Westmoreland-Fayette County PA Archives History .....Rev. Joseph Smith Diaries 
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Lynn Beatty klbeatty2npgcable.com March 17, 2012, 10:18 am

While I was away on my Sesqui Centennial trip June 26 to Aug 17, both 
inclusive, Rev James Power Smith Box 98 Tallulah, Louisiana Pastor of the 
Tallulah Pres Ch there sent me by insured parcel post on July 6, 1926 the 
autobiographic diary of his grandfather Rev Joseph Smith D.D. late of 
Greensburgh, Pa in sd gf's own handwriting, closely & finely written consisting 
of 245 pages & 30 pages additional of appendix or additions note size 8 x 5 
inches 23 lines to the page.  I have a second letter from Rev Smith dated Aug 
24, saying he had no acknowledgment & asking for their return as he valued them 
very highly  There were also three pamphlets enclosed.  His gf Joseph Smith was 
the author of Old Redstone a work so highly prized by my dear mother & all of 
us & I notice them in the Appendix of one of the pamphlets is a sketch of Rev 
Audley Calhoun, who married father & mother in Feby 1846 & died two years 
later.  I am taking today to read over this diary or autobiography a few of the 
first pages of which offer excuses for a person taking from his time in the 
services of his Master for such a personal memoir, but states that be reason of 
his ministry in several states, it deserves in his advanced years the 
recordation of important things he remembers & then on page 5 says: "It has 
pleased a merciful & gracious God in his adorable sovereignty after permitting 
me to preach the everlasting gospel for nearly half of a century to deprive me 
in some degree of the faculty of utterance & thus, to disqualify me for the 
pulpit & even for private religious conversation.  It is now more than a year 
since a semi paralysis has impaired my power of distinct articulation; though 
it has not affected permanently my general health nor so far as I am aware, 
blunted my mental faculties or affected my memory.  In this condition, I have 
perceived? that with some notes which I was in the habit of making in a kind of 
journal, I could relate some things in my past history that would be pleasant & 
profitable & resound to the Glory of God & that might serve as footprints on 
the sands of time" etc.


Accordingly in reading over same today with this record book 18 open, I will 
make note of his general itinerary, of some important historical data & any 
references to the fourteen families whose history I am gathering for 
preservation by eventual publication.
Bottom Page 6 says his paternal grandfather Rev Joseph Smith was first pastor 
of Upper Buffalo & Cross Creek Congregations in Wash. Co (Pa) till his death in 
1792 was a native of West Nottingham, Cecil Co, Md. For a sketch of whom see 
Rev G.A. Gayley's "Sketches of the Lower West Nottingham Pres Ch".  He was born 
a short distance from the Susquehanna on the direct road from the river to the 
Rising Sun, was educated in Mr Finley's school, was a pioneer of 
Presbyterianism in W. Pa & an original member of Redstone Presbytery.  It is 
probable he was the son of John Smith who was a Ruling Elder in 1730.  His wife 
my paternal grandmother was Esther Cummins daughter of Squire Cummins, who kept 
a public house, a store & dispensed justice as a Magistrate in the village of 
the Rising Sun, (Md)

My maternal grandfather was the Rev James Power D.D. long the missionary Pastor 
of several churches which he organized in Fayette & Westmoreland Counties & 
then pastor of Mt Pleasant & Sewickly Congregations & still later & longer the 
pastor of Mt Pleasant Church & after surviving his pastorate some 13 yrs, he 
died in 1830.  His wife, my maternal grandmother was Mary Tanner, who was the 
daughter of parents who lived in Piqua, Lancaster Co, Pa & she probably was a a 
native of the same.  From the Col. Records of Penna, I found two lists of first 
settles, Scotch Irish & German in which the name of Tanner is found, not in the 
Scotch Irish, but in the German (look up these lists) from which it seems 
probable she was by her parentage from the "Father Land".  Thus, my paternal 
grandfather & probably grandmother were of English origin.  My mother's father 
was Scotch Irish, perhaps indeed of the pure Milesian race, for his father's 
name was Patrick, but his wife was probably German.  Thus three races united in 
producing my parentage & the record which stands on the blank leafs of the 
Hebrew Bible that belonged to my father Revd David Smith runs in this wise:

Page 8 bottom:
"Joseph Smith was born at Georges Creek July 15, 1796 abt 3 o'c PM, Baptized by 
the Revd Thomas Moore at Georges Creek Meeting House August 30th following 
(exactly 26 yrs before Father was born) Explained as follows:
"My father had become pastor of the United Congregations of Georges Creek & 
Union in Fayette Co on Aug 20, 1794.  He had been licensed Nov 14, 1792 by the 
Pres of Redstone at Fairfield, Ligonier Valley & spent a year in supplying the 
vacant churches through the then widely extended field of the old Presbytery*.  
States here that he finds an old manuscript volume in which his father made 
various miscellaneous entries, the following in his father's "own very small 
fine handwriting" stating his licensure & appointment as above & saying that in 
pursuance thereof "I preached the 1st Sabbath at Ebenezer, on Black Lick, the 
next Sabbath at Bethel, on Black Lick from there to Pucketty [best guess] & 
Pitt Tp congregations & then to Long Run & Sewickley & then over the river to 
Lebanon, Mingo Creek & Horse Shoe Bottoms Cos returning by Pike Run, I preached 
there a week day & from that came home & preached at Buffalo & Cross Creek the 
next two Sabbaths.  I went from home to Mill Creek the next Sabbath to Keigs? 
Creek & then home".  This was probably in cold winter weather.  In the 
following Oct 1793, two calls were placed, the one from his father's churches & 
the other from Georges Creek & Union in Fayette Co.  He did not decide until 
meeting of Presbytery Apr 15, 1794 when he accepted the call of our Fayette Co, 
no doubt considering what a Boanerges [sic] his father was as a preacher & 
perhaps as this author, his son says having in view what Dr Sprece [Sprell?], 
in learning of the successor of Rev S. Brown said, that "is easy to step into 
his shoes, but not so easy to fill his hat".  Old Mr Smith's hat was not easily 
filled.
Presbytery directed him to prepare a discourse on 1st Cor 13:13 as a part of 
trial for ordination at their next meeting which was at Georges Creek Aug 19, 
1794 & was opened with his discourse which was sustained.  On the next day, by 
fasting, humiliation & prayer, he was set apart to the Holy office of the 
Gospel ministry.  Mr McPherrin preached on the occasion from Ezekiel 33, 6,7,8 
& Mr Porter presided & gave the charge.  Two months later, he attended a 
meeting of his Pres. at Unity, Westnd Co, Pa on Oct 21, 1794 was called upon & 
opened Pres with a sermon, taking his text Psalms 32:1.  As the Rev Dr Powers 
residence at Mt Pleasant lay on the way fr Georges Creek to Unity, he perhaps 
both going & rtg lodged with Mr Power who had four or five single daughters, 
one of whom, Rebecca, then not quite 17 yrs old engaged his youthful 
affections.  He himself, tough an ordained minister was only 22 yrs old.  It is 
probably he made some progress during this visit in securing the affections of 
his future wife; for they were married Aug 25, 1795.  My father took his young 
wife accompanied by her sister Hannah (afterwards Mrs Chapin) & Jacob Lindley 
(afterwards the Rev J. Lindley D.D. recently decd at an advanced age in 
Connellsville, Fayette Co) on a visit to Wash Co for they both had near 
relatives there.  My mother had two sisters, in Pigeon Creek cong. & my father 
had his mother, residing during her widowhood in the home near upper Buffalo 
Meeting House, where she had witnessed the peaceful triumphant death of her 
husband the Rev Joseph Smith, but 3 yrs before.  She had with her then several 
single daughters, one of whom soon after died of consumption & all the others 
later married ministers of the gospel. Nothing is recorded of what they thought 
of his youthful wife, but tradition says she was the most beautiful of her 
father's daughters. She had already become a communicant in her father's 
church.  He had but a log cabin to take her to on his farm on Georges Creek 
(look up deeds at C.H. & locate the farm) which was abt a mile from Smithfield 
& not very far from the residence of Albert Gallatin Esq, then living 
at "Geneva" on the Monongahela.  My father frequently preached at Geneva.  Mr 
Gallatin & his brother in law, Col Nicholson extended a good deal of friendly 
regard to my father.
The year previous to my father's marriage, was memorable as that of 
the "Whiskey Insurrection" & it is thought Gallatin's influence which was very 
great preserved that region fr barn burning, tar & feathers & bloodshed.  "The 
first two years of my life were passed in that log cabin".  He then refers to 
his many changes of residence as will hereafter appear & his early removal from 
the place of his birth as forecasting, operating vs developing the 
phrenological bump of locality or strong attachment to any one place of 
residence.

