Andrew Pickens (governor)

This article is about the Governor of South Carolina. For other people named Andrew Pickens, see Andrew Pickens (disambiguation).

Andrew Pickens


46th Governor of South Carolina
In office December 1, 1816 – December 1, 1818
Lieutenant	John A. Cuthbert
Preceded by	David Rogerson Williams
Succeeded by	John Geddes
Personal details
Born	(1779-12-13)December 13, 1779 Edgefield County, South Carolina
Died	July 1, 1838(1838-07-01) (aged 58) Pontotock, Mississippi
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Susan Smith Mary Willing Nelson
Alma mater	College of New Jersey
Profession	soldier, attorney
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	lieutenant-colonel
Battles/wars	War of 1812

Andrew Pickens, Jr. (December 13, 1779 – July 1, 1838) was an American military and political leader who served as the 46th Governor of South Carolina from 1816 until 1818.

Pickens was the son of the well-known American Revolutionary general Andrew Pickens (1739–1817). He was born on his father's plantation on the Savannah River in Horse Creek Valley in Edgefield County, South Carolina.

Through his mother, Rebecca Floride (nee Colhoun), he is a cousin of fellow South Carolina politician John C. Calhoun, who served as U.S. Secretary of War and Vice President of the United States. Calhoun was also married to Floride Calhoun (née Colhoun), a niece of Pickens' father.

He was raised a Presbyterian and educated at the College of New Jersey. Pickens served as a lieutenant-colonel in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, and returned home to establish a plantation, "Oatlands," in Edgefield County and practice law. He also established a residence, "Halcyon Grove," in the village of Edgefield and married Susannah Smith Wilkinson.

On December 5, 1816, the South Carolina General Assembly elected Pickens as governor by secret ballot. During program of internal improvements was begun using public funds. Pickens championed the construction of roads and canals. The price of cotton rose to a high point that was not exceeded at any other time in South Carolina during the antebellum period. The city of Charleston was struck with a disastrous yellow fever epidemic. After leaving office, Pickens moved to Alabama and helped negotiate a treaty with the Creek Indians of Georgia. For a period of time around 1829, he lived in Augusta. Growing up living by Indians, he had a very tight bond with them.

Pickens died July 1, 1838, in Pontotock, Mississippi, and was interred at Old Stone Church Cemetery in Clemson, South Carolina.

His son, Francis Wilkinson Pickens (1805–1869) was a U.S. Congressman and the Governor of South Carolina when the state seceded from the Union in 1860.

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Political offices
Preceded by David Rogerson Williams	Governor of South Carolina 1816–1818	Succeeded by John Geddes

Governors of South Carolina

J. Rutledge Lowndes J. Rutledge Mathews Guerard Moultrie T. Pinckney C. Pinckney Moultrie Vanderhorst C. Pinckney E. Rutledge Drayton J. Richardson P. Hamilton C. Pinckney Drayton Middleton Alston D. Williams A. Pickens Geddes Bennett Wilson Manning I Taylor Miller J. Hamilton Hayne McDuffie Butler Noble Henagan Richardson II Hammond Aiken Johnson Seabrook Means J. Manning Adams Allston Gist F. Pickens Bonham Magrath Perry Orr Scott Moses Chamberlain Hampton Simpson Jeter Hagood Thompson Sheppard Richardson III Tillman Evans Ellerbe McSweeney Heyward Ansel Blease Smith Manning III Cooper Harvey McLeod Richards Blackwood Johnston Maybank Harley Jefferies Johnston R. Williams Thurmond Byrnes Timmerman Hollings Russell McNair West Edwards Riley Campbell Beasley Hodges Sanford Haley McMaster (Designate)

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