Andrew Pickens, Patriot Commander-- Part 2: At the Battle of Cowpens and U.S. Representative

In the spring of 1778, Andrew Pickens became the colonel of a regiment of South Carolina militia which he later led to victory at the Battle of Kettle Creek.  In 1780, he became a prisoner when the British captured Charleston and he accepted a parole, agreeing to sit out the war.

Later that year, he returned to the war when Loyalists burned his home.

On January 17, 1781, he commanded a brigade of South Carolina militia at the Battle of Cowpens, a decisive victory for the Patriots.  After the battle, he was promoted to rank of brigadier general.  He was later wounded at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September.

In 1782, he was elected to  the South Carolina General Assembly in 1782 and went on to serve with them for a decade.

He purchased land on the Seneca River  and constructed Hopewell Plantation, which would become a frequent site of negotiations with Native Americans.

From 1783 to 1795, Pickens represented South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives.  On August 17, 1817, he passed away at the age of 77, several months after his son Andrew Pickens Jr. was sworn in as the Governor of South Carolina.  He is buried near Pendleton, South Carolina.

--Cooter