Elizabeth Beckham

According to one account, Elizabeth was terrified when Tarleton and his men rode into her yard, demanding food, lodging, etc. She complied with his orders, begging him not to leave them homeless as she had small children. When the British finally left the next day, they burned everything. Elizabeth and her children spent the night in a corn crib, pulling the shucks over them to keep warm as this was in the middle of winter. The next day they made their way through the forest to her sister's and stayed there until war's end.

according to another, Elizabeth Beckham was a sister of Brig. Gen. William Henderson and Major Samuel Henderson, Jr.. Elizabeth belonged to noted Whig stock, and was a woman of remarkable energy and strength of character. Since her husband was a drinking and improvident old fellow, the burdens of making a living largely fell on her and her daughters. This she did bravely and her daughters were worthy of their mother. When we think of the bravery and heroism displayed in those trying times, this noble woman should not be forgotten.

When Tarleton encamped at the Beckham home, Mrs. Beckham first saw him while standing in her yard ordering his men to catch her poultry for supper. She spoke civilly to him and hastened to prepare super for him and his suite, as if they had been honored guests. When about to leave in the morning he gave the house up to pillage, and ordered it to be burnt; but because of her earnest pleas, he recalled the order.

Some time after her husband's death she, in looking over his accounts, found that something was due her from Wade Hampton. She resolved to visit him and see what he would do for her. Her family and friends advised against it; that Hampton was now a very rich and distinguished man living in grand style in Columbia. The old lady said, "She would trust him," that she had known Wade in his youth; her house was then open to him and she could not believe the he would forsake her now. So mounting "Derrick," her faithful old horse, she set off to Columbia all alone. She made the trip and returned safely. The family, eager to hear the result of her visit, gathered around her. Mrs. Beckham was delighted.

"How did he receive you?" she was asked.

"Receive me! He received me as if I had been a queen; nothing in his grand house was too good for Mrs. Beckham. Child, I was put in a fine chamber with a great mahogany bedstead covered with a canopy, and so high that there were steps to climb into it, and they were carpeted. He paid me and more than paid me." It is probable that this heroic old lady returned with more money in her pocket than she had had in many a day. She was buried by her husband and son in the Hodge graveyard.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=84704101&ref=wvr

GEDCOM Note

Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Sources

• Ancestry Member Trees, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=1924014&pid=... * Source: S-2090666327 Repository: #R-2142417515 Title: Ancestry Family Trees, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=28002655&pid... * Source: S-2090759716 Repository: #R-2142417515 Title: Family Data Collection - Individual Records Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Note: APID: 1,4725::0

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Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Henderson-1127 created through the import of Murdock _ WarrenFamilies.ged on May 29, 2011 by Jerry Murdock. * WikiTree profile Henderson-2036 created through the import of Henderson Family Tree (9 Sep 11).ged on Sep 9, 2011 by George Henderson. * Thanks to Bill Jennings for starting this profile.

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