Oscar Marion was an American slave and militiaman during the Revolutionary War. He was the slave of Brigadier-General

Francis Marion Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...

, the legendary "Swamp Fox." In December 2006, Oscar Marion was recognized as an "African American Patriot" in a ceremony at the

U.S. Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is form ...

, and a proclamation signed by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

expressed the appreciation of a "grateful nation" for Oscar Marion's "devoted and selfless consecration to the service of our country in the

Armed Forces of the United States The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

." It is believed that, following custom, Oscar was made to take the last name of his owner, and he was one of roughly 200 slaves (many with the last name of Marion) who were kept in bondage by Francis Marion. But there may have been a close personal connection between the general and his slave. It is believed that Oscar Marion appears in at least one painting of the general. ''General Marion Inviting a British Officer to Share His Meal'' shows a Black man only a few feet from Marion, kneeling at a fire and roasting

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

es as a British officer is invited to dine with the Americans. In the December 2006 ceremony, Bush and several congressmen recognized the image as representing Oscar Marion. The painting, by South Carolina artist John Blake White appeared on

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

banknotes issued in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. It currently hangs in the third-floor corridor of the Senate Wing of the U.S. Capitol. Following his seven years of service with Gen. Marion in the Revolutionary War, Oscar Marion likely returned with the general to Francis Marion's large Berkeley County, South Carolina, plantation. There is no evidence that Oscar ever married or had children. In the Walt Disney Studios miniseries '' The Swamp Fox'',

Smoki Whitfield Smoki Whitfield (born Robert Whitfield, and sometimes credited as Jordan Whitfield) was an African American actor, comedian, and musician. Biography Smoki was born in Pittsburgh to John Whitfield and Effie Walker. He attended the University of ...

played Oscar Marion opposite

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

's Francis Marion. Whitfield sang the series'

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

, adding new verses in each of the eight installments to chronicle the characters' latest adventures.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marion, Oscar Year of birth missing Year of death missing 18th-century American slaves African Americans in the American Revolution South Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Patriots in the American Revolution South Carolina colonial people