SMITH, Hon. A. B.

SMITH, BEALE, CLACY, MUMMEY, HAMMON, CHANDLER

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/18/2003 at 20:55:26

SOURCE: "Biographical history of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa" Lewis Pub. Co., Chicago, 1893

HON. A. B. SMITH, one of the most prominent men of Sac county, Iowa, has been a
resident of Clinton township, this county, since 1878. We make the following record of
his life and ancestry, and it is with pleasure that we present it on the pages of this volume:

Hon, A. B. Smith was born in Morgan county, Ohio, June 27, 1841, the third in a
family of six children. His father, William Smith, was born in Guernesey county, Ohio,
son of John Smith, a native of Pennsylvania, and a descendant of German ancestry. The
mother of our subject, who died when he was eight years old, was before her marriage
Miss Sarah Beale. She was born in Ohio, daughter of Asa Beale, her mother's maiden
name having been Clacy. Mr. Smith's father is now a resident of Clinton county, Iowa.
He is by occupation a farmer, in politics a Republican, and in religion a Methodist.
A. B. Smith was reared in Morgan county, Ohio, and was educated in the common
schools of his native place. When the civil war came on, he enlisted his services,
becoming a member of Company C, Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was on
active duty two years and ten months. He participated in the battles of Stone river and
Missionary Ridge. At the latter place he was wounded with a minie ball over the left eye,
was confined in hospital thirty days, and at the end of that time received a furlough and
returned home. Later he entered the Convalescent camp at Chattanooga, joined his
regiment in Tennessee, and took part in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain, rocky Face,
New Hope, Resaca, Jonesboro, Chattanooga, Franklin and Nashville. He was honorably
discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, July 10, 1865.
After the war Mr. Smith came to Iowa, and in 1868 located near DeWitt, where
he lived until 1878. At that time he came to Sac county, and settled in Clinton township,
buying 320 acres of land, which he has improved, and on which he has since lived. He
has one of the finest farms in Sac county. In 1886 he built a commodious two-story
residence, with bay window and modern conveniences. He has a fine grove and orchard
of four acres. His barn and other farm buildings are all first-class, and the general
appearance of the farm indicates thrift and prosperity. This place is utilized chiefly as a
stock-farm.

Mr. Smith was married January 4, 1866, to Miss Nancy E. Mummey, who was born
in Morgan county, Ohio, daughter of Joshua and Catharine (Hammon) Mummey, natives
of Maryland. Joshua Mummey was a soldier of the war of 1812, and served in Captain
Elston's Company in the Army of the Manmee under General Wm. H. Harrison,
grandfather of President Harrison. Mrs. Smith is one of nine children, four sons and five
daughters. One of her brothers, Benjamin, served in the late war as a member of the
Eleventh Iowa Infantry. He now resides at Odebolt, Iowa. Her father died in Morgan
county, Ohio, in 1853, and her mother now resided with her, aged ninety-eight years. Mr.
and Mrs. Smith have three children, namely: Charles, who is married and has one child.
Annie M.; Mary, wife of Rev. Sydney Chandler, a Methodist minister, of Epworth,
Dubuque county, Iowa, is now attending college in that city and Harlan A., attending
college at Epworth.

Mr. Smith;s political affiliations are with the Republican party. In the fall of 1889
he was elected to the State Legislature, and served as a member of the same with credit
and honor, both to himself and to his constitnents. He is a charter member of Colonel
Goodrich Post, No. 117, G. A. R., and his wife is a member of the Women's Relief Corps.
Both are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a Trustee and
Steward, and they have the esteem and respect of all who know them.