Nathaniel G. S. Hart
| Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart also Nathaniel G. S. Hart |
|
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1784 Hagerstown, Maryland |
| Died | January 23, 1813 (aged 29) Michigan |
| Buried at |
Detroit, Michigan (originally) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Years of service | 1812–13 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Lexington Light Infantry |
| Commands held |
Lexington Light Infantry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations | Lucretia Hart Clay, Henry Clay |
Detroit, Michigan (originally)
Lexington Light Infantry
Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart (c. 1784 – January 23, 1813), often Nathaniel G. S. Hart, was a Lexington, Kentucky lawyer and businessman, who served with the state's volunteer militia during the War of 1812. As Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry from Kentucky, Hart and many of his men were killed in the River Raisin Massacre of January 23, 1813, after being taken prisoner the day before following the Battle of Frenchtown in Michigan Territory.
Hart was especially well-connected politically and socially. In addition to reading law with Henry Clay, Hart's wife Anna and Clay's wife Lucretia were sisters. Hart's wife Anna Edward Gist was the stepdaughter of Charles Scott, Governor of Kentucky and through her Hart was also a brother-in-law to James Brown, a future Ambassador to France and to James Pindell - a member of the Society of Cincinnati. Many other members of Hart's Kentucky militia unit and its associated troops also came from the elite of Lexington and of the state. The men's deaths in the two Battles of Frenchtown, but especially in the subsequent Massacre captured state and national attention. The phrase "Remember the Raisin!" became an American call to arms for the duration of the War.
Nathaniel 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.
Originally from North Carolina, the family had moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, where Nathaniel was born. In 1794 they settled in Lexington, Kentucky as part of the postwar migration west. His father was a highly successful businessman, achieving wealth. Hart's four sisters married men who achieved some renown: Ann married the future US Senator James Brown (who subsequently served as Minister to France); Eliza married the surgeon Dr. Richard Pindell (a member of the Society of the Cincinnati); Susanna married the lawyer Samuel Price, and Lucretia married Henry Clay, future US Senator and Secretary of State.
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Wikipedia