I am looking for information on a man named NATHANIEL S. G. (or G.S.) HART. He died in January 1813, serving his
country during the War of 1812 at the Battle of Frenchtown, on Raisin River, in Michigan (I believe). He was a Capt. of the 11th Lexington Light Infantry.

Transcribed from History of Lexington Kentucky
Its Early Annals and Recent Progress
By George W. Ranck
Publ: Cincinnati, Robert Clarke & Co, 1872

Pg. 155-161


"The Lexington Light Infantry was one of the first companies to volunteer in the war of 1812, it having organized for the campaign on the 11th of May of that year, with N. S. G. Hart as captain. The "silk-stocking boys", as the members of the company were then often called, were attached to the Fifth Regiment of Kentucky Volunteer Militia, commanded by Colonel William Lewis, and marched for the Northwestern army in August, 1812..... "
......."The glorious share which the "Old Infantry" had in the terrible battle and sickening massacre at Frenchtown, on the river Raisin, in this campaign, is told in our chapter on the year 1812. At that river of death, the heroic band lost half its members in killed, wounded, and prisoners; the brilliancy of their uniform causing the men to be readily picked off by the enemy. The gallant captain of the company, who was wounded and disabled in the battle, was barbarously murdered by the savages after having trusted himself to the protection of his pretended friend, Captain Elliott, of the British army, who infamously abandoned him to the mercy of the Indians........"
........"A few names of the killed of this company have been preserved, viz: N. S. G. Hart, Charles Searles, J. E. Blythe (son of President Blythe, of Transylvania University), Jesse Cock, Alexander Crawford, Samuel Elder, William Davis, Jesse Riley, Armston Stewart, George Shindlebower, Samuel Cox, and Charles Bradford......."
........"From the year 1789 to the present time, the Lexington Light Infantry has been commanded by the following captains, viz: General James Wilkinson, 1789; James Hughes and Samuel Weisiger, 1791; Cornelius Beatty, 1793; John Postlethwaite, 1797; Thomas Bodley, 1803; N. S. G. Hart, 1811-12; and since the last date by Daniel Bradford, J. G. Trotter, Adam Beatty, William Logan, Levi L. Todd, Robert Megowan, Richard Parker, G. L. Postlethwaite, T. P. Hart, Thomas Smith, R. Morrison, John M. McCalla, Lawrence Daly, James O. Harrison, T. Monks, T. W. Lowry, W. Allison, Lewis Barbee, F. G. West, Joseph Hoppy, G. L. Postlethwaite, J. B. Clay, C. M. Clay, S. D. McCullough, S. W. Price."

He was recorded on the 1810 census of Fayette Co., KY., as Nathaniel G. S. Hart, on page # 11. His age was given as of 16 and under 26. He had a wife of a similar age (16-26) and they had a girl who was listed here as a female who was under the age of 10 and a boy who was of 10 and under 16 years of age (not their son apparently). Other HART families who lived in Fayette Co., KY., in 1810 were an Elenor Hart (16-26) who had a number of older men in her home (1 of whom was over 45, two were 26-45), and a John HART (age 16-26), a MICHAEL HART (over 45 years of age), and Susanna Hart
(16-26). It would seem initially likely that this Michael Hart may have been the father of Nathaniel, yet they were recorded as living very far apart on this census (page # 11 vs. page # 54)

I can find no marriage record for this Nathaniel Hart, so I have no idea who his wife was. However, I suspect that he was a relative of Thomas Hart. A Biography of Thomas Hart can be located in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography edited by William S. Powell, Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1988. He was born ca. 1730-23 and he died June 1808. Thomas Hart was a merchant, public official, and militia officer, and he was the son of Thomas and Susannah Rice Hart. Thomas Hart III was born in Hanover County, Va., on a plantation settled in 1690 by his English-born grandfather, also named Thomas. John, Benjamin, David, and Nathaniel were Thomas Hart III's brothers, and Ann his only sister. The family moved to Orange County, N.C., in 1755 after their father died. Thomas Hart III's brother, Nathaniel Hart, was killed by Indians in 1782.

Does anyone who reads this Hart message board have ANY information on this line of the Hart family?

I am told that one of my gr, gr, gr, great grandfathers, a man who went by the name of Joshua KING, was a son of this
Nathaniel G.S. (or S.G.) Hart. The family legend that was told by Joshua himself was that he was born as a HART and that his parents died when he was very young and he was adopted in Kentucky by a family by the name of KING. This family legend has some merit as it was related to Joshua's children, by Joshua himself.

I have no proof that Joshua King was, in fact, a son of Nathaniel G.S.HART, but additional support to this family legend is the fact that Joshua named his second born son NATHAN King. Also, Joshua (HART??) KING was born in 1812 (one year prior to Nathaniel G.S. Hart's death) in Frankfurt, Fayette Co., KY., according to his Biography in "The Community of Spickard, Missouri 125 Years in History 1871 -1996".

OMG-just thought I'd google his name and read your post.
Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart did indeed die at The River Raisin Massacre. His father was Captain Thomas Hart. He married Anna Gist and they had two sons. It is hard to explain on why I am interested so much in Captain Hart. I live here in Michigan and last Winter (2007) I was looking up places to take my kids to regarding Indian Heritage and came upon the story of the Battle of the River Raisin. I read many accounts and Nathaniel's story touched my heart greatly. Just last month I traveled to Kentucky to do more research on him. I was at the Historical Society Museum in Frankfort and there is a picture of one of his sister's (Mrs. Issac Shelby) in the Museum. Another sister was the wife of Henry Clay. I had car trouble and couldn't visit Lexington like I wanted too. Please, contact me regarding this. Frankly, I've been to the site of the Battle a few times and the site of his murder. {A carter lumber business is there- a Historical Marker is in place.

I thank you for your response. You are the only person to respond since I posted this message six years ago.

I am not familiar with the story of his murder (at all). Could you please elaborate on that? Also do you know what became of his wife and children? Thanks again/kelly

Your quite welcome...
Father: Thomas Hart
Mother: Susanna Gray Hart
(both buried in Old Episcopal Cemetery, Lexington, KY)
Wife: Anna Edward Gist. They were married in Frankfort, KY April 6th, 1809. I believe she died five yrs. after Nathaniel in Philedelphia.
Children: Thomas Hart (there are alot of Thomas Hart's).
Henry Clay Hart (have to be careful researching as it comes up with Clay as the last name. Would be cousins from Henry Clay's family. As to exact info on his children, I know at least one of the sons married and had children of his own.
Nathaniel was a lawyer. Hemp/rope manufacturer and fairly wealthy. He died at 28yrs of age, Captain of the Lexington Light Infantry and Inspector General of Harrison's Army.
Go on-line and look-up "Remember the River Raisin" by Roger L. Rosentreter (Michigan History Magazine). Also links at "Friends of the River Raisin Battlefield" site. His is a story of friendship, heroism, and tragedy. He was wounded in one of his knees. He was among the men massacred. He remained in a house/tavern converted into a hospital for the men as long as he could. He tried to help his fellow soldiers. He almost got away but was overtaken on horseback by Wyandott Indians- shot, tomahawked, and scalped. His body remained unburied for close to 9 months and it is a definite question if his remains were ever recovered. There are many great sites to get info-especially the Monroe Battlefield sites. Hope this helps some. Please, contact me if you have any questions or find out more about him.