The Smith Brothers: Five brothers fight in the War of Rebellion

 The Smith Brothers: Five brothers fight in the War of Rebellion

Seth Smith (1813-1901)

    A common name like Smith makes for tedious research in genealogy, especially when they live in a large city.  Fortunately for our family, Smith branch research was simplified by a small town, activity in civic affairs, and a robust personality.  

    Seth Smith, my 3G-Grandfather was born Jan 1, 1813, in Woodstock, Connecticut.  According to his grandson, Grant Stearns-Smith*, Seth was a renowned storyteller, therefore we are well advised to carefully consider each tale, looking for supporting facts, before accepting accounting as truth.  Nevertheless, his storytelling prowess kept young Grant enthralled for hours on end growing up at his side.
    The Smith name was so common, that Grant changed his last name to Stearns-Smith to set himself apart and increase the chances of receiving his mail.
    The theme for this week is siblings and the Smith brothers provide an opportunity to pay respect to a group of young men who stepped up for our country during the War of Rebellion, what we now call the Civil War.  These young men are the first five of Seth Smith’s seven sons:  Charles Hiram, James Austin, George Obadiah, Gilman D., and Emery W. Smith.   The other two: Hiram Tuttle and Fremont were too young for service.  
    Interestingly the entire family (Seth and his seven sons) all settled in southeast Kansas after the war.  Here is a brief bit on each brother.  One of my future goals is to get the war records and pension files for each of these brave men.  I list them in order of their birth.
    Charles Hiram Smith, firstborn child to Seth and Catherine Tuttle Smith, December 14^th, 1837, in Boston, Massachusetts.  In my research for this story, I found that he left the family farm in Monmouth, Illinois as a young man to find adventure in California.   Per the 1860 census, he was working as a laborer at Fort Jones, Scott Valley, Siskiyou County, California (southwest of Yreka).   He enlisted in the 3^rd California Regiment, Company G, in 1862 and was honorably discharged on June 18, 1865. His unit was sent to help protect the wagon trains of pioneers on the overland trail through Utah, where they were susceptible to raids of native Americans and renegade Mormons (see American Primeval on Netflix).  After the war, he returned home to Illinois, married Mary Linn on April 5, 1866, and settled on a farm in Garland, Kansas.  He died April 12, 1876, age 38, in Garland, Kansas, and laid to rest at Hillside Cemetery, a few miles away in Vernon County, Missouri.  
    

James Austin Smith (1840-1921)

    James Austin Smith, my 2G-Grandfather, the second child of Seth and Catherine, was born May 5, 1840, in Monmouth, Illinois.  Per the 1860 US Census,20-year-old James was working as Deputy Sheriff for his father Seth Smith, the duly elected Sheriff of Warren County, Illinois.  He was also attending Monmouth College.  He answered Lincoln’s call for volunteers and enlisted on May 25^th, 1861 in the 17^th Illinois Infantry, Company F for three years.  He served at the rank of Corporal, until his honorable discharge on May 10, 1864.  Interestingly, James was the officer in charge of “contraband” for the unit.  We think of contraband as illegal property, but during the Civil War, contraband was the legal term for freed slaves.  James was charged with overseeing their safety until they could get to a more permanent place of settlement.   After his enlistment, he studied law under General Blair at Fort Scott, Kansas, and was admitted to the bar.  He became the first county attorney for the Neutral Lands bordering Kansas and Indian Territory (later known as Oklahoma), then Crawford County, Kansas, where he was elected Judge.  He married Carrie Stearns in 1867, and they settled in Altoona, Kansas where they took over ownership of the Altoona Union newspaper.  Judge Smith and Carrie were each active in civic affairs and prominent members of the community, and there is much more to share about their lives in a future biography. They died in 1921 and 1932 respectively and are buried next to each other in the family plot at Girard, Kansas.

George Obadiah Smith (1843-1922)

    George Obadiah Smith, the third child of Seth and Catherine was born March 15, 1843, in Monmouth, Illinois.  He and James joined the 17^th Illinois Vol, Co F together on 25 May 1861, when he was 18.  Their unit was involved in many battles including the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, and the pivotal battle of Vicksburg Mississippi (this was the Gettysburg of the South, happening at the same time).  After the war, he married Sarah Penn on October 9, 1866, in Jackson County, Missouri.  They settled in Wilson County, Kansas where they lived out their lives.  They are buried next to each other in Altoona Cemetery.

    Gilman D. Smith, the fourth child of Seth and Catherine was born May 21, 1845.  He joined the same unit (17th Illinois, Company F) a year after his two older brothers, on September 1, 1862, when he was 17 years old.  All three fought together at Vicksburg, Mississippi.  After the war, he married Mary Penn and they settled in Wilson County Kansas.    His farm was adjacent to his brother George’s farm in Wilson County, where they lived out their lives.   They are buried next to each other in Altoona Cemetery.  
    Emery W. Smith is the fifth child of Seth and Catherine was born February 15, 1847.  He joined the 47th Illinois Consolidated Regiment, Company H, on February 21, 1865, when he was 18 years old. The war ended a few months later and his unit served in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama during the aftermath.  He was honorably discharged in January 1866.   He married Sarah in 1868, and they settled in Wilson County Kansas close by his brothers George and Gillman where they lived out their lives.  They are buried next to each other in Altoona Cemetery. 
    The other two brothers were too young for service during the war.  Seth and Catherine also moved to southeast Kansas and settled near Fort Scott in 1868.  The 1870 US Census shows them living in Fort Scott, Kansas with sons Hiram, age 16, and Fremont age 14. 
    Seth Smith’s obituary states. “in 1861 when the Civil War began, he and five of his sons entered the Union Army.  He served two years, and then returned to Monmouth, where he was city marshal for several years, and held other positions of honor and trust.  I have heard he was part of the Quartermaster Corps, which was responsible for supplying the troops with food, clothing, shelter, guns, and ammunition.  I cannot find a record of him being in the Army, nor is his grave marked with the typical Civil War marker; however, I would say it is likely he served in some capacity. I am certain that his sons would not have allowed his obituary to indicate this if it was not true, given the significance and magnitude of their service.    
    So our tree has plenty of Union blue in the branches, and I will close with a salute to each of them:

• Isaac Grandon, 18^th PA Cavalry, Company C
• Seth Smith, Quartermaster Corps
• Charles H Smith, 3^rd California, Company G
• James A Smith, 17^th Illinois, Company F
• George O Smith, 17^th Illinois, Company F
• Gilman D Smith. 17^th Illinois, Company F
• Emery W Smith; 47^th Illinois Infantry, Company H
• Tyler Stearns, 19^th US Colored Troops*, Company F
• Samuel Willard, 134^th Illinois, Company A

Tyler Stearns (1840-1920)

*The Army was segregated during the Civil War.  The black union soldiers served in their own regiments under the banner of US Colored Troops (USCT).  They were all at enlisted ranks.  Their officers were white.   Tyler Bingham, my 2G Grand Uncle, was white and an officer (1^st Lieutenant) leading a company of black soldiers in the Union Army.   

Samuel Willard (1845-1939)