Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-07-02
cTo =
MASSACRE AT LONG CANE.
(Anderson Intelligencer.)

tcicSllHS W oul letlueIS. we are en-
abled to publish it through the kind
ness Of Mrs. J. Howard Moore:
In 1853 James Calhoun and his
| wife, Catherine, left Donegal, Ire
land, to find home in the new
country.
They chose this home in the State
of Pennsylvania, and after living
there a while they decided to move
to Virginia.. but they had lived in
Virginia only a short time when they
were driven from their home by
hordes Of ruthless savages let loose
upon the frontier settlement in con-
sequence OF Braddock's defeat.
The family then moved to Wax
haw, Lancaster county, South Caro-
lima. James Calhoun had four sons,
John, William, Ezekiel and Patrick.
The father and sons were all Dlaut-
ers. At Waxhaw his sons were inn
medtately associated with such men
as William Richardson Davie, the
distinguished partisan leader OF the
Revolution; Andrew Jackson and
Gen. Andrew Pickens, and from this
people came four of the greatest men
OF their times: Jackson, Calhoun,
Crawford and Pickens. They were
all Scotch-lrish and Presbyterians Of
the strictest sect, and around Old
WaNhaw church was formed the set
tlemcnt which gave tone and thought
to the whole upper country OF this
State.
WaNhaw Church.
Old WaXhaw church is thus de-
scribed by McCrady: "Unpainted. un-
ceiled, uncushioned in the straight
back pcws and rough Sunday school
benches, it looked grimly wooden
and lnSn1otp ~ thic
children were taught to read the
Bible every day and were familiar
with the Word Of God in the family
and in the school, as we'll as in the
church. The children and youth re-
cited the Assembly Shorter Catechism
once week
Children were taught to speak the
truth and defend it; to keep a good
conscience and fear God-the founda-
ton Of good citizens and all truly
great men.
The Calhouns decided to make an
other move, and pushed on to the
county which is now Abbeville They
had been living there but short
while when the horrible massacre OF
Long Cane was enacted. William
Calhoun (born 1929 had married
Agnes Long (born 1889 in 1919,
and at the time OF the massacre they
had the following children: Joseph.
Catherine, Mary and Ann.
The settlers at Long Cane number
ed 250 souls, mostly women and
children. They had heard OF the
uprising OF the Cherokee Indians. and
on the morning Of February I, 1860,
.he entire colony was busy packing
wagons and getting ready to fee to
Tobias Fort, near Augusta, when the
bloOd-curdling 3nd savage var
whoop of the Chcrokees was heard.
The an munition and guns OF the
men were mostly packed In the
wagons and the horses hitched, or
partially hitched to the wagons.
Quicker than it takes to tell it. Will
liam Calhoun saw his mother, 76
years old, killed by the savagcs, and
his little daughters. Catherine and
Mary, scalpcd and dying. and little
Ann baby Of two and a half years,
seized and borne off by the savagcs.
Panic-stricken and almost paral-
wed with horror, he cut horse loose
from wagon and placed upon his
back his wife and only remaining
child. Joseph, a boy five years Old,
and badc chem flee towards Augusta.
The hereaved mother rode all day
and at nightfall, coming to a vacant
ilohSt ilCll lltu Dccll ltll DN some
family running from the Indians,
took refuge in it. During the night
in her desolation and bereavement,
with no eye to see, no ear to hear. no
hand to help, save God, she gave
birth to a son and called him Pat
rick.
\ Terrible Situation.
With her husband and murdered
children behind her, and danger all
around her. fearing to stay where
she was, and not physically able to
go forward, hers was a situation sell
dom equallcd in life, but hers was
also a stern pioneer character. and
realizing she must move on, even If
she lost her own life, try to reach
Tobias Fort and save the lives OF her
two sons. at dawn mounted her horse
with the little Joseph and the new
baby, she rode forth and arrived
safely at the fort, where she was
carefully nurscd back to health and
strength. | will say just here that
Patrick Cor tho wonderful brth
grew to be a fair youth and fought
in the War OF the Revolution. ana
was killed in the last year OF the war
at the age OF 20. Nothing but daunt-
less bravery saved the men at Long
Cane. The Calhoun brothers, with
thirteen other men, maintained
desperate fight with the Chcrokces.
until overwhelmed by superior forces.
they had TO retreat. In the massacre
| th"rr Wcr" tittN persons killed.
mostly women and children
Dead and MangIcd.
Patrick Calhoun returned to Long
| Cane three days later to bury his
mother and little nicccs, Catherine
and Mary, who had been killed, and
| besides his own kin found twenty