In 1798, my father having obtained a dismission from his Fayette Co charge & 
recd a call to the United Cong of Rehoboth & Roundhill in the Forks of the 
Yough, removed into the bounds of the former in Rostraver Tp, Westnd Co, Pa & 
for some time lived in a log cabin or the farm of Major John Power, brother of 
his father in law Dr Power.  Soon after, he purchased a farm of 140 A a little 
more than a mile fr Belle Vernon on which he erected a good two story, shingle 
roofed log house to which he soon after added another constituting together as 
comfortable home as anywhere then found in the neighborhood, making quite a 
pleasant place but the present dingy, dilapidated & ruinous appearance of this 
farm, makes a very different impression.  He refers here to the first 
reminiscence of his life memory of his childhood, which is about their "house 
dog" which though generally eager to follow his father when he left home & 
troublesome on this account, requiring him to be penned up on such occasions of 
departure, on the day of our removal refused to leave the vacated house.  A 
wagon or two had set off with our movables & were some distance away when my 
mother with an infant in her arms (this should fix which place it was) & my 
father, taking me up before him & calling coaxingly without avail, could not 
get the dog to follow, whereupon, he rode on briskly to the wagon, committing 
me to the driver who placed me snugly in the front part of it.  My father 
riding back, took him up & brought him to the wagon & fastened him in the 
hinder part thereof.  This whole scene, I distinctly remember, but am not 
confident as to whether upon our removal from Fayette Co when I was 23 yrs old 
or from the Major Power farm when I was 3 yrs old.  Recalling Clark Breading's 
recollection of last night in 1877, when three yrs old & W.C. McKears's [best 
guess] last week of his first recollection in 1863, when 3 yrs old, I incline 
to think this is when they removed from the Maj Power log cabin to the new home 
where he says his father lived until he died on Aug 23, 1803 in his 32d year, 
while my recollections of home are dim & indistinct, he was perhaps about 5 ft 
11 inches in height, rather slender & pale visaged, but active in his 
movements, very kind & affectionate in his family.  Speaking of his library, 
small though well selected, he mentions a blank vol. he had in which he had 
listed all the books left him by his father's will & of his own purchases up to 
the time of his death (something which I commenced & continued for a few years 
& while not entered regularly in that book, my cash Account book furnishes 
names & prices of the numerous volumes of my extensive library).  mentioning 
his interest in education, he refers to his giving ground off of his farm on 
which was built the best school house within 10 miles.  A brick church said to 
be the first of its kind west of the mountains was nearing completion.  On a 
Friday night, early in Aug 1803, he preached to a large congregation in this 
new house & then rode home near 2 miles with a violent headache.  A bilious 
fever set in, developed violently & steadily until in 7 or 8 days, the end 
came.  He suffered greatly, but was eminentlypeaceful & happy.  I remember his 
pale emaciated appearance, the constant throng of visitants, many from a 
distance of 10 to 12 miles. Toward the last, the doors were thrown open & 
everyone admitted as no further precautions were regarded as of any avail.  He 
talked exhorted & prayed until his last breath.  He sent messages to many & 
sent for two of his  neighbors who were at variance & not on speaking terms, 
who coming to his bedside, he melted them down to tenderness & mutual 
forgiveness & made them join hands in reconciliation across his death bed.  
Vast throngs attended his funeral & many groups of young people were seen in 
the yard & out in the field adjg under the shade trees singing hymns.  This I 
well remember.

My mother was then left a widow with 4 little children of whom I was the 
oldest, then 7 yrs old.  My brother James, now residing in McMinnville, Tenn & 
for some years acting as Colporteur for our board of Pub. was next to me in 
age.  Then David, who lived till nearly through his collegiate course in 
Hampden Sidney College, VA when he fell into consumption & died near Uniontown, 
Fayette County near 50 yrs ago, about whom more hereafter.  Then our only 
sister Eliza who lived until abt 22 yrs of age & died a perfectly happy death 
in Jefferson Co, Ohio, some two or three years after our brother David's 
death.  Of her also, I may hereafter give some further acct. (Some six weeks 
after my father's death, my mother gave birth to another son, whom she called 
Jedediah, but he lived only a few months)

from Life & Times of Joseph Smith, written autobiographical notes he says:
His mother continued on the farm having as tenant.
Emanuel Allensworth, from Berkeley Co, Va & with help of a sister & neighboring 
ladies & on occasion, a hired girl, receiving from many neighbors shares of 
their farm produce, but considers two worthy of recorded notice one Noah Speer 
a wealthy man though not a member of church who never failed for many years to 
send his team about the setting in of winter to perform a day's hauling of wood 
& coal for us, besides generally a barrel of cider & some bags of apples in the 
wagon. "He was the first man that introduced the pippin & some other varieties 
of good fruit in western Pennsylvania" (The other man).
"William Elliott, though residing on Little Redstone some 6 or 7 miles from us 
was another kind friend of our fatherless family.  He would every year come 
down with his team bringing some of his sons with him & work hard all day as 
though he were hired by the job, not only getting us wood, but doing all sorts 
of chores that he might see were needed."  (This my great grandfather)
He speaks of a grown girl coming to school & having a book the "Fool of 
Quality" from which the teacher allowed her to read for her lessons & he 
becoming interested in the story borrowed it from her to take home & read at 
night & returning always the next day.  Similarly a boy had "Cooks Voyages" 
which he read, then got some London magazines then Josephus works & had already 
read "Pilgrims Progress" & the "Holy War: every one at the time got their 
lessons out loud making at times noises that scared passing horses.  See line 
28 next page & insert here [which I will do for clarity] "But I must never 
forget that my desire to read was first strongly developed by the volume of 
the "Fool of Quality".

About 1808, or 1809, Geo H. Tower a teacher came from Connecticut & introduced 
the silent method of study.  He fixes the time of writing these notes as 1868 
(he wd then be 72 as I am now.)  He speaks of several of the 60 scholars among 
them David Jennings, son of Rev Dr Jennings of Fayette Co (& brother of the 
late Rev Dr O. Jennings of Nashville, Tenn which has crossed out, not that it 
wasn't a fact, but evidently not wanting to couple his name in this connection) 
afterwards studied law, married a most estimable lady, daughter of the late 
John Daly Esq of Westmoreland Co removed to St Clairsville, O (see book 14 
pages 2 & 3) became an eminent lawyer, was elected to Congress, gave promise of 
much success & distinction, became strangely enamored with some Corinthian 
creature in Washington City, went off with her to Canada or parts unknown & 
never returned, leaving an accomplished wife & children in St Clairsville.  His 
case seemed a species of insanity, but whether mental or moral cannot be easily 
determined.
His mother conducted family worship daily & prayed feelingly & touchingly for 
them greatly affecting him & leading him to amended formative habits, taught 
them the Catechism & while he was thrown with vicious & profane boys, he never 
indulged in profanity "& scrupulously avoided telling lies".
Our minister was the Revd Wm Wylie, the immediate successor of my father, & my 
Uncle by marriage, his wife being my father's sister.  He was my faithful legal 
guardian.  About this time of my urgent pleas, mother agreed that I should go 
to live with Robert Moore who had recently married my cousin Miss Mary Kerr of 
Pigeon Creek & who was living about 3 miles from us & learn the fulling 
business.  See book 7 p 518.  Delays in procuring my outfit for going & 
arranging to spare me from home occurred & when I went he had employed another 
apprentice, thinking we had changed our minds & I rtd much mortified.
About this time, Andrew Wylie, brother of my Uncle who had just graduated at 
Jefferson College came in the fall of 1810 to live with his brother & study 
theology with him.  He taught six of us in Latin so that in may 1811 I went to 
Canonsburg, Pa & entered Jefferson College where I attained boarding from Mr 
Canon at $1.25 per week & roomed in a study one room in his yard four of us 
viz: Williams Heaton, Thomas Johnston, Samuel Riddle & myself.  Being no church 
in town attended old Chartiers.  Dr McMillan's church a mile & a half away.  
Joined Philo Literary Society & practiced speaking extempore. He refers to a 
reckless old drunkard, said to have been an officer in the British Army & a 
graduate from a University in Scotland or Ireland & conversing easily in Latin, 
who for a few cents with which to buy liquor would help the students over hard 
places in their Latin.
Also of another old drunkard a Revolutionary soldier 80 yrs old of astonishing 
bodily agility, a small man, but well proportioned in his limbs who for a few 
cents would throw an arm to the ground turn over & over for 30 to 40 yards, 
like a wagon wheel, very few of the boys or young men could perform this feat 
which Mrs Canon's yard where we boarded was often used for, his performance of 
this trick.

He speaks of the spartans making their slaves the Helotes drunk as a warning to 
their children, but we had these advantage of these examples without the guilt 
attendant on the Spartan way. Unfortunately, he did not give the names of these 
odd characters.
In summer of 1812, I found a pleasant place of boarding at Joseph McNary's in 
the country one mile down Chartiers Creek below Canonsburg & had James S. 
Miller as a roommate.  My habits were strictly moral, but my soul was a sect of 
sin "a cage of unclean birds full of all uncleanness".  My roommate, a Seceder, 
attended Dr Ramsey's Ch.  My route to Chartiers was by a near cut across the 
hills & in going & returning, I was generally alone.  This gave me a much 
better opportunity for meditation.  (I am particularly noting this here by 
reason of my own like experiences & benefits from lone walks, so often from 
Spring Dale to town to & from my duties at the bank).  These solitary walks, 
especially on my return, were of much advantage to me in keeping my conscience 
in a somewhat quickened state & often did Dr McMillan's alarming & awakening 
discourses send me back in a state of deep concern about my eternal interests.  
Dr Nettleton's advice a few yrs later at Staunton to repair to yr closet for 
meditation & prayer is on a parity with these reveries.  (In all my books, note 
the great importance, patent 50 yrs ago, of a boy, or girl, in their teens 
taking walks alone.  JVT)  Along the banks of the creek below our boarding 
house was a magnificent grove of lofty trees.  Here, I often resorted in the 
evenings for meditation for committing speeches & for preparing for debates in 
the Phil Society. (as did I)

My mother's means did not permit of my returning to college the year 1812 1813 
& I worked at home on the farm, but my mother gave me a small quiet room with a 
coal fire where I worked at night translating many Greek & Latin Books.  that 
winter in the dead of winter, I was sent on a trip of three or four days on 
which I suffered greatly from the extreme cold, to Georges Creek to collect the 
rent from the tenant on the old farm (look up at our C.H. who David Smith 
bought this from abt 1795 & when it was sold after 1813).  "I stayed one night 
with our tenant in the log cabin in which I was born & another night with a 
thrifty old Baptist living near, who treated me with great kindness". I 
returned with the cash rent which was a great relief to my mother. In the 
ensuing sessions until I graduated in 1815, I boarded at different places, 
mostly in the country.  When I rtd in the spring of 1813, I again obtained 
boarding at Mr McNary's, my fellow boarders being: Samuel Irwin, afterwards a 
Seceder minister in Wayne Co, O, James Frazier, a classmate who died a yr to 
two later, Chauncey Forward, a lawyer of Somerset Co, Pa, My brother David, who 
had accompanied me back.

