Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-03-18
oCONEE,s
REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.
Prize Essay.

= Prize Essay. =
- s
Acting upon the papers submitted
to us. we pronounce Miss Inez Grant
winner While there may be few
historical mistakes. and some other
errors, we feel that no child is pre-
sumed to be perfect; and we regret
so few have striyen for the reward.
N. b. Cary,
David +. Nicholson.
The Revolutionary war began in
the year 1775 and was continued
until 1881. There was no Oconee
county. 1t was Pendleton district
then, and there Were not any towns
In oconee but little Indian villages.
Three of the Revolutionary sol
diers were buried at Old Stone
churchJames A. Garvin, Andrew
Pickens and John Rusk.
OF Garvin we have been able to
learn only this: He fought for his
country in both wars with England,
oho Atio iaNo 10 ~ Slo oIOhS ChuICh.
The life of Andrew Pickens, in it's
facts and its lessons. would furnish
material for volume. He was
born in Bucks county. Pa. In boy
hood he came with his parents to
South Carolina, living first at the
Waxhaws and afterwards in Abbe-
Vile. He married Rebecca Calhoun,
an aunt of the great statesman. He,
under Col. Grant, fought thu Chero-
KEGS. He served without pay during
the War of the Revolution. Both
North and South Carolina elected
him Brigadier General. He fought
at Cowpens, and at Eutaw Springs
he was shot down. He rallied the
militia at Cowpens, and at Kettle
Greek he offered to pray with the
dying Tory leader, Col. Boyd. When
that ofor was rudely and profanely.
reused by Col. Boyd, the Christian
soldier agreed to send his widow the
silver spurs of his fallen foe. He
| was Congressman from South Ca
rolina. He died while seated under
| a tree In his yard, on August IL,
1917, in his eightieth year.
The Revolutionary churches Of
Oconee county are Bethel, Chauga
and Old Stone. These churches are
still standing. Bethel is eight miles
above Walhalla. Here is the Cen
tennial Hymn:
(By Mrs. J. A. Belly
We praise the great and holy name
OF Him who kindled here the flame,
That keeps our hearts aglow;
One hundred years have passed away
Since men first gathered here to
pray;
One hundred years ago.
This house Of God was builded then
BY earnest, loyal Christian men,
Their love for God to show;
And faithful servants Of the Lord
Preached unto them the Holy Word,
One hundred years ago.
And Bethel stands, a church to-day,
Her builders long since passed away;
All earthly ties are riven;
Our loved ones across to Canaan's
shore,
Yes, one by one they're passing over.
May we all meet in heaven.
Gen. Anderson, of Pendleton, was
born in 1741, In what Is now Au-
gusta county, Virginia. He was mar
ried November 4, 1765, to Ann
Thompson, daughter of one of the
pioneers In Augusta county. When
Major Andrew Williamson was In
command, by the provincial Congress
Of South Carolina, that company,
number 2, under Andrew Pickens,
with forty men, and company num-
Der IL, unde~ Capt. Robert Ander-
son, with IL men. He marched unr
der, Gen. Pickens's command, Will
liamson's instructions, on raid
about Savannah. When Col. Pick
ems, for his good service at Cow
pens, was promoted by Governor
Rutledge to the rank Of brigadier
general, Capt. Anderson was pro-
NOTED to that of colonel.
The war over, Col. Anderson set
tied in the newly acquired Cherokee
lands on Seneca river, in Old Pendle-
ton district, in that portion which