Weems, Mason Locke:

$6,500 · Offered by William Reese Company

[MANUSCRIPT IN THE HAND OF MASON LOCKE WEEMS OF "A CONVERSATION BETWEEN GENERAL MARION & A WHIG BOY," A SECTION OF WEEMS AND HORRY'S BIOGRAPHY OF GEN. FRANCIS ... A working manuscript draft in the hand of Mason Locke Weems of a section from Chapter XIV of The Life of Gen. Francis Marion... (pp.120-22 in the accompanying copy). The section is titled "A Conversation Between General Marion & a Whig Boy," and describes a scene just after Marion and his men have taken a brief rest in Waccamaw. A boy has been sent by his father to warn Marion that Tory forces are gathering up the Little Pedee (Pee Dee) River. Marion is calm and sanguine in his reply to the news, "Very well my son I thank you and your daddy too for letting me know it. I believe I must try to meet the tories there." The boy is almost incredulous at Marion's cool demeanor: "O la sir general try to meet em indeed! yes, to be sure! dear me sirs hearts alive that you must, sir general! for daddy says as how he is quite sartin if you'll be there tomorrow night you may make a proper smash amoung the tories...." The boy goes on to explain that the Tories have heard of Marion, and that they're coming after him with "a tarnal nation sight of pistols! and bagonets! and swords! and saddles! and bridles and the dear knows what else besides!" As he goes on, the boy grows a bit unsure of Marion: "But to be sure sir general, you look like a mighty small man to fight them great big tories there on Pedee. But daddy says as how the he

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