11/1/07
Symposium brings life to Revolutionary War
By Eric Goold

ERIC GOOLD/Manning Times

USC Sumter professor, Dr. Tom Powers, in the persona of General Thomas Sumter, describes the skirmishes of the American Revolution to the 5th Annual Francis Marion Symposium.

General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion and General Thomas “The Gamecock” Sumter came alive on the weekend of Oct. 19 and thrilled modern-day audiences with their knowledge and experiences from the Revolutionary War.

Enthusiasts and history buffs gathered for the 5th Annual Francis Marion Symposium at the F.E. DuBose campus of the Central Carolina Technical College to benefit the Swamp Fox Murals Trail Society, which sponsors and hosts the annual event.

“I think it was the best symposium we’ve had yet,” said George Summers, President of the Trail Society and Master of Ceremonies. “I think for sure we had the best presenters we’ve ever had, to go along with some very responsive and appreciative participants.”

The highlight of the event was Saturday night’s dinner theater, which featured a discussion between Generals Marion and Sumter, aka Dr. Joseph Stukes and Dr. Tom Powers.

Powers, a professor of history at USC-Sumter, made his fifth consecutive trip to the symposium.

“I’ve been here for all of them,” said Powers. “It’s a very worthwhile event for the people of Clarendon County because of the ideas that people bring in and present. It’s a good reminder of the things you’ve got here.”

Powers gave a vigorous and animated presentation as General Sumter, the Clarendon County native who led the South Carolina militia during the Revolution.

He straightened out some common misconceptions, like he was the true guerilla fighter, not Francis Marion. Marion was a commissioned officer of the Continental Army and was not from Clarendon County, which a lot of people believe.

At the dinner theater to conclude the Symposium on Saturday night, Generals Sumter and Marion reenacted a conversation the two historical figures had at Palm Island in 1794. The conversation was the final presentation of the two-day event, which started Friday afternoon.

“I think the participants all had a hard time determining which presentation was their favorite,” said Summers. “It depended upon their personal interests and why they came here. All of the presentations were wonderful.”

One of the most popular presentations came from Erick Nason, a veteran of the Army Special Forces and a Revolutionary War buff who portrayed Peter Horry, a friend and fellow General who served with Marion.

“No one knows a lot about Horry,” said Nason, who came to the Symposium from his home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. “A lot of the information we have about Francis Marion came from Peter Horry’s journals. It’s fun to bring to light this information about a competent officer and a good friend of Francis Marion. It’s been great. I’d love to come back.”

Another popular presenter was Duke University Ph.D student Daniel Tortora, whose presentation was about religion and churches in South Carolina during the Revolution.

“It went very well. I got some great comments about it,” said Tortora. “I think a lot of people were surprised to see how much of an impact the Revolution played upon the churches, and how deeply felt its impact was among the religious practices. People in the audience had family connections to those churches, so that was fun to learn about.”

Friday’s presentation was about the Marsh Tacky, a breed of horse that was commonly used by militiamen during the Revolution. That included a field trip to the Silver Lakes Plantation where participants were able to see some Marsh Tacky’s in action.

“Obviously that was a favorite for a lot of people,” said Summers.

No official word yet on whether or not there will be a 6th annual Symposium next year.

“We’re hoping to do it,” said Summers. “But right now when you’re all worn out might not be the best time to say that.”