The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-03-11
3onu 9istOrp.
From the Lady's Book.
From the Lady's Book.
SUSANVAH SMART,
A NORTH CAROLINA woNAN OF
THE REVOLUTION.

nous for its battles, the spirit OF its Pc 'pIe,
! the prOweSs ofits heroes. and the noble dar-
ing of its women, during the Revolutionary
struggle, has many records OF herOism writ
! ten in the hearts of the inhabitants, which
have never been made public. The histo-
rv of the Scottish Presbyterians of the
whole Catawba region, will be remembered
with thrilling interest, and told TO youthful
generations as an example both political
and religious, as long as the principles OF
true republcanism and the love of liberty
shall reign in the land. One of these home
pictures which have found no place in the
great gallery of history, | shall offer to the
reader. The subject was living III 1851,
ninety years of age, keeping house by her
self, and entertaining travellers; having
twenty or thirty negroes under her charge,
and Dispensing with the services of an
Oversccr. The intelligent gentleman who
furnished the details OF this skctch-D. @.
Stinson, Esq.-said her servants were bet
ter trained than any he ever saw, and APP
pcarcd perfectly happy. as did their indul-
| gent and venerable mistress. The late
Colonel Dickinson was a relative of Mrs.
Smart, and visited her shortly before his
departure for Mexico.
The maternal grandfather of our hero
inc, Thomas Spratt, was of Irish extraction,
!
| lcnburg County being the first settler who
ever crossed the Yadkin in carriage, for
| such luxuries were unknown in those log
cabin days. The first court corencd IN the
county was held in his dwelling. He had
| two sons who fell i'll battle, and six daugh-
tiers, one Of whom was the wife of Colonel
! Thomas \ ell, who commanded in the cam
| paign of l116 against the CherOkcCs, and
was noted for his bravery and services
Another daughter married Colonel Thomas
! Polk, who, with his son William, served
! with distinction under the immediate COM
mand of Washington, and was, besides, cell
| cbratcd for his efforts in the cause of public
| education. TO him Mecklenburg was in
| debted for the establishment of Queens
! Museum, or Liberty Hall. Ann Spratt,
| another daughter, was the mother of the
! subject of this memoir. She married John
| Barnett, who also cmigrated from Ireland.
Mary, their eldest daughter, was said to be
! the first child born between the Yadkin and
! Catawba Rivers. She married Capt james
Jack, the bearer Of the Mecklenburg De
claration of Independence to the Continen-
tai Congress. Mr.. Wylie, of Charleston,
| is one of her descendants.
| Susannah Barnett was born in 1861. As
| her family and connections were cOnspicu-
| ously active in the Revolutionary war, her
| earliest reCOIlectiOns were Of its stirring
events. She was present at the great gath
| cring of the people at Charlotte, on the 10Th
and goth of May, 1775. The provincial
! convention of North Carolina had assembled
} at Newbcrn, in opposition to the prOcIama-
! ton of Governor Martin, and had approved
! of the acts of their representatives in the
| Continental Congress of the united colonies
| On the 18th May, hand5ills were brought
| by express, containing news of the battle of
| Lexington. which had taken place exactly a
month before. These were read to the vast
asscmblage, and filled all with enthusiasm.
! Then there was no sectional feeling; but
! the same sentiment pervaded the masses
/ north and south. An attack on the liber-
| ties of Massachusetts was viewed as an at
| tack upon Carolina. it was glorious day
! for old Mecklenburg and often described
! by Mrs Smart ''thG day of throwing up
/ of hats" The love of country and liberty
/ fired the hearts of all classes. The brother
/ of Susannah, William Barnett, though but
/ a lad, was bent on joining the PATRIOTS
! He persuaded an old negro, Derry, to hide
! his clothes in the woods, and swinging him
| self from the window by a rope, one night,
! he went to Charlotte, volunteered, and did
excellent service in the snow campaign OF
| I776.
In 1880, in that darkest period of the
! Revolution for the Carolinas, when. after
/ the fall of Charleston, British military grov-
ernmcnt prevailed everywhere, the state
/ in the language of General Greene-.cut
off from the Union like the tail of a snake. :"
/ the inhabitants forced to take protection or
flee the country. Susannah. with the rest of
her family, gave all possible help to the re-
furccs. She was accustomed to saw. in afto,
life: s.Oh, how we love the pconic Of Fish
ing Creek, Chester District, Is. -CD They
suffered so much. AMI ncriIled evervthinG
rather than receive British protection. 7
saw the Rev. John Simpson. Of Fishino
Creek, with these very ewes, assist my
mother in serving and makinr m new meal
bags, in June, 1850: while the refugees Of
South Carolina wcro COLLECTING and f9rmino
their camp below, at CIen's Branch.
One dav. a dusty, travel-wcarv party of
fueitivcs arrived at the large threc-storv
log house occupied by John Barnett. and
craved hospitaIitv: il was General sumter