GA, USA
Nancy Hart Captures Six Tory Soldiers
January 1, 1779
According to accounts collected from her neighbors in the early 19th century, Nancy Hart — a frontier woman living west of Augusta on the Broad River — was confronted at her cabin by a party of six Tory soldiers demanding food and information about a Patriot militiaman's location. Hart served them food and liquor while secretly sending her daughter to alert Patriot neighbors. She managed to secure their muskets one by one as they drank, then held them at gunpoint until help arrived. The soldiers were reportedly hanged.
The story's details vary between tellings and the exact date is unknown, but the core account is supported by multiple independent early recollections from Hart County neighbors. Whether precisely accurate or embellished in transmission, Nancy Hart became Georgia's defining female Patriot figure. Hart County, Georgia is named for her.
People Involved
Legendary Georgia frontier woman said to have captured six Tory soldiers at her cabin west of Augusta after they demanded food and lodging. Her story, combining frontier toughness with Patriot conviction, made her a Georgia state symbol; Hart County is named for her.