During the period of my college life having a kind old aunt, Mrs E. Kerr of 
Pigeon Creek about 5 miles east of Canonsburg, I generally walked out every 
fortnight on Saturday (for she had generously undertaken to have my washing 
done by her daughter (or daughters) & I generally stayed until Sabbath evening 
or Monday morning.  I usually went with them to their church which was a large 
stone building.  Here one Sabbath, the floor of the church dropped about 3 feet 
to the ground causing an uproar & panic but no one was seriously hurt.  The 
Sleepers had dry rot by reason of no ventilation below.
My Uncles pew was a back one, attached to the wall abt 2 ft above the level of 
the wall & did not sink with the others, leaving us perched still higher above 
the others.  My Uncle was a rank Democrat & yet in those leveling times, he had 
his pew out topping all his neighbors. My Uncle carried on a large distillery 
as well as farmed extensively.  He had in early life taken an active part in 
the Whisky Insurrection, though he had had no share in any scene of personal 
violence or barn burning.  He was one of those who were at the close of that 
unhappy & disastrous affair arrested & sent to Philadelphia for trial, but was 
at length acquitted or released by some general act of amnesty.  He was 
previously a very popular man, but this portion of his history secured his 
popularity for life.  He was often elected to the State Legislature & served 
his constituents with fidelity.  He was a ruling elder of the church & a 
trustee of Jefferson College.  His friendship & that of his family were of 
essential service to me during my college days.  He records gratefully his 
obligations to several pious students of the Associate of Seceder church whose 
influence was most salutary & says:  "Jefferson College owes much to the moral 
& religious influence of the Seceder students.  During the Summer of 1814, 
having become a tutor in the college, I boarded at Mrs Emory's along with Wm 
Jeffery, (now Rev Wm Jeffery D.D. lately Pres of the B'd of Trustees of Jeff 
College,) James Kerr Lately decd long a physician in Claysville & Canonsburg, 
Wm Nesbitt now Rev Wm Nesbitt of New Bedford, Pa & Henry Minor of whose & 
subsequent history I know nothing.
The tutorship gave me increased social position & I became careless & 
thoughtless, bad company & evil companionship led me astray & I became 
intoxicated & in the gravest danger from which I was saved by the President, Mr 
Wylie who treated me with much tenderness & forbearance & by his faithful 
admonitions again armed my conscience & saved me from inevitable ruin.
During the next winter, I boarded again in the country at Mr McNary's, entered 
the senior class & studied very closely.  At a communion at old Chartiers an 
address by Dr McMillan a walk to the grove renewed meditations brought me to 
the sense that "old things were passed away & all things become new".
I took my degree of A.B. the last Tuesday of Sept 1815, Messrs Johnston & 
Frazier were my fellow graduates.  The trustees assigned to me the first honor 
& I had to prepare & deliver a Greek & Latin Salutatory & Valedictory all in 
one.  After commencement, I returned to my mother's & now at the age of 
nineteen, I was at the end of my college life.  I had already committed myself 
to a particular enterprise, not feeling that it would be entirely right for me 
to prepare for the gospel ministry.
Dr Wylie recd a letter from the Academy of Berryville, then Frederick Co, Va & 
recommending James P. Miller & myself, we started on horseback from my mother's 
& rode that afternoon to my grandfather Power's, 18 miles continuing next 
morning via Somerset, Bedford, McConelstown, [sic] Mercersburg, & Williamsport, 
Md on the Potomac which place we reached about dusk on the evening of the 5th 
day after my departure from home.  Here a grand illumination was in process, 
triumphal arches, transparencies suspended from them on one of which we 
read: "Doctor General William Goodloe Harper" with some difficulty, we reached 
the hotel.

The figure seemed as though of one to be burned in effigy.  We learned that it 
was a Democratic meeting celebrating their victory at the late election & the 
gentleman above named was the distinguished leader of the opposite party, a man 
of great worth & one of Maryland's most distinguished men & noblest men. (it 
was for him that Goodloe Harper Bowman of Brownsville, Pa whose father came 
with Uncle Robert Elliott fr Hagerstown, Md was named)  I heard him many years 
afterwards plead the cause of the American colonization society before the Genl 
Assembly of the Pres Ch in Phila & only two yrs ago noticed his unambitious 
sepulchre monument in the Balto cem, or he being a Roman Catholic, it might 
have been his caustaph [sic].  Next day, crossing the Potomac, we entered VA 
for the first time in our lives except that we had both been in the panhandle. 
Late in the day, we reached Leetown, now a decayed village noted for the 
residence of Genl Charles Lee of Revolutionary memory, near where lived Mr 
Seawright, an old Baptists at whose residence we were arriving to see our 
student friend, Francis McFarland teaching there. A passing Baptist clergyman 
also a guest, asked the blessing before we set down to supper.  A Va custom.  
The next day, we reached Berryville, then Battletown, (Leestown is now 
Leesburg, Va where I was Aug 25, 1923) in Frederick To now the county town of 
Clarke Co & meeting the trustees of Battletown Academy was thunderstruck by the 
courtly manner, dress & refinement of the Prest "Bob Page" over 60 yrs of age a 
VA lawyer, farmer of large estate living near, belonging to one of the oldest 
F.F. VA.


The trustees had brought Rev Dr Wm Hill from Winchester, Va to examine us & 
upon his asking me about the pioneer preacher, Rev Joseph Smith, I told him he 
was my grandfather & that Rev David Smith a dear & cherished school friend of 
his, was my father, he was greatly pleased, turned us over the keys & I was 
there from the fall of 1815 to that of 1816.  Mr Hill then related what I have 
recorded in the Biog Sketch of my father in "Old Redstone".
In the Spring of 1816, I attended a meeting of the Pres of Winchester at 
Charlestown & also a communion season (for in VA & the south, meetings of both 
Pres & Synods were also communion seasons).  Here I was then received in the 
communion of the church & oh how often I have said since "My God repeat that 
heavenly hour".  The Rev Dr Wilson preached the "action" sermon & Dr Hill 
introduced the communion service, a day & place long to be remembered "yet near 
this very place, John Brown was hung".
The summer of 1816 was a remarkably cold one, hardly a warm day & said to be 
first every month in the year attributed to many & large spots on the sun.
Speaking of the fourth physician in Battletown, who later went to destruction 
through financial failure (God be praised for what integrity he has permitted 
me to maintain through mine) he said "he possessed more personal dignity of 
manner, than almost any man I ever knew & yet he was a very small man fully 
proving as was said Aaron Burr & James Madison (both in "our families") did the 
same, that a large body is not necessary to secure a commanding personal 
presence".

While our term of engagement continued till the last of Sept, we had a harvest 
vacation of 2 weeks in July during which we took a trip up the valley of the 
Shenandoah to the lower end of Shenandoah Co in the neighborhood of Stoverstown 
(named no doubt for our Rev John Casper Stoever) & Strasburgh (make mems to go 
there) to a high peak the extreme northern end of Picket or Peaked (perhaps 
Bicket or Beaked) Mountain where the expanse of the wonderful Shenandoah was in 
view & the Capitals of 5 counties.
We closed the school with eclat & an "exhibition" & though urged by the 
Trustees to remain, I concluded to pursue my studies for the gospel ministry & 
on invitation from Dr Hill, I went to live at his home in Winchester & study 
with him preparatory to entering Princeton. Went with Dr Hill to meeting of his 
Pres at Romeny, was examined again & taken under their charge.  Met many able 
noted men who stopped with Dr Hill, notably, Dr Alexander of Princeton & a pale 
young man traveling with him to the south, Charles Hodge, with whom I roomed 
throughout my course at Princeton, afterwards the celebrated Dr Charles Hodge 
D.D.  L.L.D. I graduated in spring of 1819 my class being that of 1819 having 
as classmates, Dr Nevins of Balto, Dr Hodge, Dr Sprague, Dr Peters, Bishop 
Johns of VA etc.  In the spring of 1819, I attended meeting of Pres of 
Winchester at Middleburg, Loudon Co, Va was examined & licensed to preach the 
gospel.  I had had some interruptions having gone in early June 1818 to attend 
a revival at Rockaway NJ on my return to Princeton I found a letter from 
Gordonsville, Va telling me that my brother David who had been at Hampden 
Sydney College & was soon to graduate had fallen into a rapid decline & having 
started home, had to stop at Gordonsville, for which place I started 
immediately & found him far advanced in pulmonary disease.  I bought a light 
carriage & horse & started for mother with slow travel or 10 to 12 miles daily 
& rested July 4, at Dr Hill's in Winchester where the ther [thermometer] at 2 
PM was 102 in the shade.  We made our way to Cumberland & over the Allegheny 
Mountains, descending Laurel Hill, we were overtaken by a violent storm, our 
carriage also broke down before the storm was over.  I was obliged to leave my 
brother & run down the mountain a half mile or more & get assistance. My poor 
brother was carried down & almost in a dying state, but his soul enjoyed 
perfect peace.  He lingered two days & died in full assurance of Everlasting 
rest.  After seeing his mortal remains interred in Uniontown (I think he is 
buried in the old Pres g.y.) I journeyed on to my distressed mother & left my 
horse & carriage to board with my stepfather the Revd Thos Hunt.  He was pastor 
of the second Pres Ch Pgh Pa.  He had married my mother in the fall of 1815, 
shortly after I had started to Berryville, Va.  Shortly after my hasty visit, 
he resigned his charge at Pgh & accepted one at a church 9 miles from 
Steubenville, O in that Pres where he lived until he died. On my way back, I 
met & had as companions on the stage coach, Hon. H. Denny of Pgh, his wife & 
several children on their way to Bedford Springs.  Among the many families into 
which I had entree the last year at Princeton & they were many, both enjoyable 
& profitable.  I note with special pleasure "my privilege to be a frequent 
guest of old Dr Samuel Stanhope Smith (another of "our families") who treated 
me with great kindness & after entertained me with the reminiscences of his 
younger days.
On my summer vacation in 1818, I spent it two weeks in Phila.  I went one 
evening with Mr Sprague to Mrs Ten Eyek's, a fine old lady with whom he had 
formerly boarded.  She told them she had in her garret a large box of papers 
left by Genl Morgan & his family when they left for western Penna some thirty 
years before.  They had never sent for them & though written to about them they 
either by silence or express assent abandoned them to Mrs Ten Eyek's disposal.  
She gave us leave to overhaul the box & take what we wanted.  While it did not 
interest me, I told Sprague I would help him rummage through it, so one night, 
when we did, we found it a rich mine ctg letters from Genl Washington, his 
cabinet officers when he was Pres, his staff officers & from many other 
distinguished men of Washington's times.  Dr Sprague probably began here his 
rare collection of autographs & that night possibly was developed that singular 
& remarkable taste which has been cultivated in subsequent years & been crowned 
with signal success.  On Monday morning Feby 1, 1820, I rode from Alexandria 
across the cold bridge over the Potomac, the coldest day that was ever known 
there & for the first time, saw the Senate & House of Rep & heard John 
Randolph, the Cynosure of all eyes & ears speak in his queer voice on the 
Missouri question.  He however states he had previously been in the Senate 
Chamber & heard Clay & Smith of Maryland, Forsyth & Crawford &c.  Having a 
longing for the west, I decided to quit Va forever & exchanged my horse for a 
better, preparatory to returning to western Penna & the meeting of our Pres in 
Apr 1821 in Winchester.  My old student friend Dr McFarland had organized the 
most western church on the continent at Chariton, Mo & I had a desire to go 
there, but was much perplexed at this time in getting a letter from him saying 
he was quitting that field.  


