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- Daniel Hart was born 6 March 1778, probably in Cumberland Township, in what was then Washington County, Pennsylvania, and is now a part of Greene County, Pennsylvania. He died 11 August 1815, in Sackets Harbor, Jefferson County, New York, where he is buried. Sackets Harbor, New York, is located a few miles West of Watertown, New York, on Lake Ontario.
"In the war of 1812 Sackets Harbor, important strategic point for the Americans, was the base for naval operations on the Great Lakes. In July 1812 it was attacked by a Canadian provincial squadron and again in May 1813, by a British squadron....on both occasions unsuccessfully."
The War of 1812, in which Daniel Hart served, officially ended with the treaty signed at Ghent, 24 December 1814. "The slowness of communications at that period was responsible for the continuation of hostilities for several months thereafter." A Death and Separation Report from the National Archives, dated 11 August 1815, states:
"Daniel Hart, a private in the late Captain (illegible) Company, the late twenty second Regiment of United States' Infantry Commanded by Colonel Hugh Brady, said Daniel Hart has served with fidelity for, and during the term of one year, ten months, twenty-three days, his term of service expiring on this eleventh day of August eighteen hundred and fifteen by Death........The said Daniel Hart was born in the town of (blank) in the county of (blank) in the state of (blank); is about thirty-seven years of age; is five feet six inches high; dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair, and is, by occupation a Farmer; was enlisted at (blank) the sixteenth day of September eighteen hundred and thirteen by Capt. (illegible) for the period of five years. Given at Sackets Harbor, this eleventh day of August 1815. Wm. Morrow, Capt, Late 22 Infty (illegible)."
Whether Daniel Hart died from wounds inflicted prior to the official end of hostilities or from wounds received during the continuation of hostilities mentioned above, is not clear. He resided in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and was married to Sarah . They had several children.
The United States Census of 1810 for Beaver County, Pennsylvania, lists the following:
First Moon Township:
Head of family - Daniel Hart. Members of family, including head of family:
2 males under 10
1 male 16-26
1 male 26-45
2 females under 10
1 female 26-45
1 female 45 and over.
The above record certainly indicates that there were a number of other children, concerning whom no information is presently available.
There is a very strongly held tradition among the descendants of Daniel Hart that he was the son of John Hart, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and a number of Daniel Hart's descendants seem to have accepted this without question. John Hart, the Signer, did in fact have a son named Daniel Hart, but this Daniel Hart was born 13 August 1762, at Hopewell, New Jersey, and died 13 September 1848, at Beverly, West Virginia. Also, the wife of John Hart (the Signer), Deborah Scudder, died at Hopewell, New Jersey, 20 October 1776 (two years prior to the birth of our Daniel Hart).
Other descendants of Daniel Hart have put forth the claim that he was a grandson of John Hart, the Signer, but once again, not only is documentation lacking, but available records and data lend absolutely no credence to this theory. The Biography of John Hart, "the Signer", details all of his children, and to a large extent, their children, q.v.
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