Captain Ezekiel Pickens Anderson

After a long and valued service as a boy captain in the Confederate Army, Captain Anderson studied law and nearly half a century ago began practice in one of the pioneer communities of north central Texas.

For a great many years he was one of the leading lawyers at Waxahachie, but during recent years has retired from his profession and is now enjoying that "odium cum dignatite" which is one of the best rewards for a long an distinguished life.

Born at Pendleton, Anderson District, South Carolina in 1842, he comes from a distinguished family - being the son of Robert Anderson and Mary Barksdale Pickens.

His Grandfather, General Robert Anderson, was a soldier of the Revolution and fought under Morgan at the battle of Cowpens.

It is doubtful if any other American has such a distinction as belongs to Captain Ezekiel Pickens Anderson. In fact he had three great-grandfathers who fought at the Battle of Cowpens - General Robert Anderson, General Andrew Pickens and Major Thomas (an officer of the British side).

On the maternal side, Captain Anderson represents the famous Pickens family of South Carolina. It furnished two Governors to that State - Andrew Pickens and his son, Francis W. Pickens. Francis W. Pickens served as the war governor of South Carolina and being a first cousin of Captain Anderson's mother. The grandfather of Gen. Andrew Pickens, Col. Andrew Pickens, was a French Huguenot and fought under Henry of Navarre as one of his trusted officers. After the Huguenot wars he went to the North of Ireland, thence emigrated to Pennsylvania, locating in Bucks County, when General Andrew Pickens was born. When a child, Andrew Pickens was taken by his parents to South Carolina, where he married Rebecca Calhoun, daughter of Ezekiel Calhoun, who was the grandfather of the great southern statesman, John C. Calhoun, whose father was Patrick Calhoun.

Robert Anderson, father of Captain Anderson, had a long career as a farmer, planter and educator. He graduated from a college in South Carolina, and though fully equipped for the legal profession he surrendered to his strong inclinations for agriculture and spent most of his years on his plantation.

Captain Anderson was born in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina where the melting snows of the Blue Ridge Mountains furnish the pure waters of the Seneca River and its tributaries making one of the most perfect counties for the planter and stock raiser to live in. Besides this the healthful and salubrious climate attracted to this delightful region as a summer resort to wealthy and distinguished people from throughout the South, gaining for it the name of "The Athens of the South".

Captain Anderson was born and passed his early days almost in sight of the historic battlefields of Kings Mountain and Cowpens and imbibed in childhood the inspiration begotten by the local traditions of these great battles. These battles were decisive factors in the Revolution.

At Kings Mountain Col. Ferguson in command of a Tory army, was killed, his army routed, several leaders executed and the tory power in the South destroyed for all time.

At Cowpens, General Pickens and General Anderson, both ancestors to Captain Anderson, held high command in the Continental Army. General Pickens, with the infantry, was ordered to fire two rounds if possible and fall back. In giving the order he said: "Men, we can give them four rounds," which they did and as a result the British were driven with their great partisan commander Tarlton, in utter rout. This victory ended the scourge of Tarlton in the South and paved the way to Yorktown.

After the war of the Revolution ended, Gen. Pickens and Gen. Anderson lived as neighbors on the Seneca River for many years. Each owned a baronial plantation, with many slaves, enjoying the opulence, dignity and power of their lordly estate. A near neighbor was the Calhoun Family from whom sprung the immortal John C. Calhoun.

As a child Captain Anderson associated with the children of these blue-blooded aristocrats of the old South, imbibing the tradition of their matchless courage and patriotism and high sense of honor and boundless hospitality, and throughout life he has even been actuated by these sterling attributes of real manhood.

The sixth in a family of 13 children, Ezekiel Pickens Anderson, at the age of 16, went with his parents to Mississippi. They located near Meridian, where he attended High School. He had not yet completed his schooling when war broke out and he at once entered the army and did his first service as 2nd Lieutenant of Company H in the Fourteenth Mississippi Regiment. Eight months later he resigned and was given a commission by the Secretary of War to raise a company of Cavalry.