Just then, a man came to me inviting me to a permanent settlement at 
Harrisonburg, Va which Dr Hill Matthews & others advised me unanimously to 
accept which I did, but having committed myself to a visit to my mother & W. Pa 
friends, I went for 4 weeks or more & rtd through Winchester & spent several 
days renewing the acquaintance of one I had seen in the mountains of "Hampshire 
Co" at the home of her Uncle, Col R. Sharon & "I succeeded in prevailing with 
her to consent in due time, to become my wife.  She was the daughter of John 
Bell Esq, a merchant of Winchester & an elder of the Pres Ch.  The result will 
be stated in its proper place".
"Then with a light heart & cheerful steps, I went my way up the valley of Va to 
Harrisonburgh, the capital of Rockingham Co & entered immediately on my labours 
there".
On Aug 7, 1821, I was married in Winchester to Miss Eliza Bell by the Rev Dr 
Hill, the Synod of Va met in Lexington in 1821.  We passed up to visit the 
Natural Bridge a few days before & lodged the night after we viewed the bridge, 
Quaranton? at a country inn near the bridge. Here we met Father Mitchell over 
80, but active & lively as the youngest of us & many other ministers going to 
Synod.  Father Mitchell entertained the crowd by telling of a former meeting of 
Synod & how in the evening, they put up two Princeton students to preach 
whereupon someone told him I was one of them & introduced me.  On Apr 22, 1822, 
I was ordained & installed pastor of Cooks Creek & Harrisonburgh.  On the 27th 
of May 1822, I became a parent.  My daughter Elizabeth Hill Smith was born on 
that day.

"Thus in the course of one short year, I became a husband, a pastor & a 
parent.  How solemn the duties & responsibilities of these several relations."
In Sept 11, 1823, at meeting of Pres at Bethel, Augusta Co, I was made 
moderator for the first time at which protesting that I was "hardly bridle wire 
as a private" this very unfortunate expression put me in the chair for the many 
country elders afterwards told me that "they always put a wild young colt in 
the head in order to break him in".
On the 4th Thursday of Oct 1832, the Synod of Va met at Petersburg, & I 
attended stopping as a guest in the family of Mrs Nichols, a daughter of the 
celebrated General Roberden [sic] of Revolutionary memory, who had been left a 
widow with a large dependent family of daughters & scant means & who I had 
known in Winchester as a teacher of a female seminary & with whom too, at this 
time, Dr Hill lodged.
In the summer or fall of 1823, I recd through Dr Hill, an invitation to Romney, 
Hampshire Co.  I had recd the previous fall through Rev J. Hoge, a similar call 
to Martinsburgh.  In both cases the Salary proposed was between $600 & $700.  I 
was then receiving only $450 at Harrisonburg.  My congregation met Jany 1, 1824 
at New Erection (he had once called attention to a finger [best guess] board 
saying New Hrrerison [sic]) considering a raise of salary at which Robt Gray 
Esq addressed them eloquently.  They raised my salary to $500 & I thought it my 
duty not to leave them.  My son David was born in January 1824. The Pres met in 
Apr 1824 at Massey Creek & appointed Dr Hendron & myself commissioners to the 
Genl Assembly & I accordingly went to NY the week before.  On Sept 8, 1824, Dr 
McFarland & I set out on a journey to W. Pa & Ohio, going through Brocks Gap, 
Petersburgh, Hardy Co & Morgantown.  This was the 3d visit since I had been 
licensed & the 4t since I left W. Pa, the land of my birth when in the summer 
of 1818 when I returned with my sick & dying brother, the National or 
Cumberland Road was finished only to Tomlinson's 20 miles west of Cumberland.  
When in 1819 I made a short visit, my stepfather, Rev Thomas Hunt had moved to 
Jefferson Co, O, so now in order to see my mother & sister, I went for the 
first time into Ohio crossing the river at Steubenville.  At that time, Mr Hunt 
had charge of the Congs of Two Ridges & Yellow Creek in the latter of which I 
preached for him.  They were living in a log cabin, my mother being then back 
where she started her married life 24 yrs before in 1795 on Georges Creek, Pa, 
but she was now as then in good health, contented & happy, but was soon to 
enjoy a better as Mr Hunt had bought an excellent little farm in an excellent 
neighborhood & rising community.  At that time I found the Rev O. Jennings D.D. 
settled in Steubenville as pastor.  On my return from my filial & fraternal 
visit, I preached for him at night in a large unfinished, uncomfortable brick 
meeting house, miserably lighted to a very small congregation & afterwards 
lodged with him. Here I found James P. Miller, my old colleague at Berryville 
in charge of the Steubenville Academy.  I also visited my old grandfather Rev 
James Power D.D.  Tho somewhat broken with the infirmities of age, he was still 
acting as stated supply to a people whose pastor he had been for nearly 40 
yrs.  He was still preaching in the old log meeting house, a picture of which 
is given in "old Redstone".  In that house, I had the privilege of preaching, 
standing in the old pulpit with a canopy overhead & my aged grandsire sitting 
below. I preached also during this excursion at Sewickly at West Newton at 
Rehoboth & at Uniontown. In this latter place, my Uncle, Rev Dr Wylie then 
resided preaching in the Court House at night.  I remember that my text 
was "Jesus wept"

In my third visit, I found many changes.  My sister had died a short time 
before.  Her health for some time had been declining & dying in perfect peace, 
her last heard words were "Dear Jesus, thou tarriest long".  Dr Jennings had 
left Steubenville & gone to Washington, Pa. Rev A. O. Patterson D.D. was now 
the pastor in my grandfather's old Con & they were worshipping in a new brick 
house.  At Rehoboth, Mr Robt Johnston was the pastor.  I preached there on a 
weekday.  An immense congregation assembled to hear the son of their second 
pastor. I was astonished at the multitude.  It inspired me with unusual freedom 
& animation.  In the course of the sermon, two persons cried out in a manner 
similar to that which often occurred 15 yrs before when what was called the 
falling exercise prevailed.  At first, I was somewhat disconcerted.  It 
subsided immediately & was not again renewed.

During this fourth visit in the fall of 1824, visiting my mother & assisting in 
communion, I came over into Washington Co & spent a night with Rev Thos 
Marquis, the successor of my grandfather Rev Joseph Smith at Cross Creek, 
Brother McFarland having joined me again.

We went next day to Rev E. Macurdy's who was still the pastor or stated supply 
at Cross Roads where I also preached.  That visit was both pleasant & 
profitable.  A kinder or more affectionate man, I have hardly ever met with.  
Then to Washington where I again preached for Mr Jennings & lodged with Dr 
Wylie.
Here we met with that remarkable man, Thomas Dill who had often been at my 
mother's when I was quite a boy & while now a partially deranged man, but was 
doing great good.  He died soon thereafter, very old.

On our return through WVA, we spent a Sabbath in Morgantown, where we both 
preached & lodged with old Thomas Wilson Esq, an aged lawyer who had, when a 
young man emigrated from Rockbridge Co Va, had grown rich & influential, raised 
& educated several sons, who became distinguished men.  One of them, Edgar 
Willson [sic] Esq recently decd resided in Morgantown, a lawyer of eminence, an 
elder of the Pres Ch & formerly a member of congress.  Two other sons became 
distinguished lawyers, now dead.  Another son was a prominent Methodist 
minister.  A daughter Louisa now dead became eminent for her piety & as the 
wife of the Rev Mr Lowrie went with her husband to a Foreign mission & now her 
mortal remains lie sleeping away in a heathen land.  These Pres of Morgantown 
were without a pastor.  The Rev A.G. Fairchild had given them a portion of this 
time, but was now contracting his first to the limits of the upper part of 
Fayette Co.

