Francis Marion, by name the Swamp Fox, (born c. 1732, Winyah, South Carolina [U.S.]—died February 26, 1795, Berkeley county, South Carolina, U.S.), colonial American soldier in the American Revolution (1775–83), nicknamed the “Swamp Fox” by the British for his elusive tactics
Majority of people have heard of Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox. Some when they became acquainted with the movie “The Patriot” featuring Mel Gibson and filmed here in Berkeley County. Many history buffs and any military buff who wish to learn about “Guerilla Warfare”- Francis Marion became known as the father of “Guerilla Warfare”. There is lots of information on the web and many books have been written about this legendary hero. I will be sharing different gems about our Revolutionary War Hero. Today, I will share where I was born and raised and why it is called “Hell Hole”
Francis Marion used the land and swamps to evade the British troops, so when King George asked General Cornwallis why he could not capture Marion. Cornwallis replied, “he hides in a hell of a hole”. So over time the area around the Francis Marion National Forrest became referred to and known as Hell Hole or Hell Hole Swamp. The challenge is defining exactly where it is. If you ask locals it is down that way or two or three miles over there.
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