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The film Sweet Liberty draws part of its plot-within-a-plot from a folk tale concerning an incident which took place during the British army's long march through North Carolina: the encounter between Banastre Tarleton and Mrs. Mary Slocumb.

In April 1781, Tarleton and the Legion approached a North Carolina plantation which belonged to a Lieutenant Slocumb. Slocumb was off in command of a local militia unit, leaving his wife, Mary, to manage the plantation.

As Tarleton and his men approached the house, they found Mrs. Slocumb on the verandah. Doffing his hat to her, Tarleton politely inquired if her husband was at home, and was politely informed that he was not. He then asked, "Is he a rebel?" to which he reputedly received the reply, "No, sir. He is in the army of his country, and fighting against invaders; therefore not a rebel." Turning to an aide, Tarleton ordered him to make camp in the nearby orchard. Then bowing very low, he added: "Madam, the service of his Majesty requires the temporary occupation of your property; and if it would not be too great an inconvenience, I will take up my quarters in your house."¹

The Legion rested on the plantation grounds for several days, while Tarleton and his officers enjoyed Mrs. Slocumb's hospitality. Out of pride, she entertained them in a truly lavish style. She does not appear to have felt herself in any danger from her unwanted guests -- according to legend, she once saucily informed them that, "The only land in these United States which will ever remain in possession of a British officer, will measure but six feet by two." In fact, the longer versions of this tale seem to go out of their way to cast Tarleton and his men in a better light than they are normally afforded. According to Ellet, "Mrs. Slocumb's little son, at this time two or three years old, became a pet with several of the officers. The little fellow was permitted to share with them the pleasure and pride of prancing about on their splendid chargers." She also recounts that Mrs. Slocumb had, on the army's approach, buried her valuables in a nearby marsh, but that when some dragoons stumbled over it, "They were compelled to restore it to the rightful owner."²

Needless to say, the Sweet Liberty version of the story, involving a torrid romance between Tarleton and Mrs. Slocomb, has no connection to either history or traditional myth. There are no hints of romantic sparks and no indications that she was anything other than pleased to see the last of the Legion when it finally pulled up stakes and rode onward, leaving her and her property unharmed.

Further Reading:

• C. Brian Kelly, Best Little Stories from the American Revolution (Nashville, TN: Cumberland House Publishing, 1999), pp419-420 has a modern version of the story.
   
• Elizabeth F. Ellet, The Women of the American Revolution, 3 vols. (New York: Haskell House Publishers, Inc., 1969), 1:304-330 is the longest version of the story I've seen, and probably one of the earliest.
   

Notes:

¹ Elizabeth F. Ellet, The Women of the American Revolution, 3 vols. (New York: Haskell House Publishers, Inc., 1969), 1:306-307. [ back ]

² Ellet, 1:328. [ back ]