Elizabeth Zane

1759–1823

ELIZABETH'S RETURN

Elizabeth "Betty" Zane was a heroine of the Revolutionary War on the American frontier. Born in 1759, she moved at a young age to Wheeling, West Virginia, where her family helped to establish Fort Henry. This move was illegal, as it encroached on land specifically reserved for the native peoples, and the threat of attack increased significantly after the start of the Revolutionary War. Elizabeth was sent for a time to school in Philadelphia, but she returned in 1871, shortly after the American victory at Yorktown. The fighting had not yet ceased, however, and only a year later, Fort Henry was besieged by Native American allies of the British. The settlers were outnumbered, and they soon found themselves in need of more gunpowder. Remembering a keg left at home, Elizabeth volunteered to make the journey home to retrieve it.

Elizabeth arrived at the Zane home unharmed, and she hid the gunpowder beneath her skirt before starting on her return trip. This time, however, their attackers were not fooled by the seemingly innocent women, and they fired at her as she ran. Amazingly, Elizabeth managed to evade the gunfire and successfully deliver the gunpowder, and two days later the British retreated.

Little is known about Elizabeth’s later life, but she married John McGloughlin and gave birth to five children. After John’s death, she married Jacob Clark and had two more children. She lived out her later life in Ohio and passed away at the age of 64. She was buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery, where a statue commemorates her achievements.

Key events during the life of Elizabeth Zane:

Year	Event
1759	Born.
1774	Helped establish Fort Henry.
1781	Returned home from school in Philadelphia.
1782	Fort Henry was besieged by American Indians acting on orders from their British allies.
1823	Died.

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Backwoodsmen of Kentucky  in	Indian History for Young Folks  by  Francis S. Drake
Elizabeth Zane  in	Stories of American Life and Adventure  by  Edward Eggleston
Elizabeth Zane  in	America First—100 Stories from Our History  by  Lawton B. Evans
Betty Zane's Powder Exploit  in	Frontier Fighters  by  Edwin L. Sabin

Image Links
Elizabeth Zane's Return  in Stories of American Life and Adventure	Unbar the gate and let me pass!'  in America First—100 Stories from Our History	Elizabeth Zane brings powder  in Story of the Thirteen Colonies

Contemporary	Short Biography
Simon Kenton	Leading settler of the Ohio and Kentucky valleys. Fought on various Indian wars and the Revolutionary war.
Molly Pitcher	When her husband was killed, she took over his position and helped man a cannon at the Battle of Monmouth.
Nancy Hart	Pioneer woman who captured a group of Tory soldiers in her home, and later hung them.