Person:Andrew Pickens (4)

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Andrew Pickens (September 13, 1739 – August 11, 1817) was a militia leader in the American Revolution and a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina.

GENERAL IN THE REVOLUTION. HIS ANCESTORS, FRENCH HUGENAUTS, LEFT FRANCE AFTER THE EDICT OF NANTES. THEY WENT FIRST TO SCOTLAND, THEN TO IRELAND, AND FINALLY TO AMERICA. THE FAMILY MOVED TO AUGUSTA CO., VA AND SOON AFTER TO WAXHAWS IN SC BEFORE HE HAD ATTAINED THE AGE OF MANHOOD. HE MOVED TO ABBEVILLE IN 1763.

From DAR application for Linda Anne Daniel # 747983: "Andrew Pickens' service began on Nov 19 1775 when he was appointed Capt. of Company 2 under the command of Major Andrew Williamson. In January 1779, now Colonel Pickens, with 500 men attacked and dispersed Col. Boyds band of N.C. Loyalists on their way to Georgia. In January 1781 he rendered valuable service at the battle of Cowpens, fighting in the front lines. Gen. McCrady in his history of S.C. says, "The distinguishing feature of the battle of Cowpens upon the American side was undoubtedly the effectiveness of Pickens' marksmanship."

This sketch was taken from the obituary of General Pickens published in the Pendleton Messenger on the 27th day of August, 1817. (Old Pendleton District)

Was born in Buck County, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1739, and died August 11th, 1817. His ancestors left France after the Edict of Nantes. They went first to Scotland, then to Ireland and then to America. The family then removed to Augusta County, Virginia, and soon after to the Waxhaws in South Carolina before he had attained the age of manhood. In 1761 he served as a volunteer with Moultrie and Marion, in a bloody but successful expedition under Colonel Grant against the Cherokees. After the termination of that war he removed to Long Cane settlement in Abbeville. At an early period he took a positive stand against Great Britain, and at the commencement of the war was appointed captain of militia; rose to Major, Colonel and Brigadier General. In the most despondent period of the war with such leaders as Sumter and Marion he kept up the spirit of resistance against the British, Tories and Indians. In 1781 he commanded in chief the expedition against the Cherokees in the northwest corner of the State and such was his success in a short time he so subdued the spirit of that then powerful nation that a peace so permanent was effected that it since has not been disturbed. He fought at Cowpens, Eutaw, King's Mountain, and in many minor engagements both with British and Indians. In fact he stood as a power of strength, and was the great protector of all the Whig settlers in upper South Carolina. Peace being restored he served his country continuously in some public office until 1801. He made a treaty with the Cherokees by which that territory embraced in the counties of Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee was ceded to the State. This treaty was made at Hopewell on the banks of the Seneca Ricer nearby Cherry's Crossing on the Blue Ridge Railroad. Soon after this treaty General Pickens removed to Hopewell and erected a dwelling on the hill a short distance from the tree under which the treaty was made. He owned a large body of land on Seneca River, the lower part of which he subsequently gave to his son, Ezekiel Pickens. He served in the State Convention, in the Legislature and in Congress. He was appointed Major General of militia. While residing at Hopewell, he with Gen. Robert Anderson, built the first Presbyterian Church near where the old Stone Church now stands. When Pendleton District was formed he was one of the county judges, and held the first court ever held therein. About what time he removed to his beautiful and valuable farm, Tomassee, now in Oconee County, is not known, but he was evidently residing there when the war of 1812 broke out. In this emergency he was again pressed into public service. He accepted a seat in the Legislature and was pressed to accept the office of Governor at this eventful crisis, which he declined because he thought the office should be left to more youthful hands. He died August 11th, 1817, and was buried at the Old Stone Church. Early in life General Pickens married Rebecca Calhoun, March 19th, 1765, a sister of John Ewing Calhoun who was a senator in Congress, and the daughter of Ezekiel Calhoun, the brother Patrick Calhoun. They had a numerous family.

Books about Gen. Pickens

• "Skyagursta, The Border Wizard Owl" by Dr. A.L. Pickens, 1934
• "The Fighting Elder : Andrew Pickens" by Alice Noble, Columbia, 1962
• "The Life of General Frances Marion: also lives of Generals Moultrie, Pickens, and Governer Rutledge", Moore, 1845.

• Clemson University video on Hopewell Plantation

1. ↑ Reece, Pat - e-mail: patreece@@aol.com, From Genforum post of 1/29/1999.
2.   Email from William Lindsay.

   The Following e-mail establishes the place of Gen. Andrew Pickens birth:
   
   Subj: RE: Kerr Family
   Date:06/12/2000 1:44:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time
   From:wlindsey@@philander.edu (William Lindsey)
   To:Delijim@@aol.com
   
   Dear Jim,
   
   To add fodder to your theory that the Kerrs may have come from Paxton twp.
   in Lancaster Co., PA, there's an 1811 letter by Gen. Andrew Pickens (m.
   Rebecca Floride Calhoun, dau. of Ezekiel and Jean Ewing Calhoun) in which
   Gen. Pickens states that he was born in that township. It's transcribed in
   Sharp's history of the Pickens family, p. 135. It's to Gen. Light Horse
   Harry Lee:
   
   "I was born in PA, Paxton Township, on the 19th Sept. 1739. My father
   removed with his family when I was very young to Virginia, and settled for a
   few years west of where Staunton now stands about 8 miles, and in the year
   1752 or 3, removed to the Waxhaws and was amongst the first settlers of that
   part of South Carolina. My father and mother came from Ireland. My
   father's progenitors emigrated from France after the revocation of the Edict
   of Nantes."
   
   If I'm not mistaken, the location that Andrew Pickens describes--a few miles
   west of Staunton--is very near where the Kerrs of Augusta Co. were living in
   Beverley Manor.
   
   Sounds to me like a promising hypothesis, to think that the James Kerr who
   died in Orange Co. might very well be father of the James who died in 1770.
   I'll do all I can to help sort things out, though you're much more the
   expert re: this family than I am.
   
   Bill

3. ↑ Find A Grave.

   Andrew Pickens tombstone and memorial page