Did you know a whale helped create one of the greates of the American Revolutionary Wa Many may know Francis Marion, be as South Carolina's legendary “S But before he became the feared guerrilla commander we learn abo and movies... He had a completely different dr He actually wanted to become a s 1747, a 15 year-old Marion signe a merchant schooner in Charlesto bound for the West Indies.

But somewhere along the voyage, disaster struck!

A massive whale slammed into the causing the ship to sink.

Marion and the surviving crew scrambled into a lifeboat.

For nearly a week they drifted helplessly across t with almost nothing to eat or dr Two crew members did not survive Then, on the seventh day the surviving crew and Marion finally washed ashor along the coast of Santo Domingo After being rescued and nursed back to health Marion eventually made his way home back to S.C.

But that horrible experience changed everything!

He wanted nothing more to do with life at sea, and returned to his family's pla in Berkeley County.

Marion eventually joined the militia in his 20s, pivoting to become the famous guerrilla fighter of the American Revolution we all know him for all because of on fateful encounter with a whale.