Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-09-22
A VISIT TO FORT HILL,
THE RESIDENCE OF THE HON. JOHN C
CALHOUN, NEAR PENDLEToN, S. c,

We find in one of our exchanges a
lengthy, but exceedingly interesting ac-
count of recent visit, by traveller, TO the
residence Of the Hon. John C. Calhoun, at
Fcvt Hill, S. c., from which we extract
the following:
In paying visit TO the great statesman
of America, in his secluded home at the
South, the visitor is so struck with both
him and his home that he is at loss which
to admire most--the far-seeing sage, or The
magnificent scenery by which he is sur
rounded. H
Few Northerners have had the pleasure
of seeing Mr.. Calhoun at home On his
plantation, in the bosom of his family, and
surrounded by scenes familiar to him for SO
many years, he is the same, and yet he is
in some respects different person from
the Senator at the capital. He is more at
his ease, more sociable and familiar, and
far happier.
His residence is about four miles from
Pendleton, an old town in Picken's dis
trict, about two hundred and fifty miles
from Charleston.
reached Pendleton about midday, and
no sooner had l landed from the mai stage,
than made inquiry of the landlord of the
hotel in regard to the distance to Fort Hill.
He replied, sYonder is Mr. Calhoun him.
self" My eyes followed the direction to
which his finger pointed, and sure enough
| saw, seated under the shade of large
tree, that stately head, whose features if
once seen are scarcely if ever forgotten,
and I had seen Mr.. Calhoun before in the
Senate, and recognised him at once. He
rose as approached to where he was seat
ed, surrounded by a group of gentlemen,
his neighbors, and when l delivered him
my letter of introduction, he asked me to a
seat. When he had read the letter, he in
troduced me TO his neighbors, and then
kindly invited me to return with him to his
residence and spend two or three days.
1t is needless to say, that at once accept
ed his invitation, so cordially given, and in
the course of an hour was seated by his
side in his carriage, and on the way 10 Fort
Hill. .. .
Soon after leaving Pendleton, the car
riage entered forest, in which we con-
tinued until we reached the gate, which
opened into the grounds in the immediate
vicinity of the mansion. This is so con-
cealed that you hardly notice it, until you
are within very short distance of the
pillars of the north and east fronts white
of his house.
The door yard is filled with trees and
shrubbery-oaks that have stood there at
least two hundred years, locusts, elms, will
lows, wild orange, and fig trees innumera-
BILE, the latter loaded with fruit; attached
is large garden, filled with fruits, flowers,
plants and vegetables of every description
and not far distant are large apple and
peach orchards. The mansion itself is a
plain, unpretending-looking building, re-
lieved by wide piazzas, and, on each side
rows of columns. AS / said before, the
oak trees standing close to the house are
very old, large and lofty, and their i'm
mense tops are of great service, not only
in presenting an impenetrable shade, bu
in protecting it in thunder storm, as
had occasion to witness, for, during my
short stay, Fort Hill was visited by one o
the most severe thunder storms I had eveI
witnessed, and / should do the thunder in
justice were / not to state that il was of tn,
regular Calhoun oider, and exactly what
should have expected in this region.
We reached Fort Hill about 2 o'clock
P. M. 1t was nearly the dinner hour.
was introduced to his family, which. at tha
time consisted of Mrs. Calhoun, his young
est daughter, and the three youngest sons
Mr.. Calhoun has seven chldren-the ED
est, Andrew, is planter in Alabama tn
next, Patrick, is captain in the army, an
stationed near New Orleans; the eldes
daughter is in Europe, the wife of ou
Charge at Belgium. Mrs. Calhoun is jus
such a wife as a man like Mr.. Calhou
should have-sensible, domestic and indu.
trious. She governs her household in
style that no Roman matron, in the olde
times, ever surpassed. Cornelia, the daugt
ter at home, is most affectionate compar
ion for the mother. OF the three sons VIII
were al home. must make some mention