A lieutenant in the Virginia militia during the
French and Indian War, Marshall participated in the
Braddock Expedition against
Fort Duquesne, under George Washington. However, since Washington detailed him to command one of the garrison at
Fort Necessity, Marshall was not present at the defeat. In 1775, on the summons of
Patrick Henry, Marshall recruited a battalion and became major of a regiment known as the "
Culpeper Minutemen." He afterward became colonel of the
3rd Virginia Regiment. His sons Thomas Marshall and John Marshall also became officers. At the
Battle of Brandywine, Thomas Marshall's command was placed in a wood on the right, and, though attacked by greatly superior numbers, maintained its position without losing an inch of ground until its ammunition was nearly expended and more than half its officers and one third of the soldiers were killed or wounded. The safety of the
Continental Army on this occasion was largely due to the good conduct of Colonel Marshall and his command. The House of Burgesses voted him a sword. At
Germantown, his regiment covered the retreat of the Continental Army. He was with Washington at
Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania. He was afterward ordered to the south, and was surrendered by
General Lincoln at
Charleston in 1780. When paroled Marshall took advantage of the circumstance to make his first visit to Kentucky on horseback over the mountains, and then located the lands on which he subsequently lived in
Woodford. After returning to Virginia, Marshall resumed his command and held it until the close of the war. In 1781 he was for a time in command at York. ==Kentucky==