We reached our homes abt Oct 1, (1824)
On our way out, we separated, Mr McF. going through Greene Co to Wash Co & I 
going to Uniontown to visit my Uncle Mr Wylie living there. Mrs Lyon, the wife 
of John Lyon Esq & sister of the late Judge Richard Coulter availed herself of 
the opportunity of accompanying me to Greensburg on a visit to her relatives.  
There I had business also, with Alex Foster, whom I had employed to collect the 
money for the sale of my father's farm near Rehoboth, Rostraver Tp.  Staying 
one night at Judge Coulter's, I next day visited my grandfather near Mt 
Pleasant.  I then passed on through the Forks of Yough toward Steubenville 
crossing the Monongahela at Elizabeth & witnessed the effects of a fearful 
tornado or hurricane that had passed over a part of that village.  It also left 
on the opposite side of the river terrible marks of its desolating power.
Early in March (1825) our second child, David was removed by death "I have now 
reason to believe that I have in heaven, a father, a mother, a brother, a 
sister & a son."
In Nov 1825, my son John Bell was born in Winchester, my wife remained there at 
her father's until spring.  I boarded during the winter, recd an invitation in 
Nov to visit & preach in Staunton with a view to receiving a call from that 
place.  In Jany 1826, I spent a Sabbath there & soon after was advised that a 
unanimous call for me wd be brought before Presbytery at its spring meeting.  
In Mch & April, visited Westnd Co & spent part of three days with my aged 
grandfather Rev Dr Power, finished business with A. Foster Esq at Gbg & rtd by 
Winchester from which place I brought my family to Harrisonburgh.  A few days 
after, went to Presby at Staunton & recd & accepted a call to the church 
there.  On May 10, 1826, I removed there rented & occupied a house from Mr 
Taylor for $60 per yr in which I lived the whole period of my residence there.


Augusta Co of which Stanton was the Co seat was formed from Orange Co in 1738 & 
for over 50 yrs extended over most of WVA & claimed much of W. Pa & the whole 
north west territory.  It was reduced to its present dimensions in 1790 & 
Staunton was early settled by Scotch Irish emigrants from Penna & Ireland.  Rev 
John Craig from Ireland was in 1740 installed pastor of Augusta & Tinkling 
Spring.  The whole of Fayette, Greene & Wash Co's & a great part of Westnd & 
Allegheny Cos were supposed by Virginians to be in Augusta Co until the 
boundary was definitely settled long after the Revolutionary War.  Dr McMillan 
was at Staunton on Wednesday after 3d Sabbath of Nov 1775 & renewed 
acquaintance with old friends who were overjoyed to see him & toward evening, 
he rode out to John Trumble's.  In this new charge at Staunton, I laboured till 
the fall of 1832.  The Synod of Va met in 1826 in Lexington, in 1827 in 
Lynchburg, in 1828 in Staunton, in 1829 in Richmond, in 1830 in Winchester, in 
1831 in Harrisonburgh, all of which I attended but excepting that at Richmond 
in 1829 there is nothing unusual to note.  Having a short time before lost our 
4th child Joseph, my wife was in great need of an excursion & joined us on our 
trip to Synod at Richmond.  We stopped going & coming at old Mr Ferguson's who 
kept a public house, but made no charge to us.  He had a wooden leg with a foot 
on it, so well adjusted you would think it real.  He showed us a literary 
curiosity which had been in his family before the Revolutionary War, viz a copy 
of the first folio edition of Dr Johnson's "Dictionary" ctg his celebrated 
definition of oats viz: "oats, a species of grain, food for horses in England & 
for men in Scotland", which was left out in subsequent edition.  The witty 
remark of Lord Mansfield, a Scotchman, when told of this definition is perhaps 
well known. "have you seen Murry, Dr Johnson's definition of oats".  "No" said 
M & when it was recited to him, he said: "And whoever saw such horses & such 
men".  The edition was generally in good condition though ctg some stains from 
having been buried in the ground a number of years during the Revolution.


In the Spring of 1832, I was sent as Comr to the Genl Assembly at Phila & on 
this occasion made a visit to Boston & going through Northampton, stopped off 
for a day's rest & to visit the house where Jonathan Edwards was born & the 
g.y. where David Brainerd lies buried beside Miss Edwards, to whom he was 
engaged at the time of his death.  Also visited Amherst College.  Next day 
reached the "Hub of the Universe" entering it by the south commons & spent 
several days visiting Bunkers Hill & its monument, Charlestown & its envious, 
Famed hall the Cradle of American Liberty, the Market House etc.  Returning, I 
reached Frederick Md Saturday night & preached for Mr Hamm with whom I spent 
the day.  He told me of a select boarding school at Prospect Hill in the 
country near which had been gotten up very successfully by Mr Jonathan E. 
Woodbridge, great grandson of the celebrated American Philosopher & Divine Revd 
Jonathan Edwards Sr who he said wished to sell out in order to go the Theo Sem 
at Princeton & prepare for the gospel ministry.  This providential visit 
resulting in an interview with Mr W. & I embarked in this enterprise & Rev 
Hamner? assured me that he was going to relinquish his charge next spring.  
Accordingly, I took charge of the Institution in Oct 1822 & upon Rev H's 
removal in the spring, by unanimous invitation became stated supply of the con. 
Domestic afflictions caused the owner of Prospect Hill to repossess the place & 
he made favorable term with me for cancellation of the lease & I moved the 
school to town, securing a location near the church.  In this two fold 
capacity, I remained in Frederick Md till early in the fall of 1834 everything 
connected with this removal being overruled by a kind Providence in my favor.  
Mrs S. upon leaving Staunton, accompanied me to Winchester & remained at her 
father's until Jany, having given birth to a son in December (1832) whom we 
called Wm Wylie Smith.  She was however able to come on & assume her part in 
charge of our rather oppressive & responsible concern, a boarding school of 14 
boys.

A letter from an entire stranger in the late summer of 1834 invited me to St 
Clairsville, O & as I had a longing to get near my friends in W. Pa or eastern 
Ohio, I went & spent two Sundays there & preached for them & this was followed 
by a unanimous call & my removal there in Oct 1834 & being installed pastor, I 
continued with them 2 yrs & 6 mos. The church was torn with dissensions, my 
predecessor Rev Joseph Anderson, was my Uncle by marriage, his first wife 
having been my father's sister, but I had never before seen him.  He was still 
living at St Clairsville, O but soon after moved to Missouri.  I attended the 
meeting of the Synod of Pgh at Steubenville & the crowd was too big. Old Dr J. 
Anderson, looking very frail was there.  He talks of coming to St Clairsville 
to spend the rest of his days.  HIs brother George lives here & is an Elder in 
our church & two of the Dr's sons  in law have sold out & talk of coming here.


Saw many old friends at Synod, Fairchild Wm Anderson, Stockton, Beatty, Riddle, 
etc.  Mr McCurdy was there broken down as to voice & with rheumatism, in other 
respects well.  Their best business men appeared to be R. Johnston, Elliott, 
Herron, A.O. Patterson & Wild.
Rev Wm Campbell, Pres of Franklin College at New Athens, O dying of consumption 
in the winter of 1836 37, I was urged & prevailed on to succeed him & 
accordingly took up my residence there in Apr 1837.  The school had been 
started 10 yrs before by Rev Wm McMillan D.D. Nephew of Rev John McMillan D.D. 
of Wash Co, Pa who dying was succeeded by Mr Campbell.  By the fall of 1838, 
the student body of young men had increased to 100.  I had thought before of 
making St Clairsville my permanent home, having bought a lot & the lumber to 
build a home.
During the last six mos of my residence at New Athens, I supplied the pulpit of 
the Presbyterian Ch at Cadiz. Gen Harrison, then a candidate for the 
Presidency, spending a Sabbath in Cadiz & attending our church packed it full.  
This unexpected crowd gave me the opportunity of enlarging on the words: "By 
humility & fear of the Lord, are riches & honor & life".  The General was a 
good hearer & afterwards paid me the compliment of calling at my lodgings & 
spending an hour with me.  He told me that though he was an Episcopalian, his 
wife was a Presbyterian & that he had a seat in Dr Wilson's church, Cincinnati 
& attended there as much as he did his own church.  After 18 mos, I withdrew 
because of the effort to bring the college under abolitionist domination.

