The City of Pickens and Pickens County, SC, was named in honor of Revolutionary War military officer Andrew Pickens.

*Andrew Pickens (9/13/1739-8/11/1817) was born in 1739 to Andrew Pickens, Sr. and Anne Davis near Paxtang in Bucks County, PA. They were originally French Huguenots who fled to Scotland and Ireland before coming to America. In 1752 they travelled the Great Wagon Road and moved to the Waxhaws of SC. It was the frontier at the time. In 1764 Andrew Pickens, Jr. and his brother sold out and moved to the Long Cane Creek area in Abbeville County, SC near the Georgia border and established Hopewell Plantation where several Indian treaties were made.

The Long Cane Creek was named for the native canes that grew and formed dense canebrakes in the bottomlands. These were sustained through Native-American use of fire as a cultural tool. The Scots-Irish settlement there inherited a region full of deer and other game, including the Buffalo. Because of its proximity to the trading path to the Indian village of Keowee, Long Cane, more than any other settlement, was an intercultural settlement. Pickens served in the Cherokee War of 1760-61. In 1761, he served as an officer in a provincial regiment that accompanied British Colonel James Grant against Lower Cherokee settlements. He married Rebecca Calhoun in 1765 and had 12 children including Andrew Pickens, III who later became Governor of SC.

General Andrew Pickens

In 1768, Pickens built a blockhouse as a defense against Indian attacks and a base for Indian trading. He was a successful farmer and was serving as a justice of the peace as the war began. In 1775, Pickens became a captain of Patriot militia. On November 19, 1775, he was at Ninety-Six, South Carolina with Major Andrew Williamson and 600 militia. A Tory force of 1,800 drove them into the fort there. After two days, a truce was negotiated. He then participated in Snow’s Campaign in the winter of 1775. In Fall of 1776, as a major of the militia, Pickens joined Williamson’s expedition against the Cherokee Indians who had allied themselves with the Loyalists. In 1778, Pickens joined Williamson’s failed attempt to recapture Augusta, Georgia. After General Archibald Campbell captured Savannah, Georgia, Colonel Boyd raised a Tory force in Anson County, North Carolina. He then marched to join Lt. Colonel Hamilton in Georgia. Boyd’s numbers grew to nearly 700 as he crossed South Carolina. Meanwhile, Lt. Colonel Hamilton had driven Patriot Colonel McGirth back into South Carolina. McGirth was then joined by Andrew Pickens, who now took command of the 350-man force.

Andrew Pickens Statue located at the Pickens County Courthouse

On February 10, 1779, Pickens crossed the Savannah River at Cowen’s Ferry and then besieged Hamilton’s force as Fort Carr. Pickens now learned of Colonel Boyd’s approach and decided to go after him. Pickens crossed the Savannah River back into South Carolina near Fr. Charlotte. Boyd now headed for the river crossing at Cherokee Ford, which was ten miles norther of Fr. Charlotte. He was slowed by some skirmishing around February 12, 1779, and eventually crossed the Savannah another five miles upstream. Pickens, meanwhile, circled around on the South Carolina side of the river and crossed into Georgia upstream from Boyd and followed him south. On February 13th, unaware of Pickens’ pursuit, Boyd crossed the Broad river near its junction with the Savannah and then made camp that evening on the north side of Kettle Creek. On the morning of February 14, 1779, Colonel Boyd was surprised by the rebel force. Pickens commanded the center, Colonel John Dooley the right and Elijah Clark the left.

The Tory pickets fired and then retreated into camp. Boyd rallied his men who fought on for over an hour before finally being defeated. Boyd would die that evening from wounds. All the captured Tories were convicted of treason and five were hanged. Pickens’ victory destroyed Tory morale in South Carolina, while bolstering the numbers of Patriot militia. On 5/12/1780 the British took Charleston, SC. The successive Continental defeats convinced militia leaders such as Pickens and Thomas Sumter to discontinue their campaigning. Pickens surrendered a fort in the Ninety-Six District. He and three hundred of his men went home to sit out the war on parole. Pickens’ parole did not last however. After Tory raiders destroyed most of his property and frightened his family, he informed the British that they had violated the terms of parole and rejoined the war. Ironically, Sumter also resumed fighting under similar circumstances.

Pickens was soon operating in the Ninety-Six District where he gathered his militia once again and resumed guerilla activities against the British. He was soon to play a key role in defeating British Colonel Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens, January 17, 1781. Pickens was wounded at the battle. In November 1781, he led a three week campaign against the Cherokee Indians. In September 1782, he and Elijah Clark succeeded in forcing the Cherokee to surrender claim to all lands south of the Savannah River and east of the Chattahoochie River. In 1782, Pickens was elected to represent the Ninety-Six District in the assembly, serving there until 1793, when he went to Congress for one term. Pickens aquired frontier lands along the Keowee River and built his home named Hopewell in Oconee, Georgia. After living there a number of years, he moved to the Pendleton District of South Carolina. He served as a political middleman between the Indians and the new American nation. He died suddenly on August 11, 1817. During this period of the war, Pickens would join Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter. Andrew Pickens, Jr. died near Tamassee in the Pendleton area and is buried in Clemson, SC.

*Written by Sharon Harris, used with Permission
Source: http://sharonscrapbook.blogspot.com/2008/03/battle-of-cowpens-sc-in-revolutionary.html