Tarleton withdrawn, Marion resumed all his old activity, his audacity reaching the extent of making an attack on the British garrison at Georgetown.  This was performed in conjunction with Major Lee, who had been sent by General Greene to Marion’s aid.  Lee had no little trouble to find him.  The active partisan was so constantly moving about, now in deep swamps, now far from his lurking-places, that friend and foe alike were puzzled to trace his movements.  They met at last, however, and made a midnight attack on Georgetown, unsuccessful, as it proved, yet sufficient to redouble the alarm of the enemy.

In the spring of 1781 we find Colonel Watson, with a force of five hundred men, engaged in the difficult task of “crushing Marion.”  He found him,—­unlike the predecessors,—­but, as it proved, to his own cost.  Marion was now at Snow’s Island, whence he emerged to strike a quick succession of heavy blows at such different points that he appeared to be ubiquitous.  His force met that of Watson unexpectedly, and a fight ensued.  Watson had the advantage of field-pieces, and Marion was obliged to fall back.  Reaching a bridge over the Black River, he checked his pursuers with telling volleys long enough to burn the bridge.  Then a peculiar contest took place.  The two forces marched down the stream, one on each side, for ten miles, skirmishing across the water all the way.  Darkness ended the fight.  The two camps were pitched near together.  For ten days Watson remained there, not able to get at Marion, and so annoyed by the constant raids of his active foe that in the end he made a midnight flight to escape destruction in detail.  Marion pursued, and did him no small damage in the flight.  Watson’s only solace was the remark, already quoted, that his troublesome foe would not “fight like a gentleman or a Christian.”

Major Lee tells an amusing story of an incident that happened to himself, on his march in search of Marion.  He had encamped for the night on Drowning Creek, a branch of the Pedee.  As morning approached, word was brought to the officer of the day that noises were heard in front of the pickets, in the direction of the creek.  They seemed like the stealthy movements of men.  Now a sentinel fired, the bugles sounded for the horse patrols to come in, and the whole force was quickly got ready for the coming enemy.  But no enemy appeared.  Soon after another sentinel fired, and word came that an unseen foe was moving in the swamp.  The troops faced in this direction, and waited anxiously for the coming of dawn.  Suddenly the line of sentinels in their rear fire in succession.  The enemy had undoubtedly gained the road behind them, and were marching on them from that direction.  The line again faced round.  Lee went along it, telling his men that there was nothing left but to fight, and bidding them to sustain the high reputation which they had long since won.  The cavalry were ordered not to pursue a flying force, for the country was well suited for concealment, and they might be tempted into an ambuscade.