In the fall of 1838, I recd invitations to return to Frederick Md as Pastor of 
the Pres Ch & Pres of the college which I accepted & served both 5 yrs but then 
withdrew fr the Pastorate feeling I was not performing my whole duty to them, 
but continued 6 mos longer as their stated supply.
In the summer of 1844 I preached at Ellicotts Mills  Md & finding there a field 
of usefulness resigned as principal of the college at Frederick & moved my 
family there on Sept 15, 1844, within a year by foregoing my salary their 
church debt of $900 was paid off.  Being invited to Annapolis, I preached there 
& was asked to return another Sabbath, which resulted in their giving me 
unanimously a call, which I wanted to accept, but the Con of Ellicott's Mills 
appeared before Balto so strongly, opposing my release, that the Pres did not 
let me go.  About this time, the Annual Report of the board of Missions called 
for an Agent in W. Pa & Eastern Ohio.  An article appeared in the Presbyterian 
about a Mr Smiley an aged elder of my gf Joseph Smith's Church, which led me to 
write a sketch of his life for the Presbyterian [unreadable].  I 
signed "Westmoreland".  This lead to other articles on the Fathers & Mothers of 
that section & to my eventual election as agent, as above noted & I appeared by 
request before the Synod of Pgh, Whg, & Ohio.  Early in Oct, I moved with my 
family to Steubenville, preferring it because of the good educational schools 
for our children.  We boarded at Miss Jenkinsons's there until the spring of 
1847 & then lived in a rented house until Apr 2, 1849 when I removed to 
Allegheny City.  In my agency work, I attended meetings of the Synod of Ohio at 
Columbus, O & Fredericktown, Knox Co, O while acting in this capacity & 
planning work in the Pres of Erie, I visited Niagara Falls, taking my daughter 
Rebecca with me.  We started first to Beaver or Rochester by steamboat, then to 
Erie by the canal packet boat & then by steamer to Buffalo, then by RR Cars to 
Niagara Falls where we spent a good part of a summers day visiting everything 
visitable on both sides of Niagara River.  Then homeward via Dunkirk, Elmira & 
Jamestown NY & Warren where we spent a Sabbath among Christians who prayed 
sitting on the seat, thence by Franklin home.  At a meeting of the Synod of Pgh 
in Oct 1850 a memorial was presented from the Com of West Elizabeth asking to 
have the town of Elizabeth in the bounds of Round Hill united with them.  This 
was opposed by the Round Hill people & fell, but it brought to my view the 
perilous condition of our oldest W. Pa Churches, that considering my desire to 
return to my old ministerial & pastoral duties that I advised with Dr Fairchild 
& following his approval thereof, I spoke to a member of the Session of Round 
Hill which resulted in my receiving a unanimous call, my removal to Elizabeth 
in Apr 1851 & assumption of the pastoral charge.  A new house of worship was 
built in Elizabeth where I preached half of my time.  The old house at Round 
Hill was also completely repaired.  In May 1853, I attended a meeting of Gen 
Assembly at Phila a com fr Pres of Redstone visiting then NY, Balto, Winchester 
& Frederick City.  On Sept 3, 1858, I completed a memoir of my gf Rev Joseph 
Smith of Buffalo & sent it to Dr Sprague.  I also received a copy considerably 
enlarged for "Old Redstone, a Hist of Early Western Presbyterianism" a work I 
was then preparing for the Presb.  The declining state of Elizabeth in the 
Spring of 1855, & other activities along the Yough, called for more of my time 
at Round Hill & my residence in their midst.  Never having lived in the 
country, this was distasteful to my family & I thought called for the services 
of a younger man, so I thought best to withdraw as soon as I could find a 
satisfactory opening.  IN the fall of 1855, I spent a Sabbath in Greensburgh, 
then vacant & received a unanimous call which I accepted & was installed, my 
labours to begin Jany 1, 1856.  Not being able to get a suitable residence in 
Gbg, we moved to Allegheny City & I went every week once & often twice to Gbg.  
Judge J. procuring for me from the Pres of the Penna Cent RR Co a free ticket.  
Our 1st Com there was 2d Sabbath of May 1856.  Messr Gillett & Brownson being 
with me, the people of Round Hill gave me many tokens of their friendship which 
always continued. Having now preached for a longer or shorter term in 
Warrenton, Harrisonburg, & Staunton VA, Frederick Md St Clairsville, O New 
Athens & Cadiz, O Ellicott's Mills Md & Round Hill Pa & now entered on my tenth 
field.  In this statement, I have left out the period of my agency for the Bd 
of Missions.  My labours were now devoted to the field around the Co town of 
the Co in which I was brought up, the county of my boyhood & my old age.  
Though a native of Fayette Co, I was when a little more than 2 yrs old taken by 
my father to Rostraver Tp, Westnd Co, Pa & now after 40 yrs I was back not amid 
the immediate scenes of my boyhood, but to the old Co of Westnd.




Here, I entered upon my last & longest pastoral charge, when I left the county 
in 1815, the Rev Wm Speer was still pastor continuing until he died Apr 26, 
1829 & was on Apr 7, 1830, was succeeded by Robert Henry who was pastor of the 
United charge until his death, being succeeded by Rev James I. Brownson pastor 
of both Gbg & Mt Pleasant until his removal to Wash, Pa when he was succeeded 
by Rev Wm D. Moor who resigned in 2 or 3 yrs & Rev J. Kennedy who did not stay 
long, the relation being dissolved by mutual consent of the Pres of Redstone in 
1855.  We had then in Gbg, 9 houses of Worship in a population of 1200, mostly 
made up however from people living in the county.  At the time of my settlement 
there were 84 members of our church.  I employed my leisure time in 1856 & 1857 
in work for a second volume of "Old Redstone" & for a "History of Jefferson 
College".  The first I had never completed, having not seen my way clear for 
its publication.  The second work was given to the public in 1857, owing in 
part, perhaps to the very defective forms, as to cover, binding etc in which it 
was brought out, it never remunerated the publisher, Mr J. Shryock for his 
expense & trouble which I greatly regretted.
My family & myself continued to experience uninterrupted health.  My daughter 
Maria was married to Rev J. Calvin Barr now pastor of the Pres Ch at 
Lewisburgh, Va.  My second son James P. Smith went to VA as a teacher & during 
a revival at Winchester Va united with the Church & went to the Union Theolog 
Sem to prepare for the ministry.  Soon after these things, the Presidential 
election of 1860 coming on & the terrible convulsion of our country by the 
Secession of the southern states in the winter of 1860 61 occurred.
He has a page or two of most able sensible talk about the position of the south 
& of his trying position by reason of a son & two daughters being identified 
with Va & his wife's people all being Secessionists.  Also of formation of 
Blairsville, Pres out of Redstone in 1830 & of Saltsburg Pres out of it in 1856 
& of Gbg being taken into Blairsville Pres & Somerset & Jenner as well & of Rev 
L.Y. Graham going to Somerset where he preached several years & of new men viz: 
Markell? Carothers, Hamilton Eonix [best guess] & others coming in their Pres. 
States that from Jany 1, 1856 to Jany 1, 1866, he enjoyed as many temporal 
mercies as usually fall to the lot of ministers.  No serious sickness or death 
occurred in my family.  The only event of Special importance was the marriage 
of my daughter Maria to the Rev J.C. Barr of Lewisburg, Va.  I had one son 
fighting on the Confederate side & two on the Union side & though none were 
killed, they were called on to suffer in other ways.  One was in the Allegheny 
Theo Sem, Preparing for the ministry & was induced to enlist in his country's 
service, was wounded in the battle of Pgh Landing contracted chronic diarrhoea, 
had chills & fever & since his partial recovery, his health has not been such 
as to permit of his returning to his studies.

My second son though now a minister of the gospel, but is in the southern Pres 
Ch with which also his sisters & their husbands are connected.  We are a 
divided family, but "our fellowship & trust is with the Father & with his son 
Jesus Christ".
In the spring of 1857, we removed from Allegheny to Gbg & for 3 yrs occupied 
the house of Mr Bott, then one year a house of Mrs Richardson & after that, a 
house of Mrs Steck, widow of Rev Steck who had died in this house, but after I 
had been her tenant for several years, she sold it to a gentleman who wished to 
occupy it himself.  Not being able to get a house in Gbg, that met our family 
needs & my limited circumstances, I obtained a house in Ludwick the village 
adjg where we moved in the spring of 1867.  My wife who had suffered several 
yrs from asthma, found much relief here, the good water & higher altitude being 
better for her ailment than the lower parts of Gbg in which we had been living.

I will now turn back & note some things I had adverted to in a sort of diary I 
had kept since coming to Gbg.  A specimen for instance being:
"Aug 6, 1863 on the 1st of this month, I recd the following telegram:
      Indianapolis, Aug 1, 1863
To Rev Joseph Smith, your son Joseph N. Smith here very sick.  Will telegraph 
any change in morning.  H.H. McKernan"
I set off at once by the cars, reached Indianapolis 421 miles 6 Am next morning 
& found Joseph better.  He had recd a sunstroke or was attacked with congestive 
chills in the street a few days before & not being known, was taken to the jail 
by a subscription book of Rev Stevenson State Librarian found in his 
possession. that gentleman when sent for recognized him.  He was unconscious & 
so remained for over 30 hours.  He was immediately removed to a "Littell House" 
where I found him.  I was there Aug 2 & 3 & rtd evg of 3d getting home 9 Am 
4th.  My son reached home a few weeks later greatly weakened from a chronic 
Diarrhoea".
Aug 25, 1863, great crowds here from Fayette Co being the day before the Board 
of Examination for the drafted men of the Fayette Co Draft Roll.
Sept 2, 1863 we had Rev S. Nicchols & wife on their way to Chambersburg with us.
Sept 9, 1863.  On last Saturday, I attended & officiated at the funeral of the 
Hon. James Todd who died on Thursday previous in 77th yr of his age, a good man 
of great worth & a member of the Pres Ch for many years.  As the lawyers of Gbg 
were all there, I took occasion to exhort them "Judge Todd's name in the title 
of the great lawsuit between the old school & then new school Pres Ch 
thus: "Todd & others vs Green & others"  When the New School members of the 
Gen. Assembly in 1837 withdrew & organized another Gen Assembly, claiming to be 
the true legal Gen As., they of course elected certain trustees that were to be 
annually elected & amongst that number was the Hon. James Todd, when he with 
the others elected came to demand their seats in the Board & were refused, they 
brought a suit of Quo Warrants vs the Bd that refused to recognize them.  And 
in this way, the whole question of the legal character of that Gen As. which 
elected Todd & others came up for trial.  Hence the title "Todd & others vs 
Green & others", but, many yrs after Judge Todd brought his cft fr the church 
of Rev Shepherd (N.S.) & was regularly recd by the church of Gbg"

