The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-12-13

In 1755 Catherine Calhoun moved
from Virginia with her five sons, Will
liam, John, Ezechiel, Patrick and
James, one daughter, Catherine.
They first settled on Long Cane in
upper South Carolina after years
hardships, they moved to the Wax
haw county, eastern part Of the
state, but returned near their first
settlement in a few years and settled
on Little River, eight miles from Sa-
vannah river. This neighborhood
known as Calhoun settlement for
many years. William, the eldest son
of Catherine, had married in >Vir-
ginia, Agnes Long. They had ten
children, the third child, Ann, was
born in Virginia and was only few
months old when they moved South.
In 1860 the Indians got on the
war path and determined to kill up
the whites. In February Of that year
they became 80 hostile the men de-
cided to take the women and child
rem to a fort in Augusta, when only
ten miles from their homes, they
were overtaken and many massacred,
among them Catherine, the mother,
and her youngest son, James. A
granite stone marks the spot. Ann
and Mary, the youngest children OF
william and Agnes Long, were taken
prisoners. Ann, aged five, Mary on
" three, not being able to walk. She
was scalped and her body thrown in
to a creek the Indians, were crossing.
The scene made an impression on
AIMS heart, in after years she al
ways described it with much feeling,
saying she escaped the same fate by
promising to run, when the poor
frightened child would stop a mo-
ment to rest, she was severely beaten
For IL long years she had to live
with her captives, enduring untold
hardships, at times nearly starved
to death. After Ann was exchanged
by q treaty near old Pendleton,
made by Gen. Andrew Pickens, she
came to the home Of her parents.
She said her life had been hard
one, the Indians had nearly beaten
her to death to make her eat lizards,
snakes and raw meats. Then when
she got to her own people, they pun
ished her to make her quit eating
such food and eat cooked food. She
never would learn to read or write
Just her own name, wore sandals
made of the inside bark of certain
trees. Nothing ever induced her to
wear shoes, her eldest son took up
the shoemaker's trade. When his
mother was very old he made her
sandals Of leather. AS soon as she
went into the house they were taken
of, summer or winter.
When 20 years old she married
Isaac Matthew, a nearby farmer, who
had tract of land granted by King
George Il once saw this grant.)
Aunt Ann did not fancy the harsh
name of Isaac, and called her lover
Zachy, He was not captivated by
AIMS personal appearance. She was
awkward and was almost hated by
her family for keeping her untidy
appearance instined by the Indian
squaw. Her great strength Of en-
durance and energy lent charm to
the young farmer as helpmeet, for
he was not gifted with industrial
habits. Ann always said: "Zachy ID
mighty good, but mighty lazy"
They seemed to be happy with
their three children. She longed
for her wild Indian life and would
often steal away at early dawn and
spend the whole day in the woods,
to the dense forests she would 60.
She said to whisper to the spirits she
could not see, but hear them gliding
away from tree to tree. Once
Zachy followed her and found her
eating lizards and frogs: She had
imbibed the old way of feeling
never emtional or excited, as proof,
when Zachy died she spoke of the
even to her friends, saying: "I be-
haved very well, I never laughed nor
cried Her children grew up and
left her-then Zachy died. She led
a lonely, desolate life. Her brother,
Joseph, owned Calhoun Mills. (He
-was my grandfather.) During his
life Aunt Ann was allowed to get
anything she wished from the mill
every week she could be seen on the
old white mare vending her way
with two sacks for meal and hour.
After nv prandfather's death the