The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-10-03
THE CLEMSON BE0UEST.

THE CLEMSON BEoUEsT.
4 Statement from Col. K. W. Simpson, te
Correct Misapprehension.
The following card from Col. R. W
Simpson, executor of the Clemson es'
tate, was published in the Anderson In
telligepcer:
Mr.. Editor: In your issue of Septem.
Der 9Th you copied an article written by
correspondent from Columbia to the
Augusta Chronicle, under date of Au-
gust 31st, purporting to give some In
teresting facts IN regard to the late MIR.
Clemson, of South Carolina. One OF
these interesting facts stated therein l
quote: "Years after MIR. Calhoun's
death, Mrs. Calhoun became financially
involved. Mr.. Clemson assisted her by
lending her money on Fort Hill, taking
mortgage therefor. This was after
wards foreclosed, and the property thus
came into MIR. Clemson's possession. y
The writer adding at the close of his ar
ticle these words: "This is the property
row known as the Clemson bequest.
Mr.. Clemson died seized and pos
sessed of three-fourths of the original
Fort Hill tract of land, amounting to
Sl4 acres. Any one interested in know
ing how he came into possession OF
these S14 acres can easily do so by ex-
amining the records at the Court House
at 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 Colonel Calhoun executed to his
mother mortgage of all the property
so purchased by him. This debt being
unpaid, Mrs. Calhoun, in 1865 or 1866,
executed codicil to her will, previously
made, in which she devised to Mrs.
Thomas G. Clemson, her daughter,
-fourths of the mortgage debt due
to her by her son Col. A. ?. Calhoun,
and the other one-fourth she devised to
her granddaughter, Mrs. Gideon Lee,
and directed that if the mortgaged
premises (Fort HilD 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
commenced against Col. A. P. Calhoun
in the Court at Walhalla, but whether it
was commenced by Mrs. Calhoun in her
lifetime, 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 Judgment against Col. Calhoun for
about $40, 900, and ordered the land to
be sold, and the proceeds to be applied
to the payment thereof. In obedience
to this foreclosure the land (Fort HlD
was sold at Walhalla, and was purchased
by Thomas G. Clemson as trustee for his
wife. Mrs. Lee having died in the mean
time, Mrs. Clemson and MIR. Gideon
Lee, acting as guardian for Florlde,
Mrs. Lees only child, had the land
partitioned by commissioners, in accord
ance with the terms of Mrs. John G.
Calhoun's will above referred to, Mrs.
Clemson receiving 814 acres, three
fourths of the value of tho whole tract,
and Miss Lee 800 and odd acres, one
fourth Of the value of the whole tract,
and each Immediately went into posses
sion of the parts awarded them.
Mrs. Clemson died September 22nd,
1875, leaving of force her last will and
testament, in which she willed, be-
queathed and devised all of her estate,
real and personal, to her husband,
Thomas G. Clemson, in fee simple.
This is the real estate in the Clemson
bequest. Mr.. Clemson in willing this
Sl4 acres, part of the original Fort
Hill tract, to the State for the purposes
of erecting an Agricultural College there
on, carried into effect not only his OWL
wishes, but also a promise to the end
made to Mrs. Clemson, who also
desired the establishment of an Agri-
cultural College on Fort Hill. One
other erroneous statement currently re-
ported I take this occasion to correct,
that is, that Mr.. Clemson received his
money also from Mrs. Clemson. It is a
fact that no part of the money be-
queathed by Mr.. Clemson to the State
came to him through his wife; it Is all
his individual propety.
r. W. SIMPSON.