From Independent Mail, Anderson, NC: Heritage groups mark Pickens' 273rd birthday
CLEMSON —
Four men wearing three-cornered hats and carrying muskets over their shoulders marched into the Old Stone Church on Sunday.
Sunlight spilled onto the simple whitewashed walls of the sanctuary
as 23 parishioners listened to what little is known about the life of
Gen. Andrew Pickens.
The namesake of most "Pickens" counties in the Southeast, including
ones in South Carolina and Alabama, was being honored on the occasion of
his 273rd birthday by members of the Sons and Daughters of the American
Revolution.
Pickens was a deeply religious Christian, said Ralph Welton, a member
of the Sons of the American Revolution chapter named for the general in
Clemson.
"It is generally believed that his political career suffered because
he was too quick to forgive rather than seek punishment for his
enemies," Welton told the congregation. "He believed that each fought
for the cause they believed in; however, all needed to learn to live in
peace."
Pickens was born in Pennsylvania to Scotch-Irish immigrants on Sept.
13, 1739. He became an American militia leader during the American
Revolution, and after he weathered battles in Cowpens and Augusta, Ga.,
he represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He eventually settled in Abbeville and married Rebecca Calhoun. They
had 12 children, one of whom, Andrew, became governor. Pickens died in
Tamassee, where he befriended Cherokee Indians, a tribe he had earlier
fought against in Georgia.
After Sunday's service, members of the Sons and Daughters of the
American Revolution placed wreaths on Pickens' grave and that of Robert
Anderson.
The latter, a militia officer and politician, gave the county and
city of Anderson their names. He served under Pickens, and the two men
became friends, Welton said.
Sons of the American Revolution color guard members tipped their hats after they laid wreaths.
Sheila Boyd, a member of the Tamassee Daughters chapter, clasped her gloved hands and bowed.
The color guard members then pointed their muskets skyward and fired three times.
Curiosity about heritage and lineage is steadily drawing interest in both American Revolution heritage groups.
Membership in the South Carolina chapters of the Sons grows about 10
percent a year, said Mark Anthony, a national trustee and past state
president.
To attain membership, applicants must prove lineage from the war.
Anthony is descended from Capt. James Withrow, who fought in the Battle
of Kings Mountain.
Withrow drew a hard line when it came to the Torries he fought, even if they were family.
"He is quoted as saying to his brother-in-law, 'Look now to your friends for aid' as he lay dying," Anthony said.
Anthony is a member of the Daniel Morgan Sons chapter in Spartanburg.
He joined members from chapters in Greenville, Tamassee and Clemson for
the ceremony.
Wearing his red, white and navy blue Continental Army uniform seven
days in a row "doesn't get old," Anthony said. That is fortunate because
local Sons have been living in Colonial times quite a bit lately.
They routinely travel to schools and act out roles their ancestors played, from shopkeeper to general.
"I feel as comfortable in these clothes as I do regular clothes," Anthony said.
Last week, James Norris, president of the Robert Anderson Sons
chapter in Greenville, marched from Constitution Hall to the Liberty
Bell in Philadelphia to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the U.S.
Constitution.
"We marched right down the middle of the green," Norris said.
The men conducted a grave dedication in Union, S.C., on Saturday and
will head to Tamassee Elementary on Wednesday for another event. They
will head to a national leadership meeting in Louisville, Ky., next
weekend.
Still, the Old Stone Church and its graveyard hold plenty of history.
Marion Whitehurst wove her way among headstones that mark Americans
from every war. She has been a member of the Old Stone Church Commission
for about 30 years.
She gestured to acres of flat, upright and ornate markings.
"We have an Indian over there," she said. "We have a lady of the evening over there and a dueler over there."
The number of people buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery remains unknown, she said, because so many graves are unmarked.
The cemetery recently opened 900 burial plots across a small road
that runs along the church. Their sales pay for the upkeep of the
cemetery and the 215-year-old church.
"It's in excellent condition," she said.
