http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_W._Pickens

Francis Wilkinson Pickens (April 7, 1805 – January 25, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 69th Governor of South Carolina when the state seceded from the United States during the American Civil War. He ordered the first shot of the Civil War be fired in Charleston, South Carolina.

Francis Pickens was born in Togadoo, St Paul's Parish, in Colleton County, South Carolina. He was the son of former Gov. Andrew Pickens and a grandson of Gen. Andrew Pickens, an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought at the Battle of Cowpens and a U.S. Congressman. A cousin of his grandmother was South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun. His son-in-law was Confederate General and U.S. Senator Matthew C. Butler, a son of congressman William Butler (1790-1850); grandson of congressman William Butler and a nephew of Senator Andrew Butler.

Pickens was educated at Franklin College (now a part of the University of Georgia) in Athens, Georgia, and at South Carolina College in Columbia. He was admitted to the bar in 1829, the same year that he constructed "Edgewood," a mansion in Edgefield. He joined the Democratic Party and served in the South Carolina house of representatives from 1832–34, where he was an ardent supporter of nullification. As chairman of a sub-committee, he submitted a report denying the right of Congress to exercise any control over the States.

Pickens served in Congress as a representative from South Carolina from 1834 until 1843 (5th District 1834–37; 6th District 1837–39; 5th District 1839–41; 6th District 1841–43). He was a member of the South Carolina State Senate from 1844 until 1846. He was offered the position of Minister to England by President James K. Polk, and the Minister to France by President John Tyler, but declined these diplomatic posts. He served as a delegate to the Nashville Southern Convention in 1850. Twice a widower, he married Lucy Petway Holcombe (1832–1899) on April 26, 1856 and in 1858 had daughter Douschka Pickens. Under President James Buchanan, Pickens was Minister to Russia from 1858–1860, where he and his wife were befriended by Czar Alexander II.

Civil War

Under his administration as Governor of South Carolina (1860–1862), the State seceded and demanded the surrender of the Federal forts in Charleston harbor. He strongly advocated the secession of the Southern States but he did not sign the South Carolina ordinance of secession, as is commonly reported. He protested against Major Robert Anderson's removal from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and offered to acquire the fort from the United States as part of an equitable settlement of the assets and debts of what Pickens considered to be now-dissolved federal union. On January 9, 1861, Governor Pickens sanctioned the firing upon the relief steamship Star of the West, which was bringing supplies to Anderson's beleaguered garrison. He also approved of the subsequent bombardment of Fort Sumter. He remained a fervent supporter of states rights.

Pickens died in Edgefield, South Carolina in1869, and was buried at Willow Brook Cemetery in Edgefield. -------------------- Francis W. Pickens (1805-1869). S Francis Pickens came to Edgefield in 1828 to practice law with his father-in-law, Eldred Simkins. Pickens served in the United States House of Representatives from 1834 to 1843 and in the South Carolina Senate from 1844 to 1845. Active in national Democratic circles, Pickens was offered ambassadorships to England and France, but chose not to accept them. After marrying the beautiful Lucy Holcombe of Texas in 1858 he accepted President Buchanan’s offer to become ambassador to Russia. In 1860 he resigned this post and returned to South Carolina where he was elected Governor, serving in that role until 1862, where he faced the challenges of the Civil War. Pickens was a wealthy planter who dispensed broad hospitality at Edgewood Plantation, the best known of the antebellum plantations of the Edgefield District.

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HON. FRANCIS W. PICKENS, GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

HON. JUDGE MAGRATH, SECRETARY OF STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

GOVERNOR PICKENS, OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

WE publish herewith a portrait of Governor Pickens, the newly-elected Governor of the State of South Carolina.

Governor Pickens comes of good revolutionary stock. His grandfather, General Pickens, commanded the American forces at the Battle of the Cowpens. His father, Colonel Pickens, held a military command in the war of 1812, though it is not known that he was ever engaged in active service. The present Governor, Francis W. Pickens, was born in South Carolina about fifty years ago, and has been some twenty years in public life.

He took an active part in the nullification movement in 1832, and was one of the most ardent champions of actual resistance by arms. In 1835 he was sent to Congress, where he represented one of the South Carolina districts for ten years. He was offered the mission to England by President Polk, and the mission to France by President Tyler: he declined these, but accepted from President Buchanan the mission to Russia, which he filled until recently. On his return home he was elected, as the world knows, first Governor of the independent State of South Carolina.

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/major-anderson-ft-sumter_Dir/governor-pickens-south-carolina.htm -------------------- Francis Wilkinson Pickens (April 7, 1805 – January 25, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 69th Governor of South Carolina when the state seceded from the United States during the American Civil War.

Early life and career

Pickens was born in Togadoo, St Paul's Parish, in Colleton County, South Carolina. He was the son of former Gov. Andrew Pickens and a grandson of Gen. Andrew Pickens, an American Revolutionary soldier at the Battle of Cowpens and former U.S. Congressman. A cousin of his grandmother was South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun. His son-in-law was Confederate General and U.S. Senator Matthew C. Butler, a son of congressman William Butler (1790-1850); grandson of congressman William Butler and a nephew of Senator Andrew Butler.

Pickens was educated at Franklin College (now a part of the University of Georgia) in Athens, Georgia, and at South Carolina College in Columbia. He was admitted to the bar in 1829, the same year that he constructed "Edgewood," a mansion in Edgefield. He joined the Democratic Party and served in the South Carolina house of representatives from 1832–34, where he was an ardent supporter of nullification. As chairman of a sub-committee, he submitted a report denying the right of Congress to exercise any control over the states.

Pickens served in Congress as a representative from South Carolina from 1834 until 1843 (5th District 1834–37; 6th District 1837–39; 5th District 1839–41; 6th District 1841–43). He was a member of the South Carolina state senate from 1844 until 1846. He was offered the position of Minister to England by President James K. Polk, and the Minister to France by President John Tyler, but declined these diplomatic posts. He served as a delegate to the Nashville Southern Convention in 1850. Twice a widower, he married Lucy Petway Holcombe (1832–1899) on April 26, 1856 and in 1858 had Douschka Pickens. Under President James Buchanan, Pickens was Minister to Russia from 1858–1860, where he and his wife were befriended by Czar Alexander II.

American Civil War

Under his administration as Governor of South Carolina (1860–1862), the state seceded and demanded the surrender of the Federal forts in Charleston harbor. He strongly advocated the secession of the Southern states but he did not sign the South Carolina ordinance of secession, as is commonly reported. He protested against Major Robert Anderson's removal from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and offered to acquire the fort from the United States as part of an equitable settlement of the assets and debts of what Pickens considered to be now-dissolved federal union.[citation needed] On January 9, 1861, Governor Pickens sanctioned the firing upon the relief steamship Star of the West, which was bringing supplies to Anderson's beleaguered garrison. He also approved of the subsequent bombardment of Fort Sumter. He remained a fervent supporter of states rights.

Later life

Pickens died in Edgefield, South Carolina, and was buried at Willow Brook Cemetery in Edgefield.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wilkinson_Pickens