Marion and Lee Capturing Fort Watson

“Marion and Lee could see the light of his camp-fires on the hills in the west. Whatever was done must be done quickly. But what could they do? They had no cannon; and even if they had, they could not batter down the fort; but a bright thought came to Colonel Mahan - to build a tower which would overlook the fortification. As soon as night came, all the axes in the camp were in use. The British could hear the choppers, and wondered what was going on; but they were astonished in the morning when they saw a tower high than the fort, and a swarm of men on the top firing through loop-holes, and picking off their rifles every man who showed his head above the parapet ... Before noon the Americans were in possession of the fort, and all its supplies."—Coffin, 1879

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