Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/804

 12 2 STA T .78 1 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 22 9—M A Y 8, 2008 Subti t leD—M e mor i a l s,C ommissio n s, an d Museums SEC.3 3 1 .C OM MEMO RATIV E W OR K TO H O N OR B RI G A D IER GENERA LF RANCIS MARION AND HIS FAMIL Y . (a)FIND IN GS.—TheCongr e s s fi n d s t he fo l lo w ing

( 1 ) Fran c is M arion was b ornin1 732 in S t. J ohn ’ s P arish ,B er k ele y Co u nty, South Carolina. H e m arried Mary E sther V ideau on Ap ril 2 0 th, 17 86 . Francis and Mary Esther Marion had no children, but raised a son of a relati v e as their own, and gave the child Francis Marion’s name. (2) Brigadier G eneral Marion commanded the W illiamsburg Militia R evolutionary force in South Carolina and was instru - mental in delaying the advance of British forces by leading his troops in disrupting supply lines. (3) Brigadier General Marion’s tactics, which were unheard of in rules of warfare at the time, included lightning raids on British convoys, after which he and his forces would retreat into the swamps to avoid capture. British L ieutenant Colonel Tarleton stated that ‘ ‘as for this damned old swamp fo x, the devil himself could not catch him’’. Thus, the legend of the ‘‘Swamp Fox’’ was born. ( 4 ) His victory at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September of 1781 was officially recogni z ed by Congress. ( 5 ) Brigadier General Marion’s troops are believed to be the first racially integrated force fighting for the U nited States, as his band was a mix of Whites, Blacks, both free and slave, and N ative Americans. (6) As a statesman, he represented his parish in the South Carolina senate as well as his State at the Constitutional Convention. (7) Although the Congress has authorized the establish- ment of commemorative works on Federal lands in the D istrict of Columbia honoring such celebrated Americans as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, the National Capital has no comparable memorial to Brigadier General Francis Marion for his bravery and leadership during the Revolutionary War, without which the United States would not exist. (8) Brigadier General Marion’s legacy must live on. Since 1878, United States Reservation 18 has been officially referred to as Marion Park. Located between 4th and 6th Streets, S.E., at the intersection of E Street and South Carolina Avenue, S.E., in Washington, DC, the park lacks a formal commemora- tion to this South Carolina hero who was important to the initiation of the Nation’s heritage. ( 9 ) The time has come to correct this oversight so that future generations of Americans will know and understand the preeminent historical and lasting significance to the Nation of Brigadier General Marion’s contributions. Such a South Caro- lina hero deserves to be given the proper recognition. (b) A UTHOR IT Y TO EST ABL ISH CO M M E MORATI V E WOR K .—The Marion Park Pro j ect, a committee of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, may establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor Brigadier General Francis Marion and his service. Distr i c t ofC o lumb i a.40US C 89 0 3n ot e .

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