The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-07-02
THE OLD CALHOUN
SETTLEMENT
Visit to Historic Old Homestead In
AbbeviIle County.

(Wrltten Dy CharleS montague Gal
houn, direct descendant and the
Oldest living Calhoun, at Greenwood,
June 2. 1920.)
After living all my life within 20
miles of the spot where the massacre
occurred and the head of our family
was buried, it was not my privilege
to visit this place until few months
ago.
we'll remember, nearly 80 years
ago, when quite small, visiting the
old home section of the Calhoun
family on Little river.
Our great-grandmother, Catherine,
with her children, first settled in
Virginia, Augusta county. They were
of Scotch-Irish blood. The mother,
with her five children, James Eek
ial, William, Patrick and Mrs. Mary
Noble, widow Of John Noble, they set
tied on Long Cane creek, finally set
tling on Little river, eight miles from
the Savannah river, the neighbor-
hood being known as Calhoun settle
ment. William, the Oldest son (the
great grandparents of this writer).
married Miss Agnes Long, Of Vir-
ginia. They had ten children. The
third child, Ann, was born in Vir-
ginia and was only few months old
when they moved south.
The Indians of the Cherokee tribe,
having gone on the warpath, this
settlement, for safety of their wives
and children, about $50 in number,
with loaded wagons, started out for
Augusta, Ga. After reaching Long
Cane creek, ten miles off an two and
half miles Of Trickum (now known
as Troy), they were attacked by the
Indians while their teams were stalled
in the bottoms and the guns of the
settlers were in the wagons. Their
whole attention being occupied in ex-
Treating thir wagons (what pity
there was not Cateeche or Isaqueena
as she was sometimes called to have
given warning, as she had previously
done, and saved the early settlement
of Ninety-Six),. were taken copletely
BY surprise, losing some 40 or more
mostly women and children, being
brutally murdered. Catherine, the
head of the family, and her son
James, the youngest, were included.
A granite stone, erected by her son
Patrick, father of John C. Calhoun,
marks the place where she fell and
where rests her remains on the hill
some little distance beyond the creek,
where she had fled. Ann, and Mary,
the youngest children of William
were made prisoners, age three and
five. Mary not being able to keep
up, was scalped and her body throw..
in the creek. This made a deep i'm
preston on Ann, who spoke of it with
much feeling in after years. For IL
years she lived with her captors.
enduring untold hardships. After she
was released by treaty near cid
Pendleton., S. c., made by General
Andrew Pickens, she was brought to
the home of her parents. She said
that the Indians beat her nearly to
death to make her eat lizards, snakes
and raw meat. Her family found it
hard to break her from this habit,
which was formed in her captivity.
She would never learn to read and
write and has an aversion to wearing
shoes. When 20 years old she mar
ried Isaac Matthews and had three
children. She called her husband
Zachary. They were not a very low
ing, couple, and I have heard my
mother say that she remarked when
Zachary died that she neither
"lauhged nor cried" Her brother
Joseph, owned the old Calhoun mill
property. He was the grandfather
Of Mrs. Frances Marshall, Of Able
vile and John j. Calhoun, of Carters-
vile, Ga. Aunt AIMS only son, Joseph
had IL children. Mary, one Of them
moved west. Some Of her great-grand-
children, are now living in Abbeville.
William Calhoun whose children were
captured and slain, to save his wife
from capture and possibly massacre
took out one Of the horses from his
wagon, placing her upon it telling her
to flee for her life to Augusta, which
she Immediately set out to do. Every
house that she came to was deserted,
all having fled to Augusta for safety.
Stopping on the road, she spent the
night at one of these desterted houses.
Securely fastening her horse she re-
tired for the night. When that night
in her lone and helpless condition
with no friend to comfort or to cheer
her but her unseen God. a babv \boy