Last evening, Sept 8, 1863, I married Henry Marchand Esq & Mrs Susan Marchand, 
and today visited Mrs Brown, relict of the late Dr Samuel Brown, now apparently 
near her end from paralysis.
Oct 21, 1863 attended Synod of Pgh at Johnstown. Lodged with Mrs Barnes.  Soon 
after my return, recd a letter from Calvin Power informing me of the death of 
his brother Rev Francis H. Power who died at Hansville, Tenn Oct 16, 1863 in 
the service of the Christian Commission & urging me to come over.
Mr T.D. Ewing of the A.T. Seminary came up Saturday evening in the 10 o'clock 
Carr [sic] to take my place here.  I set out on the 11 o'c train, went to Pgh, 
lodged at the mansion house & next day, Sabbath Oct 25th accompanied the train 
ctg the body of F. Power, that had reached Pgh the evening before to his 
father's Dr James Power.
Oct 26, attended the funeral at Roundhill Church & preached from Heb. 6:12, 
then rtd home on the following day.
Dec 31, 1863 intensely cold the old year going out in a terribly rough spell of 
wintery severity.
8:33 PM Sept 3d 1926 going at my other work until daylight returns.
8 Am Sept 4, 1926 resuming.
July 15, 1864 my birthday.  Entered on my 69th yr.  Spent the day principally 
at John Power's.  Read the greater part of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" & a "Life of 
Spurgeon".
Sept 1, 1864.  This morning, bright & clear & nearly cold enough for frost.  
Joseph got home last night fr Pgh where he had arrived in the PM fr Wash City 
having been 1st sergeant in Knapp's Battery serving 100 days in Fort Slocum in 
the dist. (we afterwards learned that his brother James who was on Genl Ewell's 
staff was with an invading army for 24 hours within sight of the steeples of 
Wash & within common shot of fort Slocum, where Joseph then was, ready to fire 
without any mutual knowledge")
"The news from Grant, Sherman, & Sheridan is that each in his respective field 
has bright prospects of suppressing the rebellion. So also Farragut at Mobile, 
but the prospect looked bright for this issue one year ago"
Sept 6, 1864 News of the capture of Atlanta reached us last night. Yesterday 
brought the news also of the death of Dr Nathaniel West in his 70th year, 
perhaps abt a year older than myself; as was also Dr Fairchild. "Set thine 
house in order" etc.
Nov 23, 1864. My son John came home, having recently rtd to Phila from 
Pensacola where he has been for 18 or 20 mos in the service of the Gov in 
charge of navy stores.
Dec 22d John & Rebecca rtd fr a visit to the Forks & Elizabeth village.
April 14, 1865.  This morning the news reached us by telegraph that President 
Lincoln was assassinated by Booth, a stage player at the theatre in 
Washington.  He died this morning at 7 o'clock & 22 minutes.  It is also sd 
that Seward was killed; but this is not yet fully confirmed.
June 1, 1865.  Within the last 6 weeks, how many things worthy of note have 
occurred.  The capture of Jefferson Davis; the trial of the conspirators still 
in progress etc.
June 14, 1865 attended mtg of Pres at Ebensburg & gave notice that I wished to 
resign at end of yr to be acted upon at next mtg of Pres when Con were to offer 
objections, if they had any.
Went to see Stephen Lloyd, now upwards of 80 yrs of age who when a boy & I was 
7 yrs old lived with my mother in the winter of 1803 4 s heretofore noted.
On July 24, 15 4 Am set out for Winchester, Va where I lodged with John N. 
Bell.  Found my stock $2000 in Valley Bank Winchester a total loss, my other 
interests greatly crippled & the ravages of war in the entire valley terrible.
Nov 6, 1865 at fall mtg of Pres at New Alexandria Pres granted my request to 
resign my pastoral charge, effective Jany 1, 1866
July 4, 1866 a memorable date, just 90 yrs since the Declaration of 
Independence & 40 yrs ago Jefferson & Adams died.  During 1866, I suppled 
several churches in a doze or more places throughout Westnd & Indiana Cos & 
also a Roundhill & Rehoboth, Port Perry etc & visited my son Joseph in Juniata 
Co.
In Dec 1867 as chairman of a com. helped to install Mr Carothers at Cross 
Roads, was appointed to prepare a Hist of Blairsville Pres.  I was sitting at 
home (I think abt Apr 1, 1868) reading the paper when two ladies, Miss E.D. & 
Miss A.M. called & I found I was unable to speak distinctly & felt something 
like a semi paralysis.  I have been permitted to labor 48 yrs in his vineyard 
in 4 states & am now, May 1867 nearly 71 yrs old.  Have been permitted to 
preach longer than my father, or his father.  And here ends what I have noted 
in my diary. I have spoken of many excursions to NY & Boston in 1832 & to 
Buffalo & Niagara & have omitted mentioning many others, but there are two I 
want to refer to before I close these memoirs.
"A Journal of an excursion to the Gen As. NY May 19, 1864 having determined to 
take a somewhat extended excursion, I purchased a duster coat & borrowed a 
carpet bag, more genteel than my own, from a lady friend.  He gives an extended 
account of many friends met & of his pleasure in doing so of hearing Henry Ward 
Beecher, Charles Sumner & other "Big Guns: & got home at noon on June 1
 
The second excursion was made in 1866.  In the first the fearful carnage of war 
was raging & I dared not enter VA to visit my friend or even to see my 
children.  Now slavery was abolished & I decided to visit the Ancient Dominion.
Sept 27, 1866 set off in the CRR car abt 10 1/2 o'c AM.  The day was bright & 
beautiful.  Reached Altoona in the afternoon.  Had tea with Mr Wallace & he 
went with me to the office of the Central RR Co & got our passes renewed.  Took 
a sleeper through Hbg Balto where I met old friends, bot DeTocqueville's book, 
collected interest on some city bonds at Farmers & Planters Bank, called on 
Harmon Brown at his bank & took a boat to Fortress Monroe where we had to stay 
by reason of a heavy storm & rain, in an over crowded ramshackle that could 
only provided room for the ladies.  The old fine Episcopal minister showed me 
through the wonderful strong impregnable Fort.  Got a sofa in the Ladies parlor 
to sleep on night of Sept 30 & being averse to spending the next day among such 
ungodly companions, got up & caught a boat to Norfolk where I arrived between 6 
& &, got my breakfast, went to Dr Armstrong's church, addressed the S.S. heard 
him preach on 2d Sam 14:14, went to dinner with him & preached for him that 
night.  Walking down in his garden in the afternoon, I pulled & ate some ripe 
figs & skuppernog grapes.  These were a greenish yellow color, rather thick 
skinned, but of most delicious flavor (I never heard of them before JVT)  They 
abound in this part of VA & in NC.  I saw them & figs also in the front yards 
of several homes in Fortress Monroe.  Speaking of Dr Armstrong preaching, he 
thought as did the old Scotch lady about her preacher that with all his 
intelligence, he "put the hay a little too high in the rack for the lambs".  
Lodged with Mr Reynolds, one of his elders & Supt of S.S. Oct 3, No boat for 
Richmond yesterday & am still at Mr R's & the rain was so continuous & 
incessant that I didn't get out to view this ancient city which dates back to 
Sept 1736.
Going to the boat at 4:30 AM had a pleasant days ride, reaching Richmond at 6 
PM & made my way to Dr Hayes with whom Mr Brown & Elizabeth boarded.  Next day, 
I rode out with my daughter Elizabeth to & through the Hollywood Cem where 
13,000 Confederate soldiers are buried & among other remarkable monuments saw 
the beautiful monument or cenotaph of President James "Monro".  I called in the 
evening with Elizabeth & P. Grattan Esq an acquaintance & friend since 1821.  I 
found him when a young man in a dry goods store & reading law in Harrisonburg 
at my first pastoral charge.  He was then a member of the church.  His course 
has been onward & upwards ever since.  Has reached great eminence, has a large 
practice, & has written many books of law & reports.

Oct 4, set off to visit my son James in Roanoke & passed Appomatox C.H. Sta.  
Passed Liberty, the Co town of Bedford Co.  Near this place came in sight of 
the Peaks of Otter, the loftiest mountains with one or two exceptions in the 
southern states.  The northern peak is 5307 ft above sea level being more than 
a mile in height.  They are often visited in the summer.  John Randolph once 
passed the night on these rocks with no
one but his servant, in order to witness the sunrise in the morning which upon 
beholding caused him to say to his servant: "never from this time believe 
anyone who told him there was no God".
Oct 5, breakfasted with Mr Lewis with James & spent the day with him.
Oct 6 Saturday rose at 7 & none up but the servants.  After breakfast 
reading "Dabney's Life of Stonewall Jackson"  In the afternoon as James had an 
appt to preach some 12 or 14 miles off where he officiated once a month & 
wanted me to preach for him the coming Sabbath, he had his retired predecessor 
a Rev Power Fr N.H. come & take me to his home.  He had been pastor of the 
church at Big Lick.
Oct & Sabbath, I preached in my son's pulpit in the morning to his people.
Oct 8, after breakfast, James arrived from his Sunday appointment, went 3 miles 
across the river to the fine farm of Mr McLanahan & had dinner with him & his 
wife & then bid my son goodbye & went to lodge with Mr Barksdale because of the 
early departure of the train.
Oct 9, arose at 3 Am & took the train at 4 Am.  At 8 Am after breakfasting at 
Lynchburg, I passed through McGoor, Amherst, Charlottesville, Gordonsville, 
Orange, Culpeper, Warronton Sta, Manasses, Fairfax, Alexandria, Washington, 
Baltimore where I arrived at 8 PM.

At Charlottesville, a large middle aged gentleman came in our car which was 
well filled & he took a seat with me who I found out to be very familiar with 
that section & pointing out battlefields & other places of interest to me. 
Presently, we came into Culpeper & he said: "there is the scene of one of the 
greatest battles, Slaughter Mountain".  I remarked that I had passed over that 
very region & lodged with a gentleman from whom perhaps that mountain took its 
name, Capt Slaughter.  This was in 1819 & I well remember this fine old 
gentleman & his most pious accomplished lady".  "They were my parents" said 
he.  I was utterly surprised & turning round to him I said: "I suppose you are 
the Rev Dr Slaughter formerly of Wash City" for I had seen that their oldest 
son had in after life taken orders in the Episcopal church.  "Yes", he said, "I 
am an Episcopal minister".  He was connected with their seminary in Alexandria 
& editor of their paper there.  He told me much about his parents one of whom 
was a Presbyterian.  I was very fortunate in my fellow travellers that eventful 
day of my life.

