Plan would park Swamp Fox in Washington

In 1887, a grassy area along South Carolina Avenue in Washington, D.C., was named Marion Park, but was never graced with the likeness of its namesake.

More than 115 years later, John F. McCabe of Columbia wants to change that with an act of Congress and a bronze statue of Gen. Francis Marion, who was known as the Swamp Fox for his guerrilla warfare tactics during the American Revolution.

McCabe visited Washington on a boating trip in June and stopped by to see the acre-and-a-half park about four blocks from Capitol Hill, and was surprised when he did not find a statue of Marion.

"I was disappointed and encouraged," said McCabe, a 41-year-old financial adviser.

McCabe's plan is to place on the site a 7- to 9-foot statue of the war hero, who is buried in a modest granite tomb at Belle Isle Plantation in rural Berkeley County. He also wants to enhance the park's brick-lined pathways with crushed oyster shells, put up a fountain with images of South Carolina and find out if live oaks and palmetto trees can grow up North.

"I want to make it feel like you just stepped into Colonial South Carolina," he said.

McCabe said he has been passionate about history since he was young. He and his wife Mandy have three sons, John Jr., 6, Mitchell, 3, and Charlie, 8 months, in whom McCabe wants to instill the lessons he has learned.

"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it," McCabe said. "We learn from the passion of people like Francis Marion. ... Francis Marion is our state's No. 1 hero."

McCabe drafted a proposal to the National Park Service, hired Robert G. Barinowski of Camden to sculpt a rough model or maquette of Marion in his uniform with a long sword at his side and asked his friend Jeffrey Lewis, a Columbia architect with LTC Associates Inc., to render drawings of the park.

"John is passionate," Lewis said. "When he believes in something, he goes after it. There are people who play golf and other activities. This is what John does. He is really enjoying bringing it to the state's attention."

McCabe also contacted the state's congressmen and hopes to get federal funds earmarked to complete the project, which he estimates will cost around $300,000. He wants to break ground in the summer of 2007.

"As a native of Charleston and a person of Huguenot ancestry, I have always been proud of Francis Marion and his incredible life as one of our country's greatest patriots," Wilson said Tuesday in a written statement. "During the American Revolutionary War, Marion became widely known as an intelligent leader who was consistently able to outwit and outperform British troops."

Sally Blumenthal, deputy associate regional director with the National Park Service, said the federal agency is working with McCabe.

Congress, though, must approve all memorial requests to see if they are of historical significance. The design needs to be reviewed by several historic commissions. Memorials are maintained by the National Park Service, although are typically privately funded unless they are built to honor presidents, Blumenthal said.

McCabe said he knows it will prove to be a arduous process, but he wants to stick through it.

"It is imperative to preserve and promote our history," he said. "It permeates all aspects of life in South Carolina."

Swamp Fox heritage trail planned

MYRTLE BEACH - A trail highlighting the battles and encampments of Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion could boost tourism in the northeastern corner of South Carolina.

State lawmakers approved a commission this year to establish the Francis Marion Trail and provided $100,000 for planning. The members are in place, and a three-day retreat is planned next month, said Ben Zeigler of Florence, chairman of the unpaid panel.

"We expect things will start to take off after that," Zeigler said.

The trail is intended to boost heritage tourism, a growing industry segment. The plan is to have more than just a trail with historical markers.

Marion was known as the Swamp Fox for his guerrilla tactics of quick raids and strikes, followed by retreats deep into the swamps of the Pee Dee.

He was credited with helping prevent a British victory.

The commission has chosen a community and government relations committee to study where the trail might go.

That committee is led by Sel Hemingway, Georgetown County Council chairman.

One of Marion's major battles probably occurred on land in Georgetown County that has been in Hemingway's family for more than 100 years.

The Battle of Black Mingo on Sept. 29, 1780, was one of the Swamp Fox's top three victories, Zeigler said.

"It really sort of stopped a major British effort," he said.

Hemingway's family has owned a land along Black Mingo Creek for generations, and there are indications some of the battle might have occurred there, Hemingway said.

He hopes the trail project can pinpoint the spot.

The battle occurred after Tory Col. John Coming Ball sent 46 men to set up an outpost at Shepherd's Ferry on Black Mingo Creek.

Marion and his soldiers rode from his base farther north in Georgetown County hoping for a surprise attack, but were seen by a guard. Marion went ahead with the attack.

One member of his brigade was killed, and at least two others were severely wounded, but the British were routed.

The general locations of many of the Marion sites are known, but historians aren't sure of the exact locations of some. Pinpointing Swamp Fox sites is part of the commission's mission, Zeigler said.

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