The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-07-30
NANCY HART KILLED TORIES.
BILL ARP TELLS ABOUT TT.
He Knows Some of Her Re1a.
tives Who Have the True
Grit

He Knows Some of Her Re1a
tives Who Have the Tru
Grit.
Atlanta Constitution.
A few months ago some doubtip
correspondents limited that the stor
of Nancy Hart was probably an exae
gerated romance or o handed dow
tradition or maybe a myth. 1t is for
tunate that the doubt was published. fo
it awakened and aroused the good oil,
people of Elbert and Hart countie
and brought to light facts and record
concerning the old lady that Nigh
have passed into oblivion, That til,
story of her heroism is true is nov
established as clearly as it was wner
Hart County was cut off from Elbei
and named for her, the only county in
Georgia that was named for woman
While this newspaper controversy was
going on down in Georgia there was O
great strapping Virginian named Tom
Lee, 6 1-2 feet high and large in pro-
portion, operating the passenger de.
partment of the Lackawanna railroad.
He is the great-grand-son of Nancy
| Hart, descended from her in a bee line
line through honorable Virginia ances-
tors. He knew nothing of this con-
trOversy concerning his maternal an.
cestor, and said recently when speak
ing of her that it was the sorrow of his
life that he was not personally ac-
quainted with her.
Tom Lee is a great favorite among
the railroad officials. Very recently
he wished to try the work and speed
of new monster locomotive and in
vited the presidents and superinten-
dents of several railroads and forty
three editors and newspaper men to
go with him on special TO Pocona
mountains and back again. On the
northern roads the superintendent now
have an indicator or Dutch clock in
their private car that registers the
speed. What do you want 2" said
Tom Lee. Z" Well, about 20 miles,n
said the editor. The speed was then
So miles an hour, but quickly the clock
registered Sc, 81, 5S, 60, G5, 70, where
1T remained for several minutes while
the engineer was holding her down to
an even, steady pace. A glassful of
water on the floor would not have
spilled drop. Tom Lee said: "I
would have given you 80 if you had
asked for it," After while they stop
ped at the Swiftwater house, whore
Washington and Lafayette played cro-
quot after the war was over and where
Joe Jefferson spends his summers.
Tom Lee knows his lineage and that
his parents were Virginians and nearly
related to the Harts, for whom Thomas
Hart Benton was named.
For the sake Of many children who
have never heard the story, 1 will
briefly relate that during the dark DAYS
of the Revolution five tories came to
her cabin and ordered her to get din
ner for them. She did 80 and while
they were eating and drinking and
their guns were set up in the corner of
the room she quietly took them out
side, and standing at the door with one
in her hand she drew aim on the leader
and ordered them to surrender or die.
One man started toward her and she
shot him dead and seized another gun
and shot another who had risen from
the table. With another gun she kept
the others quiet until some neghbors
cameHand they were taken prisoners.
No doubt this isa true story and man
had better not move to Ebert or Hart
county and express any doubts about
it. / have been there and know. Some
years ago l lectured in Hartwell and
from there jouneyed to Elberton in
buggy with preacher. We got late
start and the preachers horse wanted
to slow up at every house where there
was woman in sight, anu when we
got to the river the ferryman was away
and we had to wait an hour for him to
come back. So it was dark when we
reached Elberton. The court house
was lighted up and seemed full of peo.
pie, and the boys were rapping and
calling for CARP" "Bill Arp" The
preacher unloaded me near by and told
me to go up stairs and open the ball
while he went home to put up his
horse. AS 1 hurried in the door the
doorkeeper stopped me and said:
I" Hold on, my friend, you haven't
paid" l modestly told him that was
the speaker. Oh, yes," said he.
/" May be you are and maybe you amt.
Several other men have tried to pass
on that schedule. reckon you had
better pay" So / paid half dolav
to go in and hear myself talk, but /
got half of il back when we divided
proceeds.
Now, l don't know that Nancy
could read or write, but she could
shoot and in war times that is better.
At any rate Georgians are proud of her,
and her great-grandson, Tom Lee, has
never tarnished the name or fame Of
the family. When John Randolph
boasied of his ancestral blood, Tristan
Burgess, of Rhode Island, his bitter
enemy, rose up to say that good con-
duct in posterity was of more conse-
quence than good blood in ancestors.
have great respect" said he, 4" for
the gentleman's English blood and
his Indian blood, but he should remem-
Der that he is removed from them by
several generations and that only one
sixty-fourth part of Lord Rolte or Poca-
hoRtas blood flows in his veins. That
IS not much to boast of. The rest is
widely scattered, diluted and degene-
rated" Burgess and Randolph had
many spats like that, but they never
came to blows.
There never was time in the South
land when so much eager interest was
manifested in tracing up ancestry
lineage. receive letters almost daily
from good people, from Carolina To
/ Texaa aakinu for he1n tn tracn I'M ond