Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/814

— Her brother, Andrew Belfrage, poet, b. in Edinburgh, 5 Nov., 1802 ; d. in Montreal, Canada, 1 July, 1849, became involved in Sir Gregor Mac- gregor's colonization schemes, and afterward was engaged with a mahogany merchant in the West Indies, but returned to his native country. In 1830 he came to the United States, and afterward settled in Montreal, where he became known as an artist and taught painting and drawing. Mr. Picken contributed to newspapers and magazines of Mon- treal until his death. His principal poem is " The Bedouins" in three cantos, and his best tale is thought to be " The Plague Ship." Several of his poems have been erroneously ascribed to Andrew Picken, of Paisley, who was the author of occasional verses and several popular novels. See " The Poets and Poetry of Scotland," by Gen. James Grant Wil- son (New York, 1876).

PICKENS, Andrew, soldier, b. in Paxton, Bucks co., Pa., 19 Sept., 1739; d. in Pendleton district, S. C., 17 Aug., 1817. His parents, who were of Huguenot descent, removed in 1752 to the Waxhaw settlement, S. C. The son served as a volunteer in Col. James Grant's expedi- tion against the Chei'o- kees in April, 1761, af- ter which he removed to the Long Cane set- tlement. At the be- ginning of the Revo- lution he was made a captain of militia, and rose rapidly to the rank of brigadier - general. He kept the field at the head of a partisan corps after the state had been overrun by the British, and in February, 1779, with

400 men, he defeated

a party of 700 under Col. Boyd, at Kettle creek, and his horse was killed under him while he was covering the retreat at the battle of Stono, 20 June, 1779. In that year he inflicted a severe defeat on the Cherokees at Toma'ssee. At the battle of Cowpens, 17 Jan., 1781, he commanded the militia, which he rallied, and brought a second time into action after the ranks had been broken and compelled to retreat, for which service congress gave him a sword. He next invested the British forts at Augusta, Ga., which surrendered after a two weeks' siege. After participating in the un- successful campaign of Ninety - Six under Gen. Nathanael Greene, he followed the retreating enemy toward the coast, and participated in the battle of Eutaw Springs, where he led a brigade ol Carolina militia, and was struck by a bullet which, but for the buckle of his sword-belt, would have inflicted a mortal wound. Owing to a successful expedition against the Cherokees in 1782, he obtained a large cession of territory that is now in the state of Georgia, and settled in Hopewell, on Keowee river. From the close of the war until 1794 he was a member of the South Carolina legislature, and he was also elected to congress, serving from 2 Dec, 1793, till 3 March, 1795. He was a member of the State constitutional convention, was made major- general of militia in 1795, and served in the legis- lature again in 1801 and 1812. He was a commis- sioner in many treaties with the southern Indians, and by that of Hopewell obtained from the Chero- kees the part of South Carolina that is now Pen- dleton and Greenville. In 1765 he married'Rebecca Calhoun, aunt of John C. Calhoun, and the wedding was an epoch in the social history of the district in which the bride, who was a noted beauty, resided. Gen. Pickens was remarkable for his simplicity, decision, and prudence, and scrupulous perform- ance of duty. — His grandson, Francis Wilkinson, statesman, b. in Togadoo, St. PauFs parish, S. C, 7 April, 1805 : d. in Edgefield, S. C, 25 Jan., 1869, was educated at South Carolina college, was ad- mitted to the bar in 1829, and began practice in Edgefield district. In 1832 he was elected to the legislature by the Nullification party of his district, and soon attracted notice as a debater. At the age of twenty-five he was an active member of the judi- ciary committee, and of that on foreign relations. As chairman of a sub-committee in 1833 he made a report to the effect that sovereignty and allegiance were indivisible, and that congress, as the agent and mere creature of the states severally, had no claim to allegiance and could exercise no sover- eignty. He was elected to congress as a Nullifier, serving from 8 Dec, 1834, till 3 March, 1843. In 1836 he made an elaborate speech, denying the right of congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia without the consent of Maryland and Virginia. In 1844 he was elected to the South Carolina senate from Edgefield. Here he voted with the majority against the " Bluffton move- ment," a secession demonstration then in progress in the state. After several years of private life he was elected a delegate to the Nashville southern convention in 1850-'l, and in 1856 he was a dele- gate to the National Democratic convention in Cin- cinnati. From 1858 till 1860 he was U. S. minister to Russia, and on his return in the latter year was elected governor of South Carolina. He was con- spicuous with the secession movement, demanded of Maj. Robert Anderson the surrender of Fort Sumter, gave the order to fire upon the " Star of the West," and rendered all the aid in his power to the Confederate cause. He retired from office in 1862. Gov. Pickens was a wealthy planter, gave much attention to scientific agriculture, and' en- joyed a reputation in the southern states as an orator before colleges and literary societies.

PICKENS, Israel, governor of Alabama, b. in Mecklenburg countv (now Cabarrus), N. C, 30 Jan., 1780 ; d. nea^i- Mataiizas, Cuba, W. I., 24 April, 1827. His father, Samuel Pickens, served in the Revolutionary army, and was a cousin of Gen. Andrew Pickens. The son was educated at Jefferson in 1802, studied law. was admitted to the bar, and served in the North Carolina legislature in 1809. He was elected to congress as a Democrat, serving from 4 Nov., 1811, till 3 March, 1817. and year was appointed register of the land o Mississippi territory, which included the { .n, state of Alabama. In 1821 he was made governor of Alabama, holding this office until 1825, when he was appointed U. S. senator, serving from 10 April, 1826, till 21 Dec of that year. He was then appointed IT. S. judge for "Alabama, but declined, owing to impaired health, which he sought to restore in the West Indies.