Life in the Palmetto State: The women of the American Revolution

When you think of the American Revolution, you conjure up images of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, where the first shots were fired in April 1775. Or the iconic painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware on his way to defeating the Hessians that fateful Christmas night in 1776.

Closer to home maybe, the fall of Charleston in the spring of 1780.

Maybe it was some of Gen. Francis Marion's famous guerrilla warfare tactics that caught your attention, but women in the fight would certainly not be one of them.

Well, you would be wrong, for a large number of brave women were just as engaged as the men and fought right alongside them.

These women served as soldiers, spies and vital camp followers.

Some served as nurses and cooks, and a few became soldiers and fought right alongside their husbands.

The war effort would have certainly faltered if it hadn't been for the varied and crucial contributions of women who adapted to a brutal home front war. Their roles were multifaceted and essential to our success.

By name, they were Deborah Sampson, who dressed up like a man and fought for the cause.

Margaret Corbin took over her husband's cannon after he fell.

Then there was the legendary Molly Pitcher, and Mary Ludwig Hayes, who brought water to cool artillery and soldiers and also allegedly took over her husband's cannon after he fell victim to a British musket ball.

There were camp followers who stayed in the camps nursing the sick, washing their clothes and fixing meals and the like.

They were used as spies, for the British counted these women as politically insignificant, so they felt at ease speaking of the plans in front of them only to have them told to our American leaders which used this intelligence to thwart the enemies' plans, and the Brits were none the wiser.

While there were women from all walks of life who helped with the cause across our war-torn infant nation, there was one woman from South Carolina whose heroics need to be recognized, for they saved Gen. Marion from certain capture.

In early November 1780, Banastre (Bannister) Tarleton's forces were encamped on the former Gov. Richard Richardson's plantation in Rimini prepared to ambush Gen. Marion and his rag-tag militia.

They built huge bonfires to light up the area, and they thought they would trap and capture them and solve the "Marion effect" of the war, leading to a sure victory in the South.

It almost happened because Marion was hot on Tarleton's trail when Dorothy Richardson caught wind of his trap.

She calmly sent her young son out to warn Marion of these plans.

When Marion got word what was waiting for him, he retreated and hightailed it back into the swamp where he got away. When Tarleton realized he had been double-crossed, he was furious and subsequently burned her house and several of her outbuildings. They also exhumed the recently buried Richardson's body just to humiliate her. She knew the possible consequences she would face if she tattled, but just the simple thought of being free was worth it.

The rest of that story continues whereby Tarleton and his green Dragoons fell in behind Marion's forces, chasing him through the swamps of Jack's Creek, the Pocotaligo and Ox Swamp.

After this 26-mile chase through mosquito- and gator-infested swamps, Tarleton finally gave up somewhere close to Manning, saying, "Men, I have chased him as far as I am going to. It is impossible to catch this old Swamp Fox."

The name stuck, and he was from then on known as the "Swamp Fox."

Folks, women played a very critical role in the birth of our great nation. Never forget that patriotism and love of country is not only instilled in men, but women have those same feelings, too.

When women are passionate about someone or something, their dedication far outweighs their worry for safety.

Thank you ladies for your fight. The country could not have done it without you.

May God bless you!

Lee Reaves Jr. is president of Clarendon County Historical Society.