The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-08-06
AN OLD SETTLEMENT.

Mr.. EDITOR: Perhaps it may not be
known to you or TO many of your readers
that one among the first, If not the first,
Church built in Anderson County, was
known as Carmel. There is no authentic
record in existence at this day showing
just when the Church was built, but from
the best evidence attaipable it is thought
that it must have been about one hundred
years ago. There is not vestige of the
building left to-day, for not many years
after it's erection the location was re.
moved to It's present site on the Pickens
side Of the line. The original location
was in Brushy Creek Township, in the
Northwestern portion of the County.
The Church was Presbyterian at first,
aud the founders of it were the Pickens,
Hamiltans, Watsons, &c. Shortly after
The organization of the Church, the
Methodist circuit riders began to pass
through the country, and they got per
mission to preach at the house of Mai.
Robert Pickens, the grandfather of Col.
w. 8. Pickens. His little daughter
Annie became anxious to unite with the
Church, and preferred the Methodist
but they we're all such good blue stocking
Presbyterians that they insisted she
should 60 before the session of the
Church for examination, and, being of
tender years, her mother went with her.
Not answering satisfactorily the questions
on the doctrines of predestlnation,
election, &C., the session advised her to
wait and reflect. Her mother, being
vexed with their proceedings, turned and
said: "Now, Annie, you are at liberty
to do as you please" She did do as she
pleased-joined the Methodist Church
and from that dates the connection of the
Pickens and Smith families with the
Methodist Church, and resulted finally
in the removal of Carmel to the present
location, and the organization and build.
ing of Church one.half mile farther up
the road, aud this was known as long as
it stood as Pickene Meeting House.
The original graveyard is still kept up
and used as buryiug-ground by the
neighborhood. A visit to it is full of
interest, especially when accompanied,
as l vas, by Col. w. 8. Pickens, near
whose residence the graveyard is, and
who is more familiar with the facts than
any person now living in the community.
There are sixteen Revolutionary
soldiers buried there, but I could not
find out the name of the sixteenth. The
names of the fifteen are as follows:
Alexander Oliver, Job Smith, John
Wilson, Charles Wilson, Capt. James
Anderson, Micajah Hughes, Charles
Smith, VIM. Waddle. Hampton Smith,
Maj. Barr, Michal Smith, Maj. John
Ariol, Maj. James Watson, VIM. Wilson,
1t. Robert Pickens.
Capt. James Anderson was the father
of the late DR.. VIM. Anderson and
grandfather Of r. II. Anderson, and has
numerous descendants in this and adjoin.
ing Counties and in Georgia and
Alabama.
Bfaj. Barr was the grandfather of your
fellow.townsman, w. F. Barr, who
gallantly served his country as his auces
tors did before him.
Maj. James Watson was the father
Of the late A. p. Watson.
1t. Robert Pickens was the grandfather
of Col. w. 8. Pickens and of other
Pickens families living near. His
descendants can be counted by the score.
He came with his father, Robert Pickens,
from Maryland, and the father settled
with his family on Long Cane. in Able.
vile. He had q son Robert Pickeas, and
% far back as known there has always
been Robert Pickens. 1t. Robert
Pickens was brevetteG on the field for
gallant conduct in action at the battle of
Cowpens, and after the war settled on
the land still owned by his descendants.
There is now in the possession of Col.
w. s. Pickens the original grant of the
land with the Great Seal made OF wax
attached and bearing date May I'd, 1884.
and having the signature of Benz.
Guerard as Governor. During the war
Robert Pickens' wife worked the farm
aud clothed her family of seven children
herself, living in log cabin with only
one door and no window to It. On one
occasion he returned home to visit his
family aud was seen by the Tories, who
were watching, to enter the door. But
the watchful wife was too quick for
them, and rs they rushed for the door
she shut It in their faces. To their de-
mands she replied that Pickens was not
in the house, (he having climbed up the
chimney, and that they could only enter
over her deei body. She held the door
until her husband was we'll up to the
top and then threw It opsn. In their
eagerness to search they forgot to place q
sentinel, and Pickens jumped TO the
ground and made his escape. Another
time he was chased by the Tories and
the woods being clear of nndergrowth he
was very much winded by the long chase,
when, In Jumping large pine log, Just
over the turn Of the hiil. the bark slipped
of entire, very much in the shape Of an
inverted trough. and he crawled ur.der It
and tkus escaped again. sss
DR.. james Oliver lies here, the father
in.lnw Of Col. r. E. Bowen, John w.
Rnsarnona ona I'll w q Da.l