The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-06
JAMES EDWARD CALHOUN.
HIS DEATH OCCURRED ON THURSDAY
MORNING, OCTOBER 81, 1889.


HIS DEATH OCCURRED ON THURSDAY
MORNING, OCTOBER 81, 1889.
Som mcthing OF His Life and Last Sick
| ncss.-.NoteS of His Pcculiaritics.-'
Spcculations nv TO His Will-.-The
Property which lie Owned.
Colonel James Edward Calhoun, died at hls
home in Abbcvillc County, last IhurSu;'S
| in his ylh year.
Colonel Calhoun died ten minutes past five
o'clock in the morning. Mr.. kciSrr, ana MISS
! Margaret Calhoun and the servant woman
we've present with him tlroug hout the nisnL
| When it, was seen that the end was near MI
ami Mrs. f.. i. Calhoun, and Miss Saule Hili
huull and Miss Cuodic Calhoun. were called
When he WAS taken sick, he said that nc
was ready To 20 whenever called upon tlliii
he had already lived long beyond tho ALLOTTED
time: that he was tired and wanted TO go
| For ten days or two weeks before tne
end came, lie declined to take the nsual stlin,
ulaniS and refreshments. During the laSl
few years of his life his enfeeblch condlLiol,
required the moderate use OF Stimulhnts' Du'
his food WAS always of the plaincst ana SIM
plcSt kind. When one of the vital organs DC
come impaired, and lie found it necessary to
go to bed lc seemed to lose hope, ana, broken
in spirit, he ceased entirely TO lake ellhei
stimulantS or solid food and could ohly "
|
| LIQUID nOuriShmcnt. Although he was is'
Suied that years were yet in store for him, IL
| he would take tE2 prescribed hicdlcime aiiu
the necessary food, yet he refused q asuiiiclencS
| OF either, for perhaps ten days before the enu
came IL was evident to him and his irl''nds
| that he was slowly sinking into his grave
! yet he preserved his conpOSurc ana met lhG
last enemy in the fnll possession OF his hchtiii
| faculties, conscious that the end was ut hthd
| Mr. J W. Sign. undertaken, OF This village
went To the home of the deceased, carryins
with him Il fine metallic ctSe, anu MS DnuS
was placed in The coffin the same night altel
| his death.
MANIFESTATIONS OF GRIEF BY HIS OLD SER
WANTS AND TENANTS.
The body lay in the coffin until next morn.
Ing, when perhaps Il hundred OF ms H'i.hauI iaa,
old tenant IS and former slaves came TO view
his face. All seemed deeply affected ana
many felt that they had lost their best frlend
One of The putriarchs, while In the yara
lined hymn which all Joined in singing
Then these faithful old people were led III
prayer by one of their number. a.,
They acted as pail bearers, ana placed lne
colliu in the hearse When II moved a., OH ~ -
lowed 1t to the station, altnonSl ram WIS
Mr.. Pat Calhoun made q speech to them in
recognition of his gratitude for this maniicS.
tation of their affection for bis deceased rela-
| tive, and told them If 1t were possible Tor MIN
TO do 50, that he would take all of them IN
| his car to PendletOn, where the burial was u
take place.
BURIED BESIDE HIS SISTER.
At nine o'clock Saturday morning the
on the Blue Ridge rond awaited them, when
after the transfer was made, the party pro.
ceeded 10 pendlelon; The body WAS taken
| to the Episcopal church, when Rev. Mr.
| Gadsden read the funeral services. The de-
ceased was then buried beside his sister, Mrs
| John G. Calhoun In the Pendleton cemetery.
WHO THE CALHoUNs ARE, AND WHERE
THEY CAME FROM.
The Calhouns were originally from Donega
| Ireland The first family that came to Amer
ic;l, settled in West Virginia In lIS3, where Il
| lew of their defendants are still living.
