Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-07-26
From The TorkviRe Is. e. Pioneer.
NANCY HART.

miles above the ford on Broad River,
10 Albert county, Georgia. An apple
orchard still remains to point out the
spot.
In altitude, Mrs. Hart was almost
Patagonian, aud remarkably well
lmbed and muscular-In a word,
she was lofty and souri, marked by
nature with prominent features, cir.
cumstances and accident added per.
haps not a little to her peculiarties. -
She was horribly cross.eyed as well
as cross grained but nevertheless, she
was a sharp shooter. Nothing vas
more common than 10 see her in full
pursuit of the bounding stag-the hugh
%antlers that hung round her cabin, or
upheld her trusty gun, gave proof OF
ner skill in gunnery; and the white
comb drained Of its honey and hung
up for ornament, testified her powers
in bee hunting. Many can testify TO her
magical art 10 the mszes of cookery,
being able to ges up u pumpkin into as
many forms as there are days IN the
week; she was extensively known
aud employed for her profound knowl
edge in the management OF all all
ments.
But she was most remarkable for
her military feats. She possessed high
toned ideas of liberty, not even the
marriage knot could restrain her on
that subject; like the wife OF Bath
she received over her tongue. scourged
husband
The reins of absolute command,
With all the government of house and land,
And empire DER his tongue and Der his hand
The clouds Of war gathered and
burst with a dreadful explosion in this
state. Nancy's spirit rose 18th the
tempest; she declared herself a friend
TO her country, ready so do or die
All accused of whigism had to hide
or swing-the lily liyered Mr.. Hart
was not the last to seek safety, in the
canebrake with his neighbors; they
kept up a proving, skulking kind of
life, occasionally .saIIying forth in a
kind of predatory style. The tories
at length determined to beat The brake
for them. They however. concluded
to give Mrs. Hart a call. and in a true
soldier manner ordered a repast. Nan
cy soon had the necessary materials
for a goodfeast spread before them; the
smoking venison, the hasty hoecakc,
and the fresh honey comb, e sulli.
cientto provokeths appetite ola gorged
epicure! They simultaneously stacked
their arms and seated themselves.
when, quick as thought, the dauntless
Nancy seized one of the guns, cooked
it, and with a blazing oath declared
she'd blow out the brains of the first
mortal that offered to rise or taste a
mouthful. They all knew her charac.
ter too we'll to imagine that she would
say one thing and do another.
Co. said she to one Of her sons,
'and tell the wings that ! have taken
six base tories They sat still, each
expected to be offered up, with dog
| gedly mean co%nntenances, bearing the
marks of disappointed revenge, shame
and unappeased hunger. Whether the
incongruity between Nancy's eyes
caused each to imagine himself her i'm
mediate object, or whether her com
manding attitude, stern and ferocious
fixture OF c~ountenence, overawed them,
or the powerful idea Of their nnsoldier
like conduct, unnerved them, or the
certainty Of death; it is not easy to de
sermine. They were oon relieved
and dealt with according to the rules
OF the times. This heroine lived TO
see Der country free: she however,
found game and bees decreasing, and
the country becoming old so fast, that
she sold out her possessions in spite Of
the remonstrances of her husband, and
was among the first Of the pioneers
who paved the way to the wilds of the
west. -
Anecdote Some years after the
close of the Revolutionary war, a sol
diei by the name of Phlneas Osgood,
generally known by the nam of The
old Ffeethinkcr,' was at a publichouse
in BllIerlca, Mass. in company with a
man by the name of Dandy, who
was abusing almost every public man
IN the country. 1t was Osgood's Gus
tom not TO quarrel with any man ex
cept he abused Washington, but in