Nathaniel G. S. Hart
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart (c. 1784 – January 23, 1813), often Nathaniel G. S. Hart was a prominent Kentucky lawyer,, brother-in-law to Henry Clay
and to Senator
James Brown of Louisiana
. Hart was the Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry during the War of 1812
and died along with most of his men in the River Raisin Massacre. The phrase "Remember the Raisin!" was a rallying-cry for the Americans throughout the duration of the War.
Hart was one of seven children, the second son of Colonel Thomas Hart, a veteran of the Revolutionary War
, and his wife Susanna Gray Hart. The family was originally from North Carolina
, moved to Hagerstown, Maryland
, and then settled in Lexington, Kentucky
, in 1794. His four sisters married men of some renown – Ann married the U.S. Senator and diplomat James Brown, Eliza married the surgeon Dr. Richard Pindell, Susanna married the lawyer Samuel Price and Lucretia married Henry Clay.
Hart studied law with Clay and had a law practice. He also was a successful businessman, a ropewalk (hemp rope factory) in Lexington being among his ventures. In April 1809, he married Anna Edward Gist, the stepdaughter of General Charles Scott, governor of Kentucky
, and daughter of Judith Cary Gist Scott, widow of General Nathaniel Gist. Hart and Anna had two sons, Thomas Hart Jr. and Henry Clay Hart. On January 7, 1812, Hart duel
led with Samuel E. Watson at Shirt Tail Bend, a location on the Indiana
side of the Ohio River
at Silver Creek, the same place that Clay had duelled with Humphrey Marshall in 1809.
, Hart was Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry Company (aka "The Silk Stocking Boys"), a volunteer unit of the Fayette County, Kentucky
militia. He later served as either a Deputy Inspector or Inspector General of William Henry Harrison
's Army of the Northwest
Henry Clay (The papers of Henry Clay, Volume 1, Page 19) refers to Hart's rank as "Inspector General of the N.W.[Northwestern] Army."
Hart's command was attached to the Fifth Regiment of the Kentucky Volunteer Militia and left for the Northwest in August 1812, where it became part of Army of the Northwest under General James Winchester
. In January 1813, a detachment was sent to the defense of Frenchtown, Michigan. Its residents had sent word to the Americans asking for relief from an occupying force of the British and their Native American allies.
The American forces under Lt. Colonel William Lewis were initially successful in forcing the retreat of the small British force stationed there during the First Battle of Frenchtown on January 18, 1813. The British commander of the Fort Malden garrison, Colonel Henry Procter, made plans to take back the area. On the morning of January 22, 1813, Procter's forces attacked the American troops and overwhelmed the right flank of regulars under Winchester, forcing him and much of the general staff to surrender. The Kentucky militia under the command of Major George Madison
on the left flank fought on and thought the flag of truce presented by the enemy was actually a British flag of surrender.
During this second Battle of Frenchtown
, Hart was wounded and was among the survivors who surrendered to Procter upon orders of Winchester. He was promised safe-passage by Captain William Elliott,
According to Pierre Berton's War of 1812 (Page 406), Elliott was half Shawnee and was raised among Native Americans.
. The killing of Hart along with the deaths of the other unarmed wounded prisoners became known as the River Raisin Massacre.
The gruesome deaths of Hart and of his fellow soldiers during the Battle of Frenchtown and the subsequent Massacre became fuel for the War-Hawk political factions, for the pro-war and anti-British sentiment of the era. The phrase "Remember the Raisin!" entered the lexicon of the day as a flashpoint for popular sentiment, becoming a battle cry for American troops, especially the ones on the Western frontier. That many of the murdered men were well-known and well-connected members of Kentucky's elite increased the public-outcry. Among the dead was Colonel John Allen
, Henry Clay's law-partner and co-counsel in Aaron Burr
's conspiracy trial at Frankfort
. Hart's death is even remembered in modern times as "The Murder of Captain Hart."
to Detroit. Isaac Baker, an American ensign who survived the Massacre, stated in a report to Judge Woodward in Detroit that:
In 1834, the box containing the comingled mass remains (including the universally tomahawk
ed skulls), were moved from their former Detroit resting-place and re-interred in Detroit's City Cemetery. These remains are asserted to have received final burial in the State Cemetery of Frankfort, Kentucky
. As late as 1849, a mass grave was excavated during road construction in Monroe. Some writers state that those skeletons, along with the City Cemetery remains, were then returned to Kentucky for final and proper burial that year.According to Clift's Remember the Raisin! (Page xii) "Kentucky historians have written that these dead now rest in the state lots at Frankfort Cemetery. ... In the light of present day research, little has been found to substantiate these statements." but other experts' investigations have placed doubt upon these various accounts.
