The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-10-11
THE NOTED Old sTONE CHUROH.
| An Interesting Description oftho Fa-
nous Etlifico Near Old PondIeton.

An Interesting Description oftho Fa
} nous Ediflco Near Old PondIeton.
A correspondent OF tho Anderson
lntelligencer says: In tho southeast
corner OF OcOneo County and mile
and a half from Clemson College, there
stands tho Old Stone Church, u build
ing unique In Its structure and around
which are entwined the memories OF
moro than century. 1t was original
| ly called HOpewell, but lutterIf that
namo Is forgotten and "Stonc CT rch'
is the only namo it is now known by.
The building 10 OF rough stone COL
lccted nearby, built up square, the roof
and gables boing Of wood. II is about
fifty fcot long by thirty feet wide,
and the walls s0mc eighteen feet high.
two and half feet from tho ground
| there s one stone d little smoother and
larger than its follows, wherein is
carved in quaint old figures, now dim
with age, 1874. Could these stones
speak they would tell us that thcy were
| laid in place and Ccmcnted there by
John Isusk, Il sturdy stalwnrt Irishman,
whose son afterwards represented the
great State Of Texas in the Uuited
States Senate. They would toll us also
Of the hndcrsOns, the pickcnscs, tho
Cnlhouns, the ltccsos, tho Chcrrys and
many other illustrious names who had
worshippcd within those sacred walls
in tho days OF long ago. They would
crs, who had at different times for a
hundred years, proclaimed tho "glad
tidings Of great joy from It's lofty
pulpit.
This ancient cuiiiCC, whilU originally
Il Pres Dytrriun Church, Is hO longer
used b, that denomination exclusively,
the organization which formerly cx-
istcu horc having been transferred to
rcndlcton. 'rcacniug services are had
here occasionally by different ucnomi-
| nations. Sometimes union sabbath
| school Is kept up. notwithstanding tho
interest which this old church awnkcns,
probably there is even more attractions
| in the cily Of the dead hardly. Here
| lie the ucnd OF a century, many OF
| them famous in the history OF this
State AMI country. The Iiav. Thomas
R,cso, DID,, is believed to bc the hrsL
person buried here. He was TIL" pastor
Of the church and died in 1896 Al The
age If ifty four. The wri!-mGritca
| degree Of DID. was conferred on him
| by Princeton College in recognition Of
eminent ability and scholarly attain
munts. In those days such Il degree
| WAS Il high distinction. There IS Il
| cluster Of graves, enclosed by brick
| wall three and Is half feet high, among
which there j. one worthy OF more
than passing notice. 1t Is marked by
Il plain white marble head tone, less
than three feet high, upon which is
the following inscription
Gen. Andrew Pickcns
Was horn
l2lh September. l,.'I
and died
llth August, lSl,.
lie WAS q Christian,
Patriot y Soldier.
HIS character ami actions
are incorporated with the
history ui his country.
rlliai affection and respect
raise tins stone
to his memory
And this Is all there is 70 tell to gen
crAt!On3 to come tina. this is the last
resting place Of tho hero OF many II hard
fought battle OF the war Of iudcpen.
dcncc, not To speak OF his eminent
SERVICES IN subduing thc Indians Of the
regions round about Whlle towering
monuments Of broDhc or stono have
been erected by the government to the
memory OF many who did far less for
| their country than did Gen. Pickens,
|
trious chicftain. Within two miles
OF where he sleeps hc consummatcd u
treaty Of peace in Ii,1 with four pow
crful tribes Of lndians--tnc ChCrOkecs,
Gre cks, ChickHsawS and Choctaws-
| having ali four tribes CnCumpCu at one
time about his homo on the banks OF
tho beautiful Seneca ltivcr. This de-
slrabIc end WIS not attained, however,
Till he had severely punished them in
several battles. On the heights over
looking tho river he had his residence
for many years after the war. The Old
oaks and othcr marks are there yet tn
show the place whore his hou Q stood.
We arc told that in this same grave
yard there lies buried the secret OF the
real authorship Of the celebrated
| from palace to hovul. John Miller was
the printer through whose hands these
| letters passed To tho reading public
and in the ondcavOr to discover the
writer tho pressure became SO strong
as to ncccssitato Millcr's leaving Eng
| land. ilo came to Charleston, whore
he remained few yours, and from
there he removed to l'undIctOn whert
he published for several years a weekly
paper called the hcndlcton Messenger
| There he died at ipo age, always re
msing to divulgc the name OF the
author Of the famous letters, and here
the secret lies buried with him in this
| old graveyard.
| At the lower side Of the ground.
| there are two huge pine trees about
seven or eight feet apart towering fal
above tho surrounding growth. They
are the sole monuments TO mark the
grave Of Turner Bynum, who vas Kill
cd in duel IN 1888 by IS. II. Perry
| Both were brilliant young lawyers 0
Grccnvillo and editors Of rival papers,
| Perry being editor OF the Patriot and
Bynum having charge OF tho Southerl
Sentinel. Their controversy became st
! hot during notification times as t(
| bring on duel, which WAS fought with
pistols on an island in Tugnloo River
just below uattOn's Ford. Perry was
only slightly wounded, while Bynuu
WAS shot in the spine and killed. Hls
body was brought to Stone Church and
buried by torch light on dark an(
stormy night. Thoro Is IL tradition
that the poles upon which the coffin
/