The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-09-11
"REMINISCENCES
PUBLIC MEN.
CcoNrrsuED FROM LAST WEEK.
FRANCIS W. PIXIE s.
BIT Eek GOVERNOR B. y. PERRY.


ernor Pickens early in life. We
were born in the same District
Pendletop, now Oconee County.
He was the son of Governor An.
drew Pickens, and the grandson
of General Andrew Pickens, of
revolutionary fame, a stirling pa.
triot and one OF the purest and
best Of men. Gen. Pickens, in the
latter part of his life, retired to the
mountains and died, at his resi-.
dence on Tomasseo, now owned by
Mr. Jones.
Gov. Andrew Pickens was a
Colonel in the Regular Army DUR
ing the war of 1912 and 1915. He
moved to Alabama in 1919. and
his son Francis was first sent to
Athens College, in Georgia, and
afterwards to the South Carolina
College, where he graduated with
high reputation for talents, honor
and energy. Mr.. John @. Calhoun,
who was his relation, regarded
him as tue most promislng Young
man in the State, at that time. He
read law at Edgefeld, was admit
ted tn the Bar, and soon after
wards elected a member of the
Legislature. He then succeeded
Gov. McDuffie in Congress, where
he established high character as
a statesman and debator. He re.
signed. his seat in Congress and
went into the State Senate, where
/ served with him several sessions.
lie was then appointed, 10y Presi.
dent Buchanan, Minister to Rus
sia, and after his return home, he
was elected Governor of South
Carolina, Just before the breaking
out of the civil war.
l will not speak in detail of Gov
ernor Pickens' services in the Leg
islature, in Congress, at the Court
of st. Petersburg, and in the Elk
ecutive Chair of the State, as Mr..
feomons, of Edgefeld, has already
written most admirable sketch
of his life, character and pnbli.
services, and to which 1 refer the
reader My purpose in writing
this retniniscence Of Gov. Pickens
is TO publish the letters, or some of
theni, which | had the honor
OF receiving from him, and which
are etninently entitled to public
interest. They were written, it is
t, ne, as strictly. confidential but
since the death of Gov. Pickens.
1 see no improprieiy in publishing
them. Indeed one of bis letters.
from St. Petersburg. relative to
the history OF his grandfather, 6 en-.
Pickens, is worthy of being em.
bodied in the history OF the country.
IT Wnils; Provisional Governor, I
urged Gov. Pickens to become a
candidate, in Edgefeld, for a seat
i'm the State Convention, and told
him what President johnson said
to me, that he would pardon all
whom | wished to be members of
that Convention. In conseq uence
of my earnest intreaties, the Gov
ernor was elected, and served in
the conyention. Isem the Presi
dent a list of the members to be
pardoned.a He sent me promptly
pardons for all of them, except
Gov, Pickeps, He said nothing
about him. | Itelegraphed the omis-
sion, and received no reply. The
Governor became very uneasy and
wrote me several long letters. In
one OF these, letters be inclosed a
letter to President johnson. Il
wrote the President again, and
stated what he had said to me, and
what | had told Gov. Pickens on
his being a candidate for the con.
vention.G But President Jo,nson
remained silent, and not a word in
reply could / get from him. This
looked very omiDous. Mrs. Pick
ems became deeply interested, and
came to Columbia to see me on
the subject. AT her instance, I sent
q long telegram to the President
once more but could not draw his
fire. Gov. McGrath was, ct this
time, in, one of.tbe Federal prisons,
and daily expecting to see Gov.
Pickens. But, although no pardon
came for Gov. Pickens, he was not
sent to keep Gov. McGrath com
pany in his Federal prison.
Gov. Pickens was thrice mar.
ried, and all bis wives were most
beautiful, lovely and accomplished
ladies. The last one, whom he mar. |
ried on the eve of his setting out |
for Russia, was pre- eminent for
her beauty, intelligence and AZ.