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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Capt. John S. SMITH 

Pages 215-217, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins 

[Surnames: BIRGE, DICKERMAN, GARBER, GRANT, GRESHAM, HAND, JOHNSTON, PALMER, SHERMAN, SMITH, WILSON, WILCOX] 

    
CAPT. JOHN S. SMITH. No one is more universally esteemed in Farmington than the old soldier whose name appears at the head of this sketch. Whenever Farmington celebrates, Capt. Smith aids with money and work; whenever she decorates Capt. Smith is there; whenever any great political or other public event occurs Capt. Smith is promptly on hand to act as master of ceremonies. His military experience gives him a special fitness for organizing and conducting such affairs, and his comrades of the Grand Army, among whom he is a great favorite, are certain to desire his leadership in anything in which they bear a part. Notwithstanding the prominent position which our subject thus occupies so frequently he is one of the most unostentatious of men, always preferring an inconspicuous position and never failing to withdraw from the public gaze as soon as his duties will permit. 
    
The father of our subject was another John Smith, a native of Kentucky, whither his parents had emigrated from Germany. For twenty years he was Justice of the Peace in Harrison County, Ind. He was an intimate friend of the father of Judge Gresham, who while he was Sheriff in that county was shot by a man whom he was trying to arrest. The prisoner was brought before Justice Smith for examination and bound over for trial. Mr. Smith was a wheelwright and manufacturer of carriages. He married Nancy Grant who was distantly related to the famous general of that name. 
    
The parents of our subject removed to Fulton County, Ill., many years ago, locating on a tract of land five miles west of Canton. Mr. Smith soon sold his farm and about 1840 established in Farmington the first enterprise of a manufacturing nature in the city. It was a carding and cloth-dressing factory. The proprietor subsequently removed to West Jersey, Stark County, where he engaged in his olden occupation of the manufacture of wagons. He died in 1866 at the age of seventy-two years. He was quite prominent in church circles. His eldest brother, a leading scientist and electrician of this State, is the inventor of the electrical apparatus by means of which teeth may be extracted without pain. 
    
The mother of our subject died at the age of forty-two years, leaving seven children named respectively, Theresa A., Elias, George L., John Springle, Martha C., Mary and Adeline. The father married a second time, having by his last union one son--Abner. 
    
Capt. Smith was born at Corydon, Harrison County, Ind., March 28, 1833. His first recollections are of farm life in Fulton County, Ill. He attended the early schools, receiving an ordinary education, in addition to which he was carding boy in the mill, worked with his father in the wagonmaking trade and on the farm in the summer time. At the age of eighteen years he began a regular two years' apprenticeship as a house, carriage and sign painter, continuing to work at his trade until the needs of his country determined him to take up arms in her defense. He enlisted August 16, 1862, at Farmington in the One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry. He assisted in recruiting a company and was elected by the boys Second Lieutenant of Company C. The troops were drilled at Camp Peoria, mustered into service there and sent to the front, Lieut. Smith was retained as Post Commander at Peoria while the rest of the regiment were in Tennessee, but in December joined them at Waterford, Miss. 
    
Resuming his position as Second Lieutenant, the first heavy engagement in which our subject took part was the battle at Vicksburg, this being followed by that at Black River where he was detailed to act as Captain of another company. At Jackson hard fighting and close quarters were the fate of the boys, who not long afterward again met the enemy at Buzzards Roost, Tenn., whither our subject had been sent in February, 1864, to support Gen. John M. Palmer. At Resaca Lieut. Smith had a narrow escape from a piece of a shell, but there, as on other battlefields, he escaped unhurt. The many skirmishes in which he and his company were engaged are beyond the limits of mention in a sketch like this. The prominent battles in which he took part after those mentioned were Dallas, New Hope Church, Noonday Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Roswell Mills and the battle of Atlanta. Prior to the, last he had charge of a detachment scouting through Alabama under orders from Gen. Sherman, their object being to secure horses for recruiting the artillery and ambulance supply and finding out the position and strength of the guerrillas. During the month of January, 1864, he was aid-de-camp on the brigade staff of Col. Dickerman. 
    
After having participated in the engagement at Atlanta July 22, 1864, Lieut. Smith was elected Captain of Company I, One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry, and a few days later appointed Assistant Quartermaster, guarding stores in that city about a month. He was then permanently detailed under Col. Garber and served as Assistant Quartermaster, having charge of the hospital stores of the Fifteenth Army Corps. As such, he acted at Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, New York City, Hilton Head, S. C., Charleston, Moorehead City, N. C., and Newbern, being at the latter place when Johnston surrendered. There he was discharged by reason of the close of the war about June 1, 1865. He had fought in the whole Atlanta campaign which was rated by Gen. Sherman as one hundred days of solid fighting. He was never wounded but at Kenesaw had four bullet holes through his blouse. 
    
Returning to his home our subject settled down to his trade, at which he continued to work until 1870 when, on account of ill-health cause by painting, he embarked in the general merchandise business. In the crisis of 1873 he suffered the loss of about $3,000 which nearly ruined him financially and obliged him to practically begin anew. He turned his attention to the business of fire insurance and collections, and is at present Secretary of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company. He is a Notary Public and Justice of the Peace, having been elected to the latter position six years since and re-elected in 1889. He has been Notary for an equal length of time. 
    
In 1877 our subject enlisted in the State service, becoming a member of the Fourth Illinois National Guards and being elected by every vote of Company E to the Captaincy, which he held two and a half years. He is a steadfast Republican, well acquainted with many of the leading politicians of the State and very popular in political circles. He has never sought political honors, but has done good service for the party, having been a member of the County Central Committee twelve years and of the Executive Committee five years; he is still serving on the latter. Capt. Smith voted for Gen. Fremont in 1856 and from that day has never failed to cast a straight Republican ballot at every Presidential election except during the year 1864, when he was absent from the polls by reason of his presence amid scenes of conflict. 
    
On three different occasions Capt. Smith has been solicited to accept the office of Sheriff, but persistently declined. He was one of the prime movers in organizing the Grand Army Post in Farmington, and served efficiently as its Commander for two years. He is Deacon in the congregational Church and has been Trustee and Superintendent of the Sunday-school several years. He is the owner of the Mason House Block in which he is domiciled and he likewise owns a fine residence on Fort Street. He carries on a stock farm, making a specialty of sheep, he and his wife owning a tract of one hundred and forty acres of land. 
    
In the fall of 1861 Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Miss Harriet, daughter of Jacob Hand, formerly Supervisor of Farmington Township and a well-known capitalist therein. Mrs. Smith was a good, true woman who faithfully discharged the duties which she saw before her as long as her strength would permit. She was called hence in 1886, and two years later our subject was married a second time, his companion on this occasion being Mrs. Caroline Wilcox. the present Mrs. Smith is a daughter of Luther and Nancy (Wilson) Birge. Deacon Birge is well-known as one of the original Abolitionists of this section, who with the assistance of our subject conducted several loads of slaves away at various times on the underground railroad.