The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-09-13
Some Facts In References to Fort Hin.

Mr. EDITOR In your issne of Septem
Der 9Th you copied an article written by
correspond ent from Colu biR to the .Au-
gusta Chronicle, under date of August 3lst.
purporting to give some interesting facts
in regard to the late MIR. Clemson, OF South
Carolina. One of the interesting facts
stated therein quote: Years after Mr.
Calhoun's death, Mrs. Calhoun became
financially involved. Mr.. Clemson assist
ed her by lending money on Fort Hill,
taking mortgage therefor. This was
afterwards. foreclossd, and the property,
thus came into Mr.. Clemson,'s g possession"
The writer adding at the close Of his arti-
Gle these words: .This is the property
now known as the Clemson beouest.
Mr.. Clemson died seized and possessed
of three-fourths of the original Fort Hill
tract of land, amounting to 814 ucres,
Any one interested in knowing how he
came into possession Of these 8l4 acres can
easily do so by examining the records at
the Court House ut Walhalla
The facts stated briefly are as follows: !:
Some years after the death of the Hon.
John G. Calhoun, Mrs. Calhoun sold the
Fort Hill tract of land and number of
negroes, she being the legal owner thereof,
to her son, Col. Andrew p. Calhoun, and
to secure the purchase money Col. Cal.
houn executed to his mother mortgage
OF all the property SO purchased by him.
This debt being unpaid, Mrs. Calhoun, in
1865 or 1866, executed u codicil to her will,
previously made, in which she devised to
Mrs. Thls q. Clemson, her daughter,
three fourths of the mortgage debt due to
her by her son, /, Col. A. p Calhoun. and
the other one-fourth she devised to her
grand daughter, Mrs Gideon Lee, and di.
reoted that ii the mortgage premises (Fort
Hill) should be taken for the debt, it
should be divided between Mrs. Clemson
and Mrs. Lee In the same proportions.
Mrs. Calhoun died July 25th, 1866. An
action to foreclose this mortgage was com.
menced against Col. A. P. Calhoun in the
Court at Walhalla, but whether it was
commenced by Mrs. Calhoun in her life
time, or by Mrs. Clemson and Mrs. Lee,
after her death, I do not at this moment
remember, and eventually reached the
Supreme Court. The Court gave judg-
ment against Col. Calhoun for about $40,.
900, aud ordered the land to be sold, and
the proceeds to be applied to the pay ment
thereof. In obedience to this order OF fore
closure the land (Foft Hiil) was sold at
Walhalla. and was purchased by Thos. q,
Clemson as trustee for his Vile. Mrs. Lee
having died in the meantime, Mrs Glenn.
son and Mr. Gideon, Lee, acting as guar
dian for Fioride, Mrs. Lees only child,
had the land plrtiliuhei By commission.
ers, III accordance with the terms of Mrs.
John e. Calhoun's will above referred to,
Mrs. Clemson receiving 814 acres, three.
fourths uf the value OF the whole tract,
and Miss Lee 300 and odd aci es. one
fourth Of the value of the whole tract and
euch Immediately went into possession uf
tIte pArtS go awarded them
Mrs. Clemson died September 22nd,
1875, leaving of ti,rce her last will and tes.
lament. in which she willed, bequeathed
aud devised all OF her estate, real and
% rsonal, to her husband, Thos. q. Glenn
son, in lee simple. This is the real estate
in the Clemson bequest. Mr.. Clemson in
willing this 814 acres, part Of the origi-
nal Fort Hill tract to the State for the
purpose of erecting an Agricultural Col
iege thereon, carried into effect not onl y
his own wishes, but also u promise to that
end made TO Mrs. Clemson, who also
desired the establishment of az Agricul.
tural College on Fort Hill. One other
erroneous statement currently reported I
will take this opportunity to correct that
is, that Mr.. Clemson received his money
also from Mrs. Clemson. 1t is fact that
no part OF the money bequeathed by MIR.
Clemson to the State; came to him
through his wife; 1t was all his individual
DrODertY II, w. SIMPSON,