Bab 24: The Swamp Devil and South Carolina
General Kim looked around the town of Amelia and grimaced. While he and his troops (during his stay in Philadelphia, three additional regiments were attached to his unit, along with additional recruitment for the marines, swelling his ranks) marched down to South Carolina, he had received constant updates about the rapidly fluid borders between the two South Carolina factions. Unfortunately for the Stateburg government, the British utilized the capture of Charleston and rapidly expanded into the state like an infection. With troops pouring out from Georgia and the territories held by the Charleston government, the Patriots in South Carolina were holding on by a thread.
This was visibly evident in Amelia, which was guarded by fortifications and militiamen. The small sleepy town was in the center of the southern state and was a crucial junction between the eastern and western parts of the state. Additionally, the town was just twenty miles south of Stateburg, making it an essential defense point. Many militiamen from South Carolina and North Carolina were already working tirelessly to build defenses near Stateburg, but losing Amelia would give the British a straight path to the Patriot capital. Thus, while General Washington was deployed to Kingstree, which was about eighty miles east of Amelia, General Kim was tasked with defending Amelia from any British incursions.
As he and his unit entered the town, a militiaman approached the Asian officer and shook his hand, "General Kim, I presume?"
"Yes, I am. And you must be Lieutenant Colonel Sumter. Pleased to meet you, lieutenant colonel."
Lieutenant Colonel Sumter led the group towards the southern outskirts of the town, pointing out the hastily built defenses and the numerous militiamen improving them, "We've had a few scouting parties probe our defenses for the past several days. The British have learned that General Washington was moving towards Kingstree and decided to shift units to the east. However, there is a very good chance that the British will attempt to strike sometime soon after they have gathered a sufficient amount of regulars and Loyalists for an assault."
The general nodded as he listened, "Do you need any of my units to assist your men in erecting the defenses?"
"That would certainly be helpful, sir."
General Kim ordered his troops to assist the militiamen in building additional defenses that the men under his command often utilized. The men all obeyed without question and began to help the beleaguered militiamen in preparing trenches and earthworks. The marine commander turned back to the militiaman after he saw the orders being obeyed, "Did the militia suffer a defeat before being able to retreat to Amelia?"
"All of the men here are worn out and tired from the recent British invasion. The whole invasion has been defeat after defeat, and the men you see here are the survivors of every defeat. Some of them even managed to run from Charleston all the way here in hopes of avenging the betrayal they suffered at Charleston. Unfortunately, hardly any full-strength units have shown up to relieve us and we have been forced to retreat constantly. It doesn't help that the damned Swamp Devil and his men have been harassing any militiamen that are trying to reinforce our positions or any locals that are sympathetic to our cause." Lieutenant Colonel Sumter scowled.
Some of the militiamen began to curse at the name "Swamp Devil." When General Kim heard the name, his eyes widened in surprise, "I'm sorry, what is the true name of this "Swamp Devil?"
"A major by the name of Francis Marion. He was one of the officers that assisted the Loyalists in taking over Charleston and turning it over to the British. He's been impossible to catch and is the reason why we have so little information about the British in the area. Anytime we send out some of our men to investigate our surroundings, they are either killed or kidnapped. That damned bastard has caused the death of over two hundred militiamen. The Devil has also been burning down the plantations and farms of anyone that has sided with the Stateburg government. We call him and his men the "Devil's Brigade," as they raise hell everywhere they go."
Immediately, General Kim connected the dots in regards to the "Swamp Fox." Marion served directly under Colonel William Moultrie, who was known to be brutal to runaway slaves and was one of the men leading the defenses in Charleston at the time. Major Marion served under him and was also a known plantation owner. With the split in opinion over the issue of slavery, it was apparent why the Swamp Fox switched allegiance; he had a personal reason to do so, and his commanding officer was most likely sympathetic to the Charleston government.
After hearing this, General Kim pulled Colonel (recently promoted) Knowlton aside, "Starting from tomorrow, you are to scout around the area and attempt to locate Major Marion and his men. You are to carry out this mission with extreme caution, as he will employ the same tactics as you do. Bring several of the Native American warriors with you as well. If you find them and come under attack, use the flare gun to signal your location, and I will send a regiment to your aid."
As Colonel Knowlton left, the general began to feel extremely uneasy. Governor Carlton was a headache to deal with, but now he had to deal with the "Swamp Fox" and his men. And knowing the man's tactics, General Kim knew that defeating Major Marion was not going to be a simple task.
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