2007-2008 Bill 461: General Andrew Pickens - South Carolina Legislature Online

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 117th Session, 2007-2008 3 4 S. 461 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Concurrent Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senator Verdin 10 Document Path: l:\s-res\dbv\002pick.kmm.doc 11 12 Introduced in the Senate on February 20, 2007 13 Introduced in the House on February 21, 2007 14 Adopted by the General Assembly on February 21, 2007 15 16 Summary: General Andrew Pickens 17 18 19 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 20 21 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 22 2/20/2007 Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House SJ-5 23 2/21/2007 House Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence HJ-7 24 25 26 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 27 28 2/20/2007 29 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO COMMEND AND HONOR GENERAL ANDREW 12 PICKENS, OF PENDLETON DISTRICT, FOR HIS MANY 13 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO 14 THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AS A PIONEER, 15 PATRIOT, AND STATESMAN WHOSE DEDICATION TO 16 LIBERTY HELPED ACHIEVE AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 17 AND WHOSE DEDICATION TO SOUTH CAROLINA 18 ENSURED HER STABILITY AND PROSPERITY DURING 19 HER EARLY HISTORY. 20 21 Whereas, Andrew Pickens was a successful farmer and was 22 serving as a justice of the peace as the war for American 23 independence began; and 24 25 Whereas, in 1775, Pickens became a Captain of Patriot militia, and 26 then participated in the Snow Campaign in the winter of 1775, and 27 then in the Fall of 1776, as a major of the militia, Pickens joined 28 Williamson's expedition against the Cherokee Indians who had 29 allied themselves with the Loyalists; and 30 31 Whereas, in July 1776, Pickens and a force of 25 militiamen were 32 surrounded by over 150 Cherokees, but achieved victory in the 33 “Ring Fight;” and 34 35 Whereas, on February 14, 1779, Pickens defeated Colonel Boyd at 36 Kettle Creek, Georgia which destroyed Tory morale in South 37 Carolina, while bolstering the numbers of Patriot militia; and 38 39 Whereas, at the Battle of Cowpens, Brigadier General Daniel 40 Morgan gave Pickens command of the militia whose tactics proved 41 decisive in the defeat of Banastre Tarleton; and 42

1 [461] 1 1 Whereas, following the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina, 2 Governor John Rutledge promoted Pickens to Brigadier General 3 and he was also awarded a sword by Congress; and 4 5 Whereas, Pickens participated in the Siege of Augusta, Siege of 6 Ninety-Six and Battle of Eutaw Springs; and 7 8 Whereas, Pickens was elected in 1782 by the Ninety Six District to 9 the House of Representatives in the Fourth General Assembly at 10 Jacksonborough and continued to serve in the House of 11 Representatives through 1794; and 12 13 Whereas, Pickens was one of the commissioners named to settle 14 the boundary line between South Carolina and Georgia in 1787; 15 and 16 17 Whereas, in 1787, Pickens moved to his plantation at Hopewell in 18 Seneca. Later in 1802, he moved to the site of the former Cherokee 19 Village Tomassee where he lived until 1817; and 20 21 Whereas, Pickens was a member of the state constitutional 22 convention in 1790; and 23 24 Whereas, he was the first United States congressman from 25 Pendleton District serving from 1793-1795; and 26 27 Whereas, Pickens was appointed Major General of militia in 1795; 28 and 29 30 Whereas, Pickens was a member of the State House of 31 Representatives from 1800-1812, and declined the nomination for 32 Governor in 1812; and 33 34 Whereas, Pickens was known by the Cherokee as Skyagunsta, or 35 the Wizard Owl, as a tribute to his skill as a warrior; and 36 37 Whereas, Pickens remained an elder in the Presbyterian Church 38 until his death in 1817 in Pendleton District whereupon he was 39 interred at the Old Stone Churchyard. Now, therefore, 40 41 Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 42 concurring: 43

1 [461] 2 1 That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South 2 Carolina, by this resolution, commend and honor General Andrew 3 Pickens, of Pendleton District, for his many years of outstanding 4 and dedicated service to the State of South Carolina as a pioneer, 5 patriot, and statesman whose dedication to liberty helped achieve 6 American independence and whose dedication to South Carolina 7 ensured her stability and prosperity during her early history. 8 ----XX---- 9

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