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Subject: [SCGREENV] Last Confederate Soldier of Anderson
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 17:33:16 EDT

Last Confederate Soldier of Area, R.W. Pickens, Passes

Greenville News, 20 February 1948, pg 10, Friday

Easley, Feb 19 -- The old Confederate veteran, Robert W. Pickens, who was
100 years old last August 31, died today.
He insisted at the Confederate reunion at Pickens last June that that
would be his last. He was right.
His health had been failing since his birthday and finally death stopped
the flow of reminiscences for which he was famous.
Mr. Pickens, who served in Company G, Second Battalion of the South
Carolina State Reserves during the War Between the States, was one of four
remaining Confederate veterans in South Carolina and the only one left in the
Piedmont section. In his latter years his hearing became affected and he would inform
listeners he was "deaf as a thunder-struck mule".

ATTENDED REUNIONS

He was the main attraction at the annual Confederate reunion that is held
each year in Pickens on Jefferson Davis' birthday and year after year he met with
the members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In more recent years
it was customary for the reunion to be held at the home of Mrs. T.J. Mauldin.
At these reunions Mr. Pickens always was called on for "remarks" and he
would talk for varying periods, always winding up his talk with a song or two
of his own composition. Last year he told the group he hoped that when all the
Confederate Veterans were gone, the organization would change U.D.C. to mean
"United Daughters of Christ".

NO GRUDGE HELD

Mr. Pickens never spoke of Grant and Lincoln with the same reverence noted
when he mentioned Gen. Robert E. Lee, but he made it clear he held no grudge
against them.
Mr. Pickens was Anderson County's oldest resident. He died at the family
home near Pickens Chapel Church at 12 noon. He had been in declining health
for several years and seriously ill for only a short time.

ANDERSON COUNTY NATIVE

He was the a native and lifelong resident of Anderson County and was a son of
the late Colonel William C. and Julia Welborn Pickens, pioneer Anderson
County residents. He served in Company "G" Second Battalion, South Carolina State
Reserve. Mr. Pickens was a member of the Pickens Chapel Methodist Church.
Survivors are three sons E.W. Pickens, Easley, T.W. Pickens, Slater,
Prof. A.L. Pickens, Gainesville, Ga; two daughters, Mrs. Girvinia LaBoon, Taylors,
and Mrs. Lura P. Garrison, Anderson County; one sister, Mrs. Irene Whitaker,
Greenwood; 21 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and three
great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Pickens
Chapel Methodist Church. Rev. S. E. Julian will officiate assisted by Rev. J.F.
Farr. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

The following will serve as active pallbearers: Frank Pickens, Jr.,
Reynolds Pickens, Marion Pickens, Wade Pickens, Dewey Shehan, Sr, and David
Garrison.

The body is at the home.

_____________________________________________
I have no information on this man but hope this may help someone. If anyone
knows the last Confederate veteran of Greenville County, please let me know who
it was.

Kelly Jane O'Hara, Greer, SC







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