The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-07-18
COUNCIL BLUFFS, SATURDAY, JULY IS, 1857

JULY lo, lO0l
assistance. The poor coward, fll6 with
new alarm, for be well knew With whom be
had TO deal, assisted her, and she soon fred
. charge upon the enemy, and thus caused
/ hasty retreat.
| At snother time, when the British were
at Augusta, it became very important to
Col. Clark, the American commander, to
1 ascertain the intentions of the enemy
Nancy volunteered for the service, assumed
the garments Of man, and went openly
into the enemy's camp. Acting the part Of
crazy nan, she eluded all suspicion, OBJ
tainsd the desired information, and speedily
returned with it to the American camp.
But We come now to the great act Of this
ing her humble life and rough character
| Ii appears that on one occasion company
of Eve Tories, that were scouting the coun-
try, suddenly entered the cabin of Nancy
Hart. Her only greeting was scowl Of
defiance; but in this instance it seemed rath-
er impotent. The suddenness of their de-
scent had completely surprised her. They
charged her with completely in the escape
of noted rebel, who had been pursued by
the kings troops, and would have been hung
if taken. With a defiant and exulting air,
she confessed that she was the means Of his
escape. She SAID that when she saw him
coming, she let down the bars few steps
from her cabin, and motioned him to enter
and pass directly through her house; and
then take himself to the swamp, and secure
himself as well as he could. She had hard
ly accomplished this, when the pursuing to-
ries rode up and called out to her in a most
boisterous manner. Mufling up her head
and face, she opened the door and inquired
why they disturbed sick, lone woman
They inquired if a man had passed on horse
back. She replied ho, but she had seen a
man on sorrel horse turn out of the path
into the woods, some two or three hundred
yards back.
"That must be the iellow,' said the To-
ries, and they were instantly of in the pur-
suit.
swell fooled" she continued, sthey went
in an opposite direction to that of my Wing
boy; when if they had not been so lofty
minded, but had looked on the ground in
side the bars, they would have seen his
horse tracks up to that door, (pointing to
the from. door of the cabin, as plain as
you can now see the horses tracks on this
very floor, and out of the door down the
path to the swamp.
As might be supposed, the tories were
much incensed at the narration; and night
have proceeded at once to acts Of violence,
but they determined that she should first
provide for them meal. They therefore
ordered her to get them some dinner. Un-
daunted in spirit she replied, 81 never feed
kings men if can help it; and the Williams
have put it out of my power to feed even
my own family and friends, by stealing and
killing all my poultry and pigs, except that
one old gobbler you see in the yard" "We'l
take the goldberg said one Of the party,
and raising his gun shot it dead. Nancy
raved and swore for time, but they gave
her to understand that the same fate to her.
self was the alternative. Upon this she ap-
parently cooled down her passion, and dress
ed and cooked the slaughtered gobbler, ac
companying it with some hasty noecake and
fresh honey comb. While their meal was
in preparation, the marauders RECALLED them
selves with hearty draughts from their
whisky bottle; and became somewhat jovial.
When their dinner was ready, they simulta-
neousl y stacked their guns at the door, and
sat down to eat. The back door had been
previously closed, so that escape was cut off
in that direction. The .'war-w oman's"
skill in strategy and courage now appeared.
Passing to the door as in course of service,
she suddenly turned, and the first thing the
alarmed Tories saw, was one of their own
guns pointed into their midst. With tre
mendOus cath, she declared that she would
blow out the brains of the first one that
moved. This did not prevent a sort of
spasmodc movement, when crack went the
rifle, and one of their companions was well
tering in his gore. Quicker than thought
another was pointed in the same direction;
and another of the robbers falls wounded to
the floor. Her little daughter was now by
he~ side holding third rite ready for use.
The three remaining men each shrank back
in the full belief that the cross eyes of the
fierce Amazonian were fixed upon himself.
The decisive point was gained.
GEO." sand she to her little son, "and
tell your father and the men that have
TAX IN five robbing Tories, and want them to
come" In short time the men were seen
coming in from the field. More restless
grew the imperiled Tories but neither one
of them dared to move, SO certain was each
that the glaring eyes of their captor was
fixed upon himself. They proposed to sur
render, and to shake hands as ratifying their
surrender, but the Willy woman was not to
be SO fooled. The deadly rifle was steady in
its aim. Her husband and his companions
soon arrived, and prepared to shoot down
the prisoners. Would that some CLEAN Of
noble instructive humanity had now shot
forth to crown the daring act Of the heroic
woman! But such was not the temper Of
the times. The war-like spirit was up to
burning heat. She declared that the pris-
oners had surrendered to her, and that
shooting was to good for them. This was
enough. The three living men were seized
and dragged out by the way-side. where
they were hung to the branch of tree.
As late as 1888 the place of this tragedy
was pointed out to the traveller. The cabin
occupied by the Hsrts had been remov ed
but the tree on which the three Tories were
hung was still standing.
After the war Of the Revolution had ceas-
ed and the independence of the country was
gained, population began to fow into that
region; game and bees were decreasing;
and the country "gettng old' so fast that
Nancy Hart could stand it no longer. Ac-
cordingly in spite of the remonstrances of
her husband, she sold their possessions,
''pulled up their stakes,'' and departed for
''the wilds of the west" where there was
"more room.'
Where, OR when she ended her days is
not known. If we mistake not, county in
the State bears the name Of Hart, and the
county seat that of Nancyville, in honor
Of this heroine of the Revolution.
THE KNIGHTS TEMPARLS.
The Boston Traveller having alluded, in
very complimentary manner, to the par
ticipation OF the various Masonic bodies in
the ceremonies in memory Of their brother
Gen. Warren, Knight Templar furnishes
that paper with brief history of the order
on the ground that Free. Masonry, bowing
to the utiltarian spirit of the age, cheer
fully opens its historical treasures to every
inquirer-as follows:
''The Knights TsmpIars is an order that
originated in Ills, with nine valiant and
pious Knights. eminent among the earliest
crusaders for their devotion to the cause in
which the Christian world had embarked
the rescue of Judea, and especially the Holy
City, from the Saracens.
The ostensible object for the formation