large body of infantry
with a field piece, were now seen advancing, and Marion retreated
without counting the dead, but men and horses were seen lying
promiscuously in heaps on the road. Although a large body of infantry
was advancing, yet Marion in his situation had not much to fear from
them, and indeed had often encountered such; therefore the true cause of
his retreating could not have been because they were advancing; but
the probability is, because he wanted ammunition. How often he was thus
impeded in his enterprizes was known only to himself. A party under
Capt. Melton, went out the next day to the battle ground, and counted
twenty-seven dead horses; the men had been buried. As Marion's men fired
with either a ball and buck shot, or heavy buck shot alone, and as none
would aim at horses, the loss of the British must have been great.--But
though their loss could not be ascertained, the effect of this well
conducted affair soon became evident, for at the battle of Eutaw, nine
days after, the enemy had but few cavalry in the field. It is not a
little surprising that there is no record or date of this action to be
found, but in the thanks of congress to Gen. Marion, which fix it on