one of the most distinguished sons, to whom South Carolina has given birth.
His eloquence was proverbial, both in congress, and at home.
It was that of Demosthenes, concise, energetic, and commanding.
There was something in his very manner, and the tone of his voice,
that riveted the attention of his audience. They stood subdued before him.
He swayed the councils of the state, he swayed the councils of the general
who commanded the southern army: and if he erred, he erred
with a good conscience, and from the purest motives.

The first order issued by Governor Rutledge, was, to call out
the drafted militia, for the defence of the town, under pain of
confiscation of property. This order was but partially obeyed; --
the militia, who were friendly to the cause, had been much harassed
in the last campaign, and it was generally known that the small-pox
was in the town. At the same time, the governor sent out
many influential officers, to secure the execution of his first order;
and though intended only to operate for the present, this last order
was in time productive of a fortunate result; as these officers
afterwards headed the people. In the mean time, Gen. Lincoln had ordered
Lieut. Col. Marion to select two hundred men, out of the three regiments
with him, at Sheldon, and to march immediately to town. (31st Jan.)
No troops were to be left in the field but two hundred light infantry,
and the horse under Col. Washington. Marion repaired to town,
according to orders; but before the garrison was hemmed in by the enemy,
he, by accident, in attempting to escape from a drinking party,
dislocated his ankle. Gen. Lincoln had issued an order,
"that all supernumerary officers, and all officers who were unfit for duty,
must quit the garrison, and retire into the country."
In consequence of this order, Marion retired to St. John's.
He was afterwards obliged to move about, from house to house,