d after himself, married Charlotte Cordes, by
whom he had seven children, five of whom were sons and two daughters.*
Francis Marion was the last. He was born at Winyah, near Georgetown,
South Carolina, in 1732; a remarkable year, as, in a sister colony
(we are not able to say how nearly at the same time), it gave birth
to GEORGE WASHINGTON. This coincidence, which otherwise it might seem
impertinent to notice here, derives some importance from the fact that
it does not stand alone, but is rendered impressive by others, to be
shown as we proceed; not to speak of the striking moral resemblances,
which it will be no disparagement to the fame of the great Virginian to
trace between the two.

* Weems speaks of six children only, naming all the sons and
one of the daughters. Of her, he frankly says, "I have
never heard what became; but for his four brothers, I am
happy to state, that though not formidable as soldiers, they
were very amiable as citizens." James tells us of two
daughters, not naming either, but describing them as
"grandmothers of the families of the Mitchells, of
Georgetown, and of the Dwights, formerly of the same place,
but now of St. Stephen's parish." Such particularity might
be presumed to settle the question.--

The infancy of Marion was unpromising. At birth he was puny and
diminutive in a remarkable degree. Weems, in his peculiar fashion,
writes, "I have it from good authority, that this great soldier, at
his birth, was not larger than a New England lobster, and might easily
enough have been put into a quart pot." It was certainly as little
supposed that he should ever live to manhood, as that he should then
become a hero. But, by the time that he had reached his twelfth year,
his constitution underwent a change. His health became good. The bracing
exercises and hardy employments of country life invigorated his frame,
and with this improvement brought with it a rare increase of energy.
He grew restless and impatient. The tendency of his mind, which was so
largely developed in the partisan exercises of after years, now began to
exhibit itself. Under this impulse he conceived a dislike to the staid
and monotonous habits of rural life, and resolved upon seafaring as
a vocation. Such, it may be remarked, was also the early passion of
Washington; a passion rather uncommon in the history of a southern
farmer's boy. In the case of Washington the desire was