He raised an independent company, and as its Captain operated under General Forrest throughout the remainder of the war. He was in many of the important campaigns commanded by his gallant leader, and among other battles, fought at Champion Hill, Jackson and Vicksburg.

At the close of the war he was in Alabama. In 1866 he entered the University of Virginia, where he was graduated in the law department in 1867.

The following year he came west and established his home in Hood County, Texas. Two years later he opened his law office in Waxahachie, Texas where he soon engaged in an extensive practice.

For many years he stood in the front rank of lawyers in Northern Texas and was associated with all the prominent men in that section of the state from the reconstruction period.

He also indulged in a fancy for agriculture and stock raising and acquired a large tract of agricultural lands south of Waxahachie.

Captain Anderson is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church.

In 1873 he married Miss Elizabeth Watson. Her father, Colonel Benjamin W. Watson, commanded the Nineteenth Texas Cavalry in the War Between the States.

Of Captain Anderson's marriage three sons are still living - E.P. Anderson, Dr. John B. Anderson who is a surgeon in the U.S. Army and B. Watson Anderson.
CAPT. ANDERSON IS CLAIMED BY DEATH; HE WAS PIONEER LAWYER

Captain E. P. Anderson, picturesque southerner, veteran attorney and a wearer of the gray who experienced a remarkable career in the civil war, passed away at the age of 80 at the home on East Marvin Avenue at 8:20 o'clock Saturday night.

Captain Anderson was a native of South Carolina but he had resided in Waxahachie for about a half a century. Nearly fifty years ago he married the oldest daughter of Colonel B. W. Watson of the 19th Texas cavalry.

Besides his widow, he is survived by the following five children: E. P. Anderson Jr. Brenham; Major J. B. Anderson, medical corps USA stationed at present in Philadelphia; B.W. Anderson, consulting engineer, Dunphy, Nevada; Miss Ruth Anderson of Waxahachie now teaching in Dallas and Mrs. C. L. Snearly, Henrietta.

Captain Anderson was a great-grandson of Generals Andrew Pickens and Robert Anderson both of revolutionary war fame His uncle, Governor Pickens, was the war chief executive of South Carolina.

The civil war record of Captain Anderson is unique. He first enlisted as first lieutenant with the 9th Mississippi, H Company; in a few months he resigned and organized a company of cavalry scouts, attaching himself to General Forrest and operating in scouting until the end of the war. And he had not attained his majority when he entered the service.

He was stationed at Fort Donaldson when Grant took the fort, but being on a scouting expedition at the time of surrender. Captain Anderson was not among those to surrender. Although he was in Vicksburg just before the surrender there he evaded capitulation there also. While there remained at the close of the war only a handful of Captain Anderson's company, it was their distinction and boast that they did not have to surrender -- they disbanded themselves.

He was at one time one of the most prosperous land owners and able lawyers in this part of the state. He owned at one time in his life a great deal of the land that lies about Lake Worth.

As a captain of the cavalry in the civil war he was known as one of the most fearless and daring officers for the South. He fought for the South in the last great battle of the war, commanding a cavalry troop at the battle of Gettysburg.

His nearest call for death was during the war while he was scouting at the head of his troops when from ambush his horse was shot from under him and his hat from his head.

His greatest interest in his old age was little children, whith whom he was happiest. They were his passion.

His father was a large plantation owner of South Carolina.

He and his wife were fine examples of the old southern aristocracy, both being highly educated and refined. Even in his old age he was one of the best read men in the community being familiar with all the great works of both the past and modern bardes. He had a brilliant mind. He had a remarkable grasp of history, past and present, and could, after learning one's name, trace back in one's ancestors from memory.

He was considered much improved Saturday and hopes for his recoved were held by his family. Directly after noon, however, he began to sink fast. He was conscious to the last. All his relatives in the city were at his bedside when the end came. Two of his sons, Watson and E.P. Jr. and daughter Ruth, were at his bedside. One son Berwick, and a daughter, Mrs. Snearly were not here, on account of illness.

Impressive funeral services for the aged citizen were held at the family residence at 10:30 a.m. Monday. A large concourse of friends and relatives attended. The floral offerings were many and beautiful.