=99. Francis Marion.= Of all the brave men who helped Greene win back the South, none was braver than General Francis Marion, whom the British named the "Swamp Fox." Marion was born in the same year as Washington. He was of French parentage. He was so very small in size that people wondered how he could be so great a soldier. [Sidenote: =Marion's "Brigade"=] Marion's "Brigade," as his company was called, was made up of only a handful of men, usually less than one hundred. But they owned and rode the swiftest horses, carried their own guns, and wore their own swords, hammered out of old saws by country blacksmiths. Marion and his men seldom were two successive nights in the same place. The night was their time for work. At sundown they swung into their saddles, and were soon riding for the enemy's camp. When near, they quietly surrounded the camp, took aim by the light of the fires, fired, and then rushed upon the frightened British or Tories, and cut them down with their terrible broadswords. [Sidenote: =How they escaped=] Before daybreak, Marion and his men were hiding safely in some distant swamp or other safe place. If the British chased him too closely his men scattered in different directions, but always made their way to the common hiding place. In a few days they were ready to strike again. [Illustration: FRANCIS MARION _After the portrait in the painting by T. Stothard, R.A._] [Sidenote: =One hundred fifty prisoners set free=] Just after Cornwallis defeated Gates, near Camden, Marion pounced upon a guard of British soldiers that was taking one hundred fifty prisoners to Charleston, captured them all, and set the prisoners free. [Illustration: ONE OF MARION'S MEN] [Sidenote: =Tarleton cannot catch Marion=] At last Cornwallis ordered Colonel Tarleton to get "Mr. Marion," as he called him. But before Tarleton could act Marion had fallen on a large party of Tories going to join Cornwallis, and killed, captured, or scattered the entire party. Tarleton chased Marion for twenty-five miles, only to find a large swamp through which he could see neither road nor path. He gave up the chase in disgust, declaring he would pursue the "Swamp Fox" no farther. [Sidenote: =Congress gives Marion a vote of thanks=] When Greene returned to the last campaign in South Carolina he found no better, bolder, or more vigilant helpers than Marion and his "Brigade." Greene gave Marion high praise, and Congress gave him a vote of thanks. Marion was the true soldier of liberty. He cared nothing for display, only for the success of the patriot cause. Marion thought of his men before himself. He was watchful, patient, and silent. He always struck his foes where and when they did not look for him. If they were too strong for him he vanished like smoke in a brisk breeze. [Sidenote: =After the war=]