e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online

Betty Zane (ca. 1760-1823)

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Betty Zane is remembered for her heroic act in 1782, during the Revolutionary War, when she supposedly ran across an open field to retrieve gunpowder at Fort Henry while under enemy fire. However, historical evidence is limited, and some skepticism remains.

Her story was popularized in a 1903 novel by her descendant, Zane Grey.