History of Edgewood, (Kershaw County) South Carolina United States of America

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Francis Wilkinson Pickens, governor of South Carolina, was born in Togadoo, St. Paul's parish. S.C., April 7, 1805; son of Governor Andrew and Susan (Wilkinson) Pickens, and grandson of Andrew and Rebecca (Calhoun) Pickens. He attended South Carolina college, and was admitted to the bar in 1829, practising in Edgefield district, S.C. While a representative in the state legislature in 1832, he made a report on the unity of sovereignty and allegiance, claiming that congress, as the agent of the states, had no claim to allegiance and could exercise no sovereignty. He was a representative in the 24th-29th congresses, 1835-45; a state senator, 1845-46; a delegate to the southern convention at Nashville, 1850-51, and a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Cincinnati in 1856. He was married first to Eliza S., daughter of Col. Eldred Simkins of Edgefield county, S.C., and maternal grand-daughter of Gen. Elijah Clarke of Georgia; secondly, to Marion; daughter of Col. William Dearing of Georgia; and thirdly, at Marshall, Texas, in 1858, to Lucy, daughter of Beverly Holcomb, a native of Petersburg, Va. She died at Edgewood, S.C., Aug. 8, 1899. He was U.S. minister to Russia, 1858-60, and during his residence at St. Petersburg his daughter, Rebecca Calhoun, was married to John E. Bacon of Edgefield, at that time secretary of legation. As governor of South Carolina, 1858-60, he demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter from Major Anderson and gave the order to fire upon the Star of the West. He died at Edgewood, Edgefield district, S.C., Jan. 25, 1869.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Edgewood, (Kershaw County) South Carolina

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