It is difficult to know where to begin on the Calhoun line because the research on this surname is extensive. According to most sources the beginning goes something like this ...
"In the thirteenth century Maol Domhnaich, Earl of Lennox granted the lands of Colquhoun (pronounced ca-HOON), located in Dunbartonshire, to Humphry de Kilpatrick. Humphry’s son, Ingelram de Colquhoun, who lived in the reign of Alexander III, was the first person recorded as taking Colquhoun as a surname."
Somewhere along the line, Reverend Alexander Colhoun (74.2) was born in 1662 at the Crosh House in the county of Tyrone, Ireland. Also in Tyrone, his future wife, Lady Judith Hamilton (74.3) was born in 1662 at the Hamilton Manor. Both are buried in Ardstraw County, Tyrone, Ireland.
Ardstraw Parish, Newtownstewart, County Tyrone
I am not sure if the Reverand and Lady Colhoun are buried at this cemetery or not ... but I can certainly justify a "road" trip to Ireland to find out!!!
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In 1684 the two married and together they had 12 children. At the Crosh House, James Patrick Colhoun (10.8) was their fourth born, in 1688. He married Catherine Montgomery (10.9) and together they had five children: Mary Catherine (1714), James (1716) (10.4), Ezekiel (1720), William (1723) and Patrick (1727). In 1733 Catherine and James Patrick, boarded with their five children a boat to America. One source stated the reason for the move was due to failed crops and religious reasons. What I have read indicates that the main driving force of Irish immigrants to America was the potato famine of 1845, which was far later than when this Colhoun family made their move. Who knows, perhaps my history reserach is lacking, but I am moving on ...
It is told that the family arrived in New York, soon moved to Pensylvania. Around some time after James Patrick's death in 1748, Catherine moved her family to some new lands that were opening up in Augusta County, Virginia. In 1755 the Indians became more active and Catherine moved again to the Long Cane Creek area of Abbeville, South Carolina. They moved in the middle of winter and got there in February 1756. The group lived in what became known as Calhoun's Settlement, at the fork of two streams of that name, not far from where their waters empty into Little River. They were sixteen miles from the nearest Indian settlement and thought they would be safe there.
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By this time, James Calhoun (10.4) had married Susanna Long (10.5) and together they had five children: Patrick (1737 PA), James (abt 1739 PA) (10.2) , Ezekiel (abt 1745 VA), Catherine (abt 1750 VA) and William (abt 1751 VA). As if these stories weren't difficult enough to tell, this fella had to name his five children exactly the same as his own siblings.
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William Calhoun (1723), brother to James (10.4) married Susanna Long's sister Agnes. Again, brothers marrying sisters ... nothing to worry about.
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The morning of January 31, 1760 a messenger came through the little settlement and told them that the Indians were on the warpath and moving toward their area. The afternoon of January 31st and the morning of February 1st were spent loading wagons and getting provisions ready to move out. About noon on February 1st, some 200-250 settlers moved out for Augusta, Georgia, a larger town about 40 miles southeast of their location. They had only gone about 10 miles when in crossing the Long Canes Creek, several wagons got stuck. By the time they had all the wagons across the creek it was dark so they camped for the night. Soon after dark, they were attacked by a band of Cherokee Indians. Some of the settlers escaped by horseback, some on foot, but most of them scattered finding shelter in the trees or wherever they could hide. Mostly women and children were killed as 23 settlers were left dead at the site of the massacre. The Indians had burned all the wagons and nearly all the goods were stolen. In the group that was killed, Catherine Montgomery Calhoun was among them. She was 76 years old. A monument to the dead, including Catherine, was erected in the 1790's by Catherine's son, Patrick Calhoun. Two small girls, ages 3 and 5 of the Calhoun's were abducted by the Indians. One eventually returned, but the other was never heard from again.
The following articles appeared in the South-Carolina Gazette:
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"Yesterday se'night the whole of the Long-Cane Settlers, to the number of 150 souls, moved off with most of their effects in Waggons; to go towards Augusta in Georgia, and in a few hours after their setting off, were surprized and attacked by about 100 Cherkees on horseback, while they were getting their waggons out of a boggy place. They had amongst them 40 gunmen, who might have made a very good defence, but unfortunately their guns were in the waggons; the few that recovered theirs, fought the Indians half an hour, and were at last obliged to fly. In the action they lost 7 waggons, and 40 of their people killed or taken (including women and children) the rest got safe to Augusta whence and express arrived here with the same account on Tuesday morning."
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"Canes, who were attacked by the Cherokees on the 1st Instant, as they were removing their wives, children and best effects, to August in George for safety, is just come to town and informs us, 'That the whole of those settlers might be about 250 souls, 55 or 60 of them fighting men; that their loss in that affair amounted to about 50 persons, chiefly women and children, with 13 loaded waggons and carts; that he had since been at the place where the action happened, in order to buy the dead, and found only 20 of their bodies, most inhumanly butchered; that the Indians had burnt the woods all around, but had left the waggons and carts there empty and unhurt; and that he believes all the fighting men would return to and fortify the Long-Cane Settlement, were part of the rangers so stationed as to give them some assistance and protection.'"
"We have no late advices from Fort Prince George, or any consequence from places in that route. But from Fort Moore, we learn, that a gang of about 18 Cherokees, divided into 8 or 4 parties, on the 15th instant, way-laid, killed and scalped Ulric Tobler, Esq.; a Captain of Militia in those parts, as he was riding from his father's to that fort; and shot Mr. William Calhoon, who was with him, in the hand; 3 other persons, who were in company escaped unhurt; the Indian who killed Captain Tobler, left a hatchet sticking in his neck, on which were 3 old notches, and 3 newly cut."
Along with his mother, James Calhoun (10.4) was one of those slain in the Long Canes Massacre.
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From here we fast forward ten years when Patrick Calhoun (1727), youngest brother to James (10.4) married Martha Caldwell in 1770. Twelve years after their marriage, John Caldwell Calhoun was born. To me, John C was my first cousin, seven times removed ... to the country he was the second Vice President of the United States.
Back to the direct decendents ... James Calhoun (abt 1739 PA) (10.2), second son to James and Susanna Long Calhoun, married a gal named Rhoda Green (1730) (10.3). The next couple of generations require a bit more research. For certain, James and Rhoda had a son named John Calhoun (2.8) in December of 1774 in South Carolina. I think they may have had a daughter named Margaret (Peggy) who was born in 1760 as well. John married a young lady named Lurana Wall in 1799 and together they had at least one child named Ezekiel (1811 GA) (2.4). In 1832 Ezekiel married Linda Bazemore (2.5) in Jones County, Georgia and together they had at least one child, also named Ezekiel (1846 AL) (2.2). Ezekiel, Jr (later known as EZ) married Laura Chapman Stratford (2.3) in 1870 and together they had nine children. The third born was John Caldwell (1.8), my great grandfather, on August 19, 1877 in Alabama. He married Effie Virginia (or Corrine) Stoudenmire (1.9)and together they had seven children. The fourth born was Charles Haddon Calhoun (1.4) my grandfather. Charles Haddon married my grandmother, Alice Virginia Harvey and together they had two children, my father Charles Harvey and my aunt Marlise Eugenia.
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That's a quick rundown of the line from top to bottom of the Calhoun line. I'll go into further details on another blog.
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