Born in Edgefield, Governor Andrew Pickens (1779-1838) studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). During the War of 1812, he served as a colonel in the U.S. Army and in later stages of the war took command of two regiments raised for defense of Charleston. Pickens was elected governor in 1816. During his administration, a severe yellow fever epidemic swept through Charleston in 1817, causing many residents to leave the city for a healthier environment. After his tenure as governor, he moved to Alabama where he became a cotton planer and also engaged in banking. Pickens died in 1838 at Pontotock, Mississippi.
Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
