The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-09-11
Sr PETERSBURG. April "a, 1859


My Dear Sir you will pardon me for wri
ting you on q subject in which 1 feel q deep
interest. l am told it is intended that like
nesses. OF busts, in some shape OF form, are to
be placed in inches, or places, about our new
Capitol. at Columbia, of our distinguished men
IN the State. so, and it is intended TO place
Sumter and Marion there, as they ought un> :
doubtedly to be, ] do hope they will also place
aen. Pickens too. They were undoubtedly
the greatest portissn Generals ever produced
in the United States, considering their M cans
and the theatre. There has always been an
unaccountable prejudice in the lower country,
which has prevented then. always from doing
justice to Gen. Pickens. You see it in that
picture, in the Senate Chamber, of the battle
Of the Eutaws. All the officers are pointed
out, except Gen. Pickens, and yet he and Ma
rion jointly commanded all the militia of the
Southern States at that battle and Gen. Pick
ems was actually shot from his horse by a aus
ket ball, just at the close of the battle, which
struck him right in the breast, and his life
was only saved by the ball being somewhat
spent and glancing, hit his sword buckle and
dented it into his breast bone, which ever af
ter hurt him through life. He was picked up
by the soldiers rs dead, bot soon recovered
Yet he is not mentioned in the picture in the
Senate by White while others, as low as Cap.
tains, are cons7icuously put forward True,
he was some ten years younger than Marion
Ut oumUtT, DuJ III you Consult tno histories oil
the day-Ramsay's, =" Lees Mem oirs Of the
Southern Campaign" or Judge Johnsou's
Life OF Green"--you will soc that he acted
more in concert with the authorities of Con-
Gress, than either of the others; and whether
from accident or otherwise, he was in most all
the important battles. Lee and johnson both
give full and particular account Of the siege
aud capture of Augusta. one Of the most i'm.
portant events in the Southern war and by
IoOkiOU intn than " nm MI hat
-Picksns acted bis part nobly, aud the city
surrendered to his comm and, after had been
for two years in possession Of the British and
Tories And when Col. Brown was captured
there, IL was Gen. Pickens who saved him
from the fury of the Georgia militia, under
Clark, and others, who would have murdered
him for his brutalities practiced on the 9eor
gians. Gen. Pickens placed him in q boat,
under the guard Of fifteen armed men detach.
ed, and sent hiai to Savannah, under his spe.
cisl protection, which saved him and yet, a
Tory and British writer accused him of inhu.
manity, &c. He fought often before the Star
Redoubt, at "e6," and had brother, Captain
of a company, shot down before that Fort, aud
another urother captured by the British, who
delivered him over to the Tories, who actual
ly went with him into Columbia county 9eors
gia, and then gave him to the Indians, who
had been to Augusta, and they all actually
tied him on pile of lightwood, and burnt him.
He manoeuvered between Col Boyd and Mai.
Hamilton, and prevented their junction at vi
ena, ON Savannah River; aud after Boyd
crossed at the Cherokee Ford, about IL mles
above Petersburg, be too crossed at Viena,
and Joined Col. Darby and Col. Clark, of
Georgia, with their forces. and they immedi-
aiely voted him commander OF all the forces
and he pursued Boyd, and fought hst glorious
battle Of Kettle Greek, which had such an
important bearing in breaking up the Tories
in the upper part of South Carolina. He COM
manded at the Cowpens, rs you are we'll aware,
and Morgan would not have fought then but
for his counsel and aid, as you will see from
Lees memoirs, confirmed by Col. Hund's
notes. enclose you an account Of that bat.
tie, extracted from Lee, Ramsay and johnson,
and you will sec what part he acted, given by
those who wrote at the time. You there see
that a whole battalion of British surrendered
to him personally. Col johnson, who was his
AID, afterwards Governor of Georgia, saws
they refused to surrender 10 any but him
Congress voted him sword, which I no
have. dc. Yet when they celebrated the
hattie, 9 year. or so ago. they scarcely
meationed his name; and, I understand.
that when the monument was erected, Ibe.
lieve by the Washington Company, from
Charleston. some objected to having his
nam meyinscribed upon the monument.
Please keep this account Of the battle 1
now enclose hom Lee, Ramsay and john
son. and u / return ever, please enclose IL
back TO me, or give il 10 Mr.. James N. |
Lipscomb. Dow at Chappels Depot. to keep
for me. Gen. Pickens, after the battle,
went with Morgan to join Green. who was