Matthew Harris Jouett
, a man who painted famous portraits of Thomas Jefferson
, George Rogers Clark
and Lafayette, was one of the Kentucky volunteers and among the survivors of the River Raisin Massacre. The company payroll of $6000 disappeared during the slaughter and Jouett took it upon himself to restore the missing funds, using his skill as a painter to do so. He also painted portraits of his fellow soldiers, including Hart and Colonel Allen, from memory.
The state of Kentucky
named its 61st county Hart County, Kentucky
in Nathaniel Hart's honor in 1819. In 1904 residents of Monroe, Michigan, erected a monument to the Kentuckians who died defending their settlement during the various River Raisin engagement, the area being where some unidentified victims were buried.
The misnomer apparently dates to a mistake in Historical Sketches of Kentucky, either the Richard Collins edition (published in 1874) or the original edition (published in 1848 by Lewis Collins).
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
and to Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
James Brown of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Hart was the Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and died along with most of his men in the River Raisin Massacre. The phrase "Remember the Raisin!" was a rallying-cry for the Americans throughout the duration of the War.
Personal life
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and his wife Susanna Gray Hart. The family was originally from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, moved to Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
, and then settled in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, in 1794. His four sisters married men of some renown – Ann married the U.S. Senator and diplomat James Brown, Eliza married the surgeon Dr. Richard Pindell, Susanna married the lawyer Samuel Price and Lucretia married Henry Clay.
Hart studied law with Clay and had a law practice. He also was a successful businessman, a ropewalk (hemp rope factory) in Lexington being among his ventures. In April 1809, he married Anna Edward Gist, the stepdaughter of General Charles Scott, governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
, and daughter of Judith Cary Gist Scott, widow of General Nathaniel Gist. Hart and Anna had two sons, Thomas Hart Jr. and Henry Clay Hart. On January 7, 1812, Hart duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
led with Samuel E. Watson at Shirt Tail Bend, a location on the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
side of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Silver Creek, the same place that Clay had duelled with Humphrey Marshall in 1809.
Military service and death
At the start of the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Hart was Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry Company (aka "The Silk Stocking Boys"), a volunteer unit of the Fayette County, Kentucky
Fayette County, Kentucky
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 295,083 in the 2010 Census. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
militia. He later served as either a Deputy Inspector or Inspector General of William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
's Army of the Northwest
Army of the Northwest (United States)
The Army of the Northwest was a U.S. Army unit formed at the outset of the War of 1812 and charged with control of the state of Ohio, the Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory and Illinois Territory.- Campaigns :...
Henry Clay (The papers of Henry Clay, Volume 1, Page 19) refers to Hart's rank as "Inspector General of the N.W.[Northwestern] Army."
Hart's command was attached to the Fifth Regiment of the Kentucky Volunteer Militia and left for the Northwest in August 1812, where it became part of Army of the Northwest under General James Winchester
James Winchester
James Winchester was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He commanded the American forces at the Battle of Frenchtown, which led to the Massacre of the River Raisin....
. In January 1813, a detachment was sent to the defense of Frenchtown, Michigan. Its residents had sent word to the Americans asking for relief from an occupying force of the British and their Native American allies.
The American forces under Lt. Colonel William Lewis were initially successful in forcing the retreat of the small British force stationed there during the First Battle of Frenchtown on January 18, 1813. The British commander of the Fort Malden garrison, Colonel Henry Procter, made plans to take back the area. On the morning of January 22, 1813, Procter's forces attacked the American troops and overwhelmed the right flank of regulars under Winchester, forcing him and much of the general staff to surrender. The Kentucky militia under the command of Major George Madison
George Madison
George Madison was the sixth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first governor of Kentucky to die in office, serving only a few weeks in 1816. Little is known of Madison's early life. He was a member of the influential Madison family of Virginia, and was a second cousin to President James Madison...
on the left flank fought on and thought the flag of truce presented by the enemy was actually a British flag of surrender.
During this second Battle of Frenchtown
Battle of Frenchtown
The Battle of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin or the River Raisin Massacre, was a series of conflicts that took place from January 18–23, 1813 during the War of 1812...