In 100 four brothers and one sister hnG
their mother moved from West Virginia. and
settled in ADbcville District, 5. Z. The ioul
brothers were William, Ezekiel, John, anc
Patrick. All settled near cacll other. about
| twelve miles West OF Abbeville, and eight
miles East Of Vienna. For many years tht
| neighborhood was called CalhOuns Mills
Catharine Calhoun, m9therol the Jour Dr9tn
ers, and great grandmother Of james Ed
| ward Calhoun, wnS massacred by the In
dians, with twenty-five Others, near Long
Cane, February LIST, l7GO. Ezekiel calhoun
one Of the four brothers, was Mr.. james I'd
ward Calhoun's grandfather. lie married
| Miss jamie Ewing who had three children
i His oldest son, John Ewing Calhoun married
Miss Florence Bousseau who, was the lathel
of F:oride Calhoun, John Ewing Calhoun ant
james Edward Calhoun. Floride married
her cousin, John Z. Calhoun. John Ewlnt
Calhoun married Martha Davis who was th'
ather OF our townsmen Mr.. T.. B. Calhouh
james Edward Calhoun married Miss. Slmp
kins OF Edge1icld, and left no children.
EcCENTRICIrIEs OF THE DECEASED.
| Colonel Calhoun lived almost entirely
alonc-cXcept with his tenants and employed
people-and tor many years, was considered
an eccentric person. ,
lie never speculated in anything, and was
noted for his economical habits.
He owned more land ana perhaps more
water power than any other man IN TINS
county. Both sides Of Savannah River lol
milcg, including Trottcr, Shoals, were his.
| He kept intact the large landed estate
which he owned before the war, ana since
| the war, many adjoining tracts were adueti
| 10 his landed POSSESSIONS. and he was notably
the largest III X-rayer in !Abbevillc County.
! Although CUluncl Calhoun seldom invested
his money or took innci interest Ia Puoil'
enterprises, yet he chccriully gave the Geor-
gia, Carolina anC Northern road, the right o
| way over his lands, wherever the company
might chuo C to run 1t. or late years he was
IMPRESSED with the value OF his immense
water i,0wcr, and it may have been on this
account, that he gave the,rallroad Inc rlshl OF
way over perhaps from seven ~ nine miles ol
| his land.
Colonel Calhoun never made profession OF
religion, and, Us far as we are lnlormcu, ~
sought 40 spiritual consolation In his last Ill
ness. ana no minister OF the gospel ever VISIT
cd him.
| The former slaves on his lands, remained on
his place as tenants since emancipation, be.
tween him and them there was mutual at
lie Joined the navy in his youth, and after
resignins his commission came home, ana
married Miss Simpiins OF Edgeneld, who
died soon after their marriage, and he left no
children.
spECULATIoNs AS TO Ills WILL.
His large estate was left by Will. the exact
terms of which are not known To us, but 1t Is
reported that IL was divided between his
nenlews Our townSInan, Mr.. +. i. Calhoun,
and Messrs Benjamin Calhoun and Clarcncc
| Calhoun, of Florida, and Mr.. Pat Calhoun, oi
Georgia, with the latter as executor, are sup
posed to inherit Il fine portion OF property
| from the deceased. BESIDES the handsome
| lcnacieS which the persons named, are sup
posed to have gotten, 1t Is understood that he
was not unmindtul OF the faithful servants
| who attended him In The latter years OF his
| life. IL Is said the Island in the river, somC
100 acres, was left to them.
| When he was taken sick he sent for Senator
Butler and his nephew Mr.. Pat Calhoun ol
| Atlanta, when his will was prepared and
signed. II Is reported that he expressed to
Mr.. Pat Calhoun the desire to leave his estate
to him, but that his nephew said that he pre-.
ferred Onlya part, and II his wishes were
complied with. that his cousipS would receive
4 share.
Nothing Is definitely known MS to which
disposition has been made OF the property.
but it has been suggested that Miss Lee, grand
daughter Of the Clemson, OF Agricultural Col-
lege fame, will inherit the mountain lands.
HIS LANDS IN ABBEvILLE AND ELnERr.
Colonel Calhoun was no doubt Il rich man
whrn his wealth is compared to the wealth OF
his neighborS. His lands extended for per-
haps seven miles on both Sides Of Trottcr's