Biography of John T Smith, Independence Co, AR

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SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas. 
Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
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page 716 

Capt. John T. Smith, farmer and stock raiser, Oil Trough, Ark. Like so
many of the representative citizens of this county and township, Mr. Smith is a
native Tennesseean, born in Williamson County of that State, June 14, 1841, and
is the son of Daniel Smith, who was also a native of that State. When a young
man the latter was united in marriage to Miss Martha Ragsdale, a native of
Tennessee, and whose father was a colonel in the War of 1812, and participated
in the battle of New Orleans, and died in 1862 at the age of eightyseven years.
The paternal grandfather was also a soldier in the War of 1812, and died in
Tennessee, in 1849, of Asiatic cholera. Capt. John T. Smith was but eight years
old when he moved with his parents to Humphreys County, Tenn., and there
attended the private schools of the county. He was reared to agricultural
pursuits, and assisted his father on the farm until the breaking out of the
late war, when he enlisted in the Forty-second Tennessee Volunteer Infantry,
Confederate Army, as a private. Upon the organization of the company he was
elected to the position of orderly sergeant, serving in that capacity until
1862. He was captured, with his regiment, at Fort Donelson, and afterward, when
the regiment was reorganized at Port Hudson, La., Mr. Smith was promoted to the
rank of second lieutenant, in which capacity he served until May, 1863, when he
received his commission as captain and commissary, serving as regimental
commissary until the battle of Franklin, Tenn. He then received a furlough to
go home, which was the close of his military career. In 1886, in partnership
with Mr. M. Reeves, he bought a stock of general merchandise, and carried on
the business of a mer chant at Buffalo postoffice, on Buffalo River, Tenn. Mr.
Reeves died that year, and Mr. Smith there upon closed out and engaged in
farming, purchasing a tract of land on Buffalo River, Humphrey County, Tenn.,
the tract comprising 200 acres. In 1866, he was married to Miss Margaret Owens,
a native of Tennessee. One child, Mollie A., was born to this union. Mrs. Smith
died, in 1867, of cholera, and was buried in the cemetery at Buffalo. In 1868
Mr. Smith took for his second wife Miss Lou Gray, of Perry County, Tenn., and
to this union were born five children, all living: Cordelia C., born December
15, 1869; Dorsey Thomas, born November 9, 1870; Margaret L., born March 21,
1872; William Martin, born March 10, 1874, and Lou Jennie, born November 20,
1875. The mother of these children died July 8, 1876, and is interred in Perry
County, Tenn. May 20, 1877, Capt. Smith married Miss Eliza S. Teas, a native of
Humphreys County, Tenn., and the fruits of this union were four [p.716]
children: Florence Agnes, born in February, 1879; Amanda R., born April 1,
1880; Robert Ernest, born October 3, 1883, and Lillian, born August 2, 1885.
Capt. Smith moved to Arkansas January 30, 1879, purchased 160 acres of land in
Section 11, Christian Township, the principal part of it being timber land,
with about thirty acres cleared, and on this were several log-cabins. The
Captain has cleared sixty-five acres since he became the owner, and now has
ninety-five acres under cultivation. He has added by purchase 120 acres, but,
selling eighty acres of this, has now 200 acres left. He has good buildings on
his farm, and has an excellent orchard. Capt. and Mrs. Smith are members of the
Christian Church, and Cordelia is also a member of that church. Capt. Smith is
a member of McGuire Lodge No. 208, A. F. & A. M., is also a member of Oil
Trough Chapter No. 84, R. A. M. In politics he affiliates with the Republican
party, and is an ardent supporter of all enterprises for the good of the
county.