Francis Marion grew up on a plantation in South Carolina. There he listened to stories of his freedom-loving ancestors. And there he hunted in the swamps, learning all the twists of the shadowy river and all the hidden trails through the underbrush.

When the American Revolution started and the Patriots in the Carolinas were outnumbered, Francis' knowledge of the swamps served him well. He organized a group of men called Marion's Brigade and his them deep in the swamps. From there they pounced out at the British like foxes. Their swift raids and swifter retreats were the terror of the enemy and the pride of their countrymen.

Small, dark and courageous, Marion was an independent, romantic figure, beloved by his friends and by his brigade, who proudly wore the words "Liberty or Death" on their leather battle caps. He is a perfect subject for the historian, Carl Carmer, and his wife Elizabeth.

From the dust jacket