Biography Prof. Robert Augustus Smith, Ouachita, Claiborne and Bienville Louisiana Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890 Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown Date: October 1998 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Prof. Robert Augustus Smith, the efficient and popular president of the E. A.S. Male College, of Arcadia, La., was born in Houston County. Ga., January 22, 1841, and in the fall of 1848 was brought to Bienville Parish, La., by his parents, Capt. Jesse and Emily Antoinette (Bryan) Smith, and in this State has since made his home, having been a resident of Ouachita, Claiborne and Bienville Parishes. He was the fourth child and second son of a family of nine daughters and six sons born to his parents, and as his father was a successful planter, he acquired a fair knowledge of that calling in his youth. Prof. Smith received a very liberal education, completing the junior course at the Mount Lebanon University, but at the age of eighteen years entered Centenary College. In the meantime his father had taken an active interest in the establishing of Homer College, in the northern portion of the State, and prevailed upon his son to enter the new institution in 1859, which he did, remaining there and completed his education on the eve of the great Civil War between the North and the South. Like the majority of sons, Prof. Smith imbibed the politics of his father, who was a conservative man, and in reply to the query of his son as to how he stood upon the question of secession, said: 'My son, I am for the Union so long as there is a Union, then I am for my State." Again, as to his son enlisting in the army, he said: "Our country is in war, it is our duty to defend her to the last.'' His parting words to his son, who enlisted in the Confederate States army, in May, after graduating in April, 1861, were: "My son, be a man." These words burned into the very soul of Prof. Smith, and sustained him in danger's darkest hour. In June, 1861, he became a member of Company G., Minden Blues," under Capt. John L. Lewis, as a private, his regiment, the Eighth, being under Col. Kelly, and his brigade, the Second Louisiana, being under Gen. Harry T. Hayes. He was in the first battles of the Potomac army, Bull Run, July 18, and Manasses, July 21, 1861. Immediately alter the last named battle he was stricken with typhoid fever, which lasted seven reeks, but by the kind treatment of the noble Virginian women, he recovered and enjoyed the best of health the rest of his army life. The following winter he re-enlisted in the Confederate army, and came home on a furlough, but returned again to his command in April, 1862. He was elected to the position of second sergeant, and was transferred with his brigade to Jackson's division in the Valley of Virginia. In this department he remained, participating in all the marches and engagements up to the second battle of Manasses, where he received a gunshot wound in the left hand, August 27, 1862, which incapacitated him for duty for some time, being in the hospital at Lynchburg, Va. He then obtained a transfer to White Sulphur Springs, Va., where he obtained a furlough, reaching home December 3, 1862, just in time to witness the death of his father, who died at 12:15 o' clock, December 4. After settling up his father's estate, and placing a man in charge, the Professor crossed the river at Natchez, and joined his command at Hamilton's Cross Roads, Va., in April, 1863, to join the campaign into Pennsylvania. At the battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, he was pierced through the body with a minie-ballm which, passing into the region of the spine, paralyzed him for three months. He was taken prisoner and taken to David's Island, N. Y., July 20, where he remained, receiving the kindest treatment, until he was sufficiently recovered to be paroled. He was sent south, to City Point a paroled soldier, November 12, 1863, and from there was sent to the hospital at Macon, Ga. While on parole in Pulaski County, Ga., he met Miss Anna Gertrude Dunham, a daughter of Judge J. H. Dunham, a well known educator in the State of Georgia, whom he married November 22,1866. In February, 1864, he was exchanged, but remained on detailed service till August, 1864, when he was transferred to the west side of the Mississippi River, where he was engaged in attending to the business of his mother, and teaching his brothers and sisters the neighbors' children, until the close of the war. In the fall of 1866 he returned to Georgia, and was married as stated above. Until 1872 he remained on the farm, managing his father's estate and teaching school, but March 20 of that year, the old homestead, to which the entire family had become greatly attached, caught fire and was burned to the ground, which was an almost total less. In the fall of 1872, having been selected to take charge of the Male College at Mount Lebanon, he gave up farm work and has since devoted his time to teaching. In 1873 the female school was united with the male, under his presidency, and this he managed with great success for four years, when be was elected president of the Trenton Institute, at Trenton, La. After two years be was elected president of Homer Male College his former alma mater, of which be had control for four years, then becoming superintendent of the public schools of the city of Monroe, La. The next year, 1882, he again had charge of the Trenton Institute, but in 1883 he moved to Arcadia, and founded a private institution, which he named and dedicated to the honor of his aged mother, the "E. A. Seminary," the initials representing his mother's first names. This institution he maintained under the most trying circumstances and bitter opposition from another school. In 1890 the two schools were united under one management, and he became the president of the E. A. S. Male College. Nurtured and trained by God-fearing parents, he grew up a moral and religions man, joining, at the age of fourteen years, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of which he has since been a devoted member, taking an active part in all church work, especially that of the Sunday- school. Having devoted his life to the cause of education, he very early became sensible of the greatness and grandeur of the work in which he was engaged, and he became fully impressed that an education that stopped short of immortality was not of the highest kind. Teaching by example and precept, his success as an educator or has been unprecedented, and now honorable positions in every department of life are filled by his many pupils. Farmers, doctors,lawyers, preachers, missionaries and teachers bear testimony to his ability as an educator. In 1865 he was admitted to the lodge of Free Masonry, and for six years served as master of his lodge, and three years as high priest of his chapter. In 1883 he also becaame a member of the order A. L. of H. He has always been conservative in politics, and while he has never taken an active part in the management of affairs, he has always been to the polls and voted for good and true men. He is a strong advocate of temperance, and never fails to cast his vote against the whisky traffic, whenever an opportunity presents itself. He is opposed to the lottery also, and, in fact, all kinds of gambling, and has never engaged in any game of chance. To himself and wife a fine family of nine children have been born, five sons and two daughters of whom are now living, and while there arc no geniuses among them, they are all sound and well balanced in mind and body, and give every promise of making useful and substantial men and women. Their names are: Ione (born July 10, 1868), an infant son (born and died (August 11, 1870), Claud (born November 7, 1871), Dunham (born September 27,1873), Robert (born December 21,1875, and died April 20, 1880), Anna (born December 29, 1877), Carter born June 7,1880), Morgan (born October 21, 1882),and Walker (born November 23, 1886). The eldest two children are preparing themselves for teaching. The mother of these children was the eldest of her parents' nine children and as her father was a noted educator of Georgia, and had been for more than thirty years, she received the care and training tbat a loving parent-would bestow upon his first born. Her education, literary and musical, was liberal and so well grounded that it has always renamed bright, end has enabled her to render valuable aid to her husband in the school room.Her musical attainments have added much to the pleasure and entertainment of her husband and children, and has wielded a potent influence in cementing the ties of affection, and in binding the hearts the children to their parents and home. # # #