On This Day In History: The 'Swamp Fox," Lt Colonel Francis Marion Routs Loyalists While British General Gates’ Men Fall Ill

As History.com notes, Lt Colonel Francis Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox," and his men defeated a Loyalist group at Points Ferry in South Carolina on this day in 1780 during the War of Independence.

You can read about the battle via the below link:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/swamp-fox-routs-loyalists-while-gates-men-fall-ill?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2016-0815-08152016&om_rid=de5e4076c942a595dbda53f758321d197499484f6d117f61b6ac5c08e0d6f0aa&om_mid=79961613&kx_EmailCampaignID=6541&kx_EmailCampaignName=email-hist-tdih-2016-0815-08152016&kx_EmailRecipientID=de5e4076c942a595dbda53f758321d197499484f6d117f61b6ac5c08e0d6f0aa

You can read more about Francis Marion at Smithsonian.com via the below link:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-swamp-fox-157330429/?no-ist

Note: When I was a preteen I was a huge fan of Walt Disney's The Swamp Fox, which appeared on TV from 1959 until 1961.

As I grew older and began to read military history, I discovered that the show was historically inaccurate, as was the Mel Gibson film The Patriot, which came out in 2000 and was based on Marion. The film makers initially called the lead character Francis Marion, but gave him a fictional name when they feared that Marion's ownership of slaves would hurt ticket sales.

In my view, it is ridiculous to hold someone in history up to modern ethically standards. Marion was was no better, or worst, than anyone of his time and station in life.

Francis Marion was great soldier and patriot.