The various places met with that day renewed the memories of 1819 20 21.  
Passed through the famed Brandy Sta where remains of Federal Soldiers were 
being buried.  Reaching Balto that night the bars & grog shops were closed, 
preparatory to the election next day.
Oct 10.  Lodged last night at a house opposite Camden Sta. Breakfasted at Green 
House in Spatt St.  After attending to some business, called on Mr H. Brown 
whose good lady & Miss Mary gave me an excellent lunch & a cup of tea.  I set 
off fr Balto at 12:10 PM & got home 1 AM 11th.

My early ministration were widely extended embracing 5 counties, Loudon, 
Fauquier, Fairfax, Prince William & Culpeper with occasional excursions into 
Stafford & Madison, all south of the Potomac & east of the Blue ridge 
Mountains.  This section has been especially fruitful of great men & renowned 
statesmen, both before the Revolution & since. Loudon could boast of her Lees, 
Monroes, Powells, Champes etc. Fauquier of her Marhalls, Kentons, Scotts, 
Randolphs etc. Fairfax of her Washingtons, Masons, Grahams, Lewises, Fairfaxes, 
Fitzhughs, Lees, Culpeper of her Greens, Slaughters, Thorntons etc.
Not less in importance were the well trained women superior in modesty 
amiability & business managers & as wives & mothers.
My second field of labour was in Rockingham Co in the Valley of the 
Shenandoah.  This section was early settled by the Germans as early as the 
middle of the 18th century.  At the same time, there were a few scotch Irish 
Presbyterians, partly from Ireland & partly from Penna, who came in the Co & 
settled in & around Harrisonburg, Kuzzletown, & Port Republic & organized into 
a church & had a regular pastor before the Revolutionary War.  I was their 5th 
pastor.
Rockingham Co was formed in 1778 from Augusta Co.  Its Co seat is Harrisonburg 
25 miles north of Staunton.  There were comparatively few slaves in the Co, the 
census of 1840 showing 899 out of 17,344.  there were very few of our Pres who 
possessed any & one of our principal slaveholders many years before his death 
removed to Fayette Co, Pa setting his slaves all free & leaving them his whole 
real estate. There, I found many of them a few years ago whom I had known in 
Rockingham, some of whom I had married & some baptized.  Harrisonburg was a 
pleasant place & my pasturate [sic] there from 1821 to 1826 being from my 25th 
to my 31st yr was signally blessed.  This was not only my first pastoral 
charge, but here, I entered on my married life & here three of my children were 
born & the "Second was not for God took him".  His little body lies in the g.y. 
at our County church at "New Erection".
He spoke of Mr Harkey being pastor of the Lutheran Church at Frederick Md.  I 
wonder if it was my friend Rev S.L. Harkey Lutheran minister at Kutztown, Pa in 
1898.

On invitation, he went on a bright summer day, like this one, one Sabbath to a 
sequestered Moravian village called Graceham abt 14 miles north of Frederick & 
preached to the immense throng of very plainly dressed, but immaculately clean 
& neat christians who sat on plain benches & realized more than I had ever 
before done the charm & beauty of the words "sweet is the day of Sacred rest".  
He mentions a superior scotch Irish family, Clothworthy Birnie Esq & his 
superior refined daughters particularly Miss Margaret as conducting a female 
seminary some 15 miles north of Frederick & of sending one of his daughters 
there & committing her to the matronly care of Miss M.  It was an important 
period in my life when I entered Belmont Co on my 5t ministerial charge.  I had 
now completed the 38th yr of my life. During the period of my connection with 
St Clairsville, the Pres of Steubenville, which then embraced Belmont Co 
consisted of Revs Rea, I. Hunt, C.C. Beatty, Coon, Tidbrull, Mitchell, 
Campbell, Reed, Robinson, McArthur, McLean, Comingo, Magill etc.  When in 1796, 
I entered this world, Ohio  as a state had no existence.  All west of Ohio 
River was then the Northwest Territory, and not until Nov 9, 1802 was the State 
of Ohio created & brought into the Union.  The first white child born west of 
the Ohio River was said to be still living in Belmont Co & not a very aged 
man.  This county organized Sept 7, 1801 (how abt these dates) as the ninth 
County of the State being immediately west of Wheeling, was perhaps settled as 
soon as any other in the eastern part of the State.  They came from all parts 
of the eastern & northern states & a few Foreigners.  There were descendants of 
the first settlers of West Penna & western Virginia & some from Eastern 
Pennsylvania & a few New England people, coming immediately from what was then 
called New Connecticut or the Western Reserve.  The Emigration fr W. Pa was 
largely Presbyterians.  May of them children of the oldest churches in Wash Co, 
who had been baptized by McMillan, Smith, Dod [sic] etc.
The first church of St Clairsville then known as Short Creek was formed from 
these people.  Its first & only pastor was the Rev Joseph Anderson.  He was a 
son in law of Rev Joseph Smith, was licensed by the Pres of Ohio, toward the 
close of the last century & at a meeting of the Pres of Ohio (N.W. Ter) Aug 19, 
1800 was ordained & installed pastor of Richland, Short Creek & Cross Roads.  
Dr McMillan preached on the occasion.  this merged or later became known at St 
Clairsville to which Con he gave the labors of the prime of his life, but 
disaffection & alienation springing up, he had resigned his charge & was not 
serving them, though still living there when I came first among them.  In a 
short time afterwards, he removed with his very interesting family to Missouri, 
but did not long survive the removal, being hurried to his eternal reward by a 
cancer in his face.  His oldest daughter soon followed him.  The rest of his 
family so far as known, still reside there.


With this autobiography are three pamphlets which I must now look over so I can 
return all together.  They are:
1. Inaugural address delivered by Rev Joseph Smith  upon his entrance on the 
office of President of Frederick College Frederick City Md Oct 1838
2. The Fear of God, Woman's True Praise, A Sermon on Proverbs 31:30 by Joseph 
Smith D.D. 8th pastor of Roundhill Con Pub by request of the Ladies of 
Roundhill Con by J.S. Shryock Pgh 1855.
3. The Pilgrim, a sermon in Mem of the life & labors of Rev Joseph Smith D.D. 
by Rev W.H. Gill preached at Greensburg, on Sabbath, Mch 14, 1869.  Printed for 
the Presbyterian Banner by W.S. Hamm & Co Pittsburgh 1869 46 pages
The first the inaugural of 16 pages is fine & scholarly on page 7 he says that 
before the time of Plato, there were no public places of education among the 
Greeks, although the Jews in the time of Samuel & the prophets were trained to 
wisdom & piety.  A German writer Couringius, says the Attanians, that they 
might atone for their crime committed against philosophy by their condemnation 
of Socrates offered to Plato a grove in their suburbs as a place of 
instruction.  To this the name of Academy was given from Hecademus or Academus, 
the name of the man who had constructed the grove.

On page 15, he refers to the great impetus given to education by Pope Urban V 
who from his won means educated 1000 young men.  Says the university now 1838, 
consisting of 12 colleges & 4 halls had its inception in St Peters its first 
college in 1257.  This name it still retains.  An attempt was made in the 17th 
century to change it.  Lady Mary Ramsey offered it an additional endorsement, a 
large & valuable property if the name would be changed to "Peter & Mary's 
College", but Dr Soame at that time master of the college sarcastically 
remarked that Peter had been too long a bachelor to think of a comrade in his 
old days.  Says fuller, "A dear bought jest for the lady piqued at the remark, 
threw her munificence in another direction".
The Second his sermon at Roundhill preached July 22, 1855 to the women of the 
Church as stated in a four page introduction was induced because of during his 
4 yrs ministry with them of the death of nine aged ladies within the bounds of 
the church all widows, but two & six of them communicants & within a short time 
previous to the delivery, one mother in the bloom of youth, another of middle 
age with eleven children around her & another, a young lady, all members of the 
church descended to the grave.  The Roundhill church is one of the oldest west 
of the Allegheny Mountains.  Rev James Finley visited here in 1772 & preached 
to a few scattered whites living contiguous to the Indians up until 1783 he rtd 
& preached to them occasionally.  In the year 1784, Mr Finley having taken his 
dismission fr New Castle (Del) Pres took the pastoral charge of this church in 
connection with Rehoboth.  After his death on Jany 6, 1795, they remained 
vacant over two yrs when Rev David Smith, father of the writer was installed 
over them.  He died Aug 24,1803 following wonderful interest in & accessions to 
the church.  He was succeeded by the Rev Wm Wylie D.D. in 1805, who ctd until 
the Spring of 1817 when he asked to be dismissed & in the following June, Rev 
Robt Johnston became their pastor, his labors continuing until Oct 1831 & 
remained vacant until July 1833 when they were supplied by Rev N.H. Gillett, 
who in Dec 1834 was installed pastor over both churches & so ctd until 1841 
when he was dismissed to give his whole time to Rehoboth.  thus had the 
churches been united for 57 yrs.  Roundhill made a temporary alliance with 
McKeesport & afterwards with West Elizabeth & in 1841 called Rev Wm Eaton who 
ctd pastor until 1844.  In 1845, Rev Adley Calhoun was installed & continued 
until his death in the spring of 1848.  The Con.  was supplied by licentiates 
viz Edgar, Fulton, & Hamilton until the spring of 1851 until Rev Joseph Smith 
yr present pastor was called & settled among you in June following.  He adverts 
to all the other Pres bodies in the Fork: Associate Reformed Pres, Reformed 
Pres or Covenanters, U.P's & McCoyites.  Speaks of eleven people raised up out 
of these churches going into the ministry mentioning among them Rev James R. 
Willson D.D., Samuel Willson, Samuel Findley, D.D. of Ohio, Matthew H. Willson 
of Indiana Co, Adley Calhoun, David Pollock of West Newton, Alex Fergus, Philip 
Drennan, James Caldwell, Francis H. Power & Zaccheus Willson of Iowa

His text is Prov 31:30 "Favor is deceitful; and beauty is vain; but a woman 
that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised".
This whole chapter contains important instructions for you.  Mr Henry, the 
commentator, say respecting this chapter "This is the looking glass for ladies, 
which they are desired to open