Smith, John H.

SMITH, SNYDER, COOLEY, KENNEDY, DANNATT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/15/2003 at 08:40:59

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

COLONEL JOHN H. SMITH.

Among the representative and prominent citizens of Camanche is Colonel John Henry Smith, who was born in Guilderland, Albany county, New York, March 19, 1827, and is a son of George Jacob Smith, a native of the same county. His grandfather, Jacob Henry Smith, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and came to this country as one of the soldiers in the employ of the English government during the Revolutionary war. While serving under Burgoyne at Saratoga he was captured by the Continental troops, and afterward foreswore his allegiance to all foreign countries and became an American citizen. Locating in Albany county, New York, he there married and reared a family. By occupation he was a farmer, as was also the father of our subject, who spent his entire life in Albany county. He married Johanna Synder, also a native of that county, and the only child born of this union was our subject. The Colonel was only seven years old when his father died, and his mother subsequently married an uncle of our subject, who was a black smith by trade.

Colonel Smith was principally educated in the German schools of his native county, and until thirteen years of age he worked with his step-father in the blacksmith shop. On leaving home at that time, he went to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he was employed in a machine shop for three years, and then returned to Albany county, New York, where he followed farming until coming west in 1844, which year witnessed his arrival in Chicago. He made two trips as engineer on a propeller plying between that city and Detroit, but soon tired of the water and accepted a position as clerk in the office of Bristol & Porter, Chicago, with which firm he remained until the summer of 1845. He was next engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1849, and was subsequently employed as engineer in a sawmill at Spring Lake, Michigan, until 1850.

In March of that year Colonel Smith was united in marriage with Miss Emily P. Cooley, a native of Hartford, Connecticut, which state was also the birthplace of her parents, Thomas and Anna (Kennedy) Cooley. The father was a prominent politician and served as superintendent of the state arsenal at Hartford for many years. Unto the Colonel and his wife were born six children, namely: Charles A., deceased; George A., a prominent physician of Clinton, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume; Harry Cooley and Richard, both deceased; Frances E., who lives with her father in Camanche; and Jessie M., wife of W. L. Dannatt, of Low Moor, this county. The eldest son, Charles who was born September 5, 1852, and died January 28, 18 81, was a prominent attorney and assistant United States internal revenue collector at Clinton. The mother of these children, who was a consistent member of the Methodist church, and a most estimable lady, died in May, 1892, and was laid to rest in the Camanche cemetery.

After his marriage Colonel Smith was engaged as engineer on the St. Charles division of the Chicago & Galena Union Railway for six months, and in the spring of 1852 came to Clinton, Iowa, entering a tract of government land on section twenty-six, Center township, which at that time was all wild prairie. He erected a board shanty upon his place, in which the family lived the following summer, and in the fall built a small frame house, which was his home until 1855. On selling that place he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on section eighteen, Center township, and also eighty acres in Washington township. He had broken and fenced about one hundred acres of this when the news that Fort Sumpter had been fired upon arrived, and feeling that his country needed his services, he enlisted, October 17, 18 61, in Company A, Sixteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in as captain. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, the second battle of Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg. In March, 1864, he veteranized and returned home on a short furlough. He then joined the Seventeenth Army Corps, under General Blair, at Cairo, from there he marched overland to Sherman’s army at Kingston, Georgia, and participated in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. During the battle of Atlanta his regiment was captured, and he was taken to Macon and later to Charleston. When the Union forces were shelling the latter city, he and his fellow prisoners were placed in the most exposed portion of the city, where the shells from the guns of their own soldiers made it exceedingly dangerous. Colonel Smith was finally transferred to Columbia, South Carolina, where, in company with four others, he eluded the guards and started for the Union lines. When their escape was discovered bloodhounds were put upon the track. They traveled b y night and concealed themselves during the day time, until, reaching the Congaree river, they floated down that stream to the Santee and so on to its mouth, where they discovered the Canandaigua, a gunboat, eleven miles out. Looking around they found an old box boat, in which they made their way to the vessel, arriving there after three weeks of hiding, traveling and starving. All they had to eat was received from the colored people along the way, and that in very small quantities. Admiral Dalgren transferred them to General Foster’s headquarters at Hilton Head. On his return home Captain Smith reported to the secretary of war, and was ordered to rejoin his regiment, which he did. He was then appointed major at the unanimous request of every officer in the regiment, which was of itself a compliment, and later, for meritorious mention by General Stone, was commissioned lieutenant colonel. The war having practically ended, he resigned at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 22nd of June, 1865. After his return home the citizens of Lyons presented him with a sword, sash and belt to replace the ones which, when he was captured at Atlanta, he destroyed rather than deliver them into the hands of the enemy. While a prisoner at Columbia he was compelled to sleep in the open air without blanket or covering. The rations he and the other prisoners received were five pints of cornmeal, one pint of molasses, a spoonful of salt and a small quantity of rice per week, and they were compelled to do their own cooking.

While he was in the army the Colonel’s family resided in Lyons, and on his return home they took up their residence in Camanche, where, in partnership with W. H. Hoyt, he purchased a flouring mill, which they successfully conducted until 1869, when our subject sold his interest, but the mill was destroyed by fire before he received payment for the same. During that year he was appointed assistant United States assessor in the internal revenue service for the second collection district of Iowa, and in 1872 was appointed United States gauger of liquors in the same district, holding the position until after the change in administration, in 1885. As the duties of that office only required a portion of his time, he embarked in fruit raising in 1873, and has since followed that pursuit. He still resides in Camanche, and is an active man, though past seventy-four years of age.

As a public-spirited and progressive citizen, Colonel Smith has always taken a commendable interest in public affairs, and helped to organize the first school and build the first school building in Center township, the money for the same coming out of the pockets of a few. Being elected from that township, he became a member of the first board of supervisors in Clinton county, and also filled the offices of assessor and treasurer of the school board of Center township, and also president of the school board of Camanche, as well as alderman and mayor of the village. He was instrumental in establishing a poor-house in the county, and in the care of paupers saved the county considerable money. In 1865 the Colonel was elected state senator, and for four years represented his district faithfully and well in the legislative hall of the state, serving as chairman of the committee on manufactories, and a member of the railroad committee. Politically he is a Republican, and socially is a member of Cady Post, No. 41, Grand Army of the Republic at Camanche; Camanche Lodge, No. 60, Free and Accepted Masons; Hope Lodge, No. 13, Ancient Order of the United Workmen. His loyalty as a citizen and his devotion to his country’s interests have been among his marked characteristics; and his life has been manly, his actions sincere and his example is well worthy of emulation.