, Hart was wounded and was among the survivors who surrendered to Procter upon orders of Winchester. He was promised safe-passage by Captain William Elliott,
According to Pierre Berton's War of 1812 (Page 406), Elliott was half Shawnee and was raised among Native Americans.
- "He tried to explain that it is impossible to restrain the Indians and (...) that they are simply seeking revenge for their own losses."(of Tippecanoe and Mississinewa)
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
. The killing of Hart along with the deaths of the other unarmed wounded prisoners became known as the River Raisin Massacre.
The gruesome deaths of Hart and of his fellow soldiers during the Battle of Frenchtown and the subsequent Massacre became fuel for the War-Hawk political factions, for the pro-war and anti-British sentiment of the era. The phrase "Remember the Raisin!" entered the lexicon of the day as a flashpoint for popular sentiment, becoming a battle cry for American troops, especially the ones on the Western frontier. That many of the murdered men were well-known and well-connected members of Kentucky's elite increased the public-outcry. Among the dead was Colonel John Allen
John Allen (soldier)
John Allen was a United States politician and army officer who was killed in the War of 1812.Allen was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and moved with his father to Kentucky in 1779. He went to school in Bardstown, Kentucky and studied law in Staunton, Virginia. He then returned to Kentucky...
, Henry Clay's law-partner and co-counsel in Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
's conspiracy trial at Frankfort
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
. Hart's death is even remembered in modern times as "The Murder of Captain Hart."
Aftermath of Hart's death and memorials
Owing to the wholesale nature of the slaughter, the Americans who did survive at the time were not able to give the bodies of their fallen comrades a proper burial as they were either prisoners or escapees; the bones were not interred until months later. In 1818, the remains were transferred from Monroe, MichiganMonroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
to Detroit. Isaac Baker, an American ensign who survived the Massacre, stated in a report to Judge Woodward in Detroit that:
- The dead of our army are still denied the rites of sepulture. ... I was told the hogs were eating them. A gentleman told me he had seen them running about with skulls, arms, legs and other parts of the human system in their mouths. The French people on the Raisin buried Captains Hart, Woolfolk, and some others, but it was more than their lives were worth to have been caught paying this last customed tribute to mortality."
In 1834, the box containing the comingled mass remains (including the universally tomahawk
Tomahawk
Tomahawk usually refers to:* Tomahawk , a type of axe made and used by Native Americans* Tomahawk , a cruise missile built in the United StatesIt may also mean:- Military and transportation :...
ed skulls), were moved from their former Detroit resting-place and re-interred in Detroit's City Cemetery. These remains are asserted to have received final burial in the State Cemetery of Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort Cemetery
The Frankfort Cemetery is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors.-History:...
. As late as 1849, a mass grave was excavated during road construction in Monroe. Some writers state that those skeletons, along with the City Cemetery remains, were then returned to Kentucky for final and proper burial that year.According to Clift's Remember the Raisin! (Page xii) "Kentucky historians have written that these dead now rest in the state lots at Frankfort Cemetery. ... In the light of present day research, little has been found to substantiate these statements." but other experts' investigations have placed doubt upon these various accounts.
Matthew Harris Jouett
Matthew Harris Jouett
Matthew Harris Jouett was an American portrait painter.Jouett was the son of Sallie Robards and Jack Jouett, a hero of the American Revolution. The elder Jouett sent his son to Transylvania University and encouraged him to study law, but Matthew spent much of his time painting...
, a man who painted famous portraits of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
and Lafayette, was one of the Kentucky volunteers and among the survivors of the River Raisin Massacre. The company payroll of $6000 disappeared during the slaughter and Jouett took it upon himself to restore the missing funds, using his skill as a painter to do so. He also painted portraits of his fellow soldiers, including Hart and Colonel Allen, from memory.
The state of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
named its 61st county Hart County, Kentucky
Hart County, Kentucky
Hart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...
in Nathaniel Hart's honor in 1819. In 1904 residents of Monroe, Michigan, erected a monument to the Kentuckians who died defending their settlement during the various River Raisin engagement, the area being where some unidentified victims were buried.
Name
Although some sources list Hart's name as "Nathaniel G. T. Hart," this is incorrect according to Kleber and to the Heidlers Encyclopedia. Hart is also referred to in court documents dating from before his death as "Nathaniel G. S. Hart."The misnomer apparently dates to a mistake in Historical Sketches of Kentucky, either the Richard Collins edition (published in 1874) or the original edition (published in 1848 by Lewis Collins).