IslandVibesIOP.com 23 HISTORY From the Archive Oscar Marion: The Swamp Fox’s steadfast servant By Mary Coy Then vs Now From a cottage to a kitchen By Mary Coy The year 2026 is a very special one for our country. Unless you have had your head stuck in the sand (or pluff mud, as the case may be), you know that it marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Isle of Palms’ residents are keenly aware of an event of great historical importance that occurred right here back in June 1776. That’s when American patriot militia on Sullivan’s Island held off a large contingent of British soldiers who encamped on the Isle of Palms and attempted to cross Breach Inlet. From historical records of the momentous battle that began from our shore and continued from the sea at the harbor’s entrance, we learn the names of some of the most prominent military figures: Col. William “Danger” Thomson, Col. William Moultrie, Sgt. William Jasper and Major (later Col.) Francis Marion, among them. But a name you may not know and whose presence was important nonetheless is that of Oscar, Francis Marion’s African-American slave who provided critical support for Marion, perhaps even fighting alongside him. Oscar continued to serve with Marion in many other battles across the Lowcountry during the next seven years of the war. Although no official images of Oscar are recorded in the annals of history, he is depicted in a famous painting by the artist John Blake White in which Marion is offering a British officer a meal at the patriots’ encampment on the Pee Dee River. While the two men discuss a prisoner exchange, Oscar is seen cooking while kneeling over a campfire. The original of the painting hangs in the U.S. Capitol and copies of the painting are in the Georgetown County Museum as well as in Charleston’s Old Exchange. Oscar is shown with Marion in many other drawings and paintings as well. In the 2000 blockbuster movie “The Patriot,” a story inspired by the wartime escapades of Marion, the fictional character Occam, played by actor Jay Arlen Jones, parallels Oscar. In 2006, President George W. Bush recognized Oscar’s service to “a grateful nation” with a posthumous proclamation for his bravery and loyalty to the patriot cause, noting his “devoted and selfless consecration to the service of our country and the Armed Forces of the United States,” even though he never achieved his own personal independence from slavery. While many enslaved men escaped or deserted the patriot ranks during the war, Oscar remained with Marion not only throughout the war but also afterward when they returned to Marion’s plantation in Berkeley County. According to the American Battlefield Trust, there may have been 5,000 Blacks who served with the patriot military during the Revolutionary War. Although they remain nameless, some of them undoubtedly had a hand in helping repel the British attack at Breach Inlet two-and-a-half centuries ago. As we celebrate Black History Month during this very monumental year, we must remember the African Americans like Oscar who played crucial roles in achieving America’s independence. The famous painting by Berkeley County native John Blake White. Provided by Library of Congress Acme Lowcountry Kitchen (present day) Everyone knows that Acme Lowcountry Kitchen is a great place to experience a taste of what makes Southern coastal cuisine so great. Crab cakes, scallops, shrimp and flounder are on the menu, of course, along with a few dishes touting homespun names like the Hunley Trio and the Yorktown that link it to staples of local history. Yet the location of the restaurant is itself a staple of local history, dating back to long before the Acme was around. An earlier version of the restaurant was named the Acme Cantina and was owned by the Swain family, longtime residents of the Isle of Palms. But what many island residents probably don’t know is that the site was once also home to a small vacation retreat called the Buccaneer Cottages. Island resident Gail Swain Pohl explained that her family bought the place, cottages and all, from John and Nan Auletto. The couple had originally operated a popular restaurant there known then as Huck’s. As one of the first restaurants on the island, it was the go-to place for residents in the mid-20th century. Huck’s was known not only for its neighborhood atmosphere, but for the display of classic watercolor paintings done by the locally-acclaimed artist and naturalist Anne Worsham Richardson, nicknamed the “Charleston Bird Lady,” and owner of the Birds I View Gallery in Charleston’s French Quarter. By the 1960s, the Aulettos had expanded their venture into the hospitality industry by adding 11 small wooden structures behind the restaurant. Visitors from across the state enjoyed the affordable vacation rentals provided in the simple lodging located just a block from the beach and the excitement along Ocean Boulevard. When the Swains purchased the property in 1966, Pohl was just a youngster. She said her first job was cleaning the cottages and making sure the guests there were comfortable. It was a family affair since her parents had full-time jobs off-site as well. As time went by, several of the cottages were torn down, and by the 1980s, much of the property was rented to businesses and known as Harbor Oaks Place. But the Swain family continued to operate the restaurant, which they called the Acme Cantina, until current owners Bobby Simons, Rodger Tully and Charles Arena bought it in recent years. Obviously, things have changed a lot on the Isle of Palms since the days of Huck’s and the Buccaneer Cottages. But a couple of things that have remained the same are the island’s small-town feel and the allure of anything local. The spot at 31 J.C. Long Blvd. across from IOP City Hall is a place where both can still be found.
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