To honor the memory of Revolutionary Partisan Gen. Andrew Pickens, the Pickens County Historical Society placed a magnolia wreath at his statue in the military garden at the Pickens County Courthouse recently. Sept. 13 was the 278th anniversary of his birth. The ceremonial colors presented, known as the Grand Old Union or the Continental Colors, was the first flag of the fledging nation from 1775 until mid-1777 and included the British flag in its canton. Society members pictured at the event, from left, are president Ken Nabors, president emeritus Una Welborn, senior vice president Wayne Kelley, State Rep. Davey Hiott, Easley vice president Nancy Pace, Liberty vice president Hayne Meyerson and Hagood Mill volunteer Vicki Crawford. Brigadier Gen. Andrew Pickens, called the “Fighting Elder” by his troops and the “Wizard Owl” by the Cherokee people, was a primary force in turning the tide of British control in the southern colonies. His decisive efforts as an upcountry warrior drove Gen. Cornwallis to Yorktown, Va., where the revolutionary dispute was ultimately decided. Andrew Pickens loved upper South Carolina and was a fearless and highly regarded exemplar of leadership. He earned the lifelong respect of his fellow officers, the national leadership, his militiamen and, importantly, the Native Americans of this region.