Nearly half of the fine soldiers in the United States Marine Corps cringe a little when they hear the name “Parris Island.”  This small city near Beaufort, South Carolina, is the home of an 8,500 acre installment used as the Marine Corps Training Depot.  Each year, roughly 19,000 new recruits (all enlisted Marines who live east of the Mississippi) come for a thirteen-week session of rigorous training.  They call it “Boot Camp.”

           

The Marine base at Parris Island was constructed in 1915, just as the threat of World War I was beginning to loom.  At this time, South Carolina became a hot spot for housing and training military personnel.  In 1918, Fort Jackson opened near Columbia to help prepare recruits who were entering into the Army.  It remains one of the Army’s largest initial training centers in the country.

           

South Carolina has a history of producing some of the world’s finest professional soldiers—but it didn’t start out that way.  During the American Revolution, the soldier who truly turned the tables on the British wasn’t of the organized, disciplined, and highly-polished variety.  He was the “militia” man, or a man who was trained as a soldier but was not part of the organized army.

           

When the American Revolution began, it was the British Regulars who were known for being disciplined, organized, and experienced.  The Americans, on the other hand, often had to rely on “make-shift” soldiers who had a reputation for being disorderly, untested, and often out of control.  When referring to the militia troops, this description probably wasn’t too far off.

           

Militia troops fought throughout the colonies, but no place did they shine more than in South Carolina.  Men like Francis Marion frustrated the British and saved the morale of the Americans.  Marion led a group of 150 men on a series of surprise attacks on the British Regulars.  He and his men were always able to escape before the British had time to react.  As a testament to his ability to disappear into the swampy woods, the British nicknamed Marion the “Swamp Fox.”

           

Andrew Pickens was another top-notch militia leader. Pickens gained his early experience by fighting against Native Americans in the Cherokee Wars.   When the American Revolution came, Pickens gathered a group of a few hundred men and created trouble for the British in Georgia and the Carolinas.  Like Francis Marion, Pickens took advantage of the swamps and thick woods to launch quick attacks on the British Regulars.

           

On May 12, 1780, it seemed that all of Pickens’ efforts were wasted.  On that day, the city of Charleston fell to the British, and the south seemed to be a lost cause.  Pickens decided at that point to give up fighting, and he and his men went home. 

 

Much to his surprise, the war was just beginning for Andrew Pickens.  When he arrived home, he found that British soldiers and loyalists had destroyed his property and intimidated his family.  With a renewed energy, and a score to settle, Pickens rejoined the war.  He spent the next year hindering the British through calculated militia attacks.  His finest moment was at the Battle of Cowpens, in which his militia troops led the British Regulars into a trap.  It proved to be a major turning point in the war.

 

Thomas Sumter also served as an effective militia leader, although he did his part to create the negative reputation that militias often carried.  Sumter managed to frustrate the British by blocking off supply lines near Charleston.  He wasn’t much of a team player, however.  Sumter paid little attention to the goals of the regular army, and instead seemed to be out to satisfy his own vengeance.  He was also less calculated than Francis Marion or Andrew Pickens.  His men often suffered defeat or were caught off-guard.

           

Despite his controversial tactics, everybody agreed that Sumter was effective.  The news of his successes lifted the morale of the Americans so much that over 1,000 men volunteered to join his militia.  After the war, Sumter’s heroics won him a seat in congress.

           

While the militia troops were not part of the regular army, their success in South Carolina was largely due to the leadership of the Regulars.  When General Nathanael Greene took control of the southern forces in late 1780, he encouraged the guerrilla tactics of militia forces.  He recognized that the small raids could lift American morale, and destroy British confidence.  He was right.

           

In a strategic move, Greene placed Daniel Morgan in charge of a 600-man light infantry force.  Having fought under George Washington, Morgan was already a veteran of the Revolution by this time.  His orders under Greene were to travel throughout South Carolina and harass the British, but to never engage in a serious battle.  This plan helped give the Continental Army a huge presence in the Carolinas.

           

Today, the soldiers who come out of South Carolina (i.e. the recruits who are trained at Parris Island and Fort Jackson) are highly trained and disciplined.  More importantly, they share the same patriotism and spirit that the militia troops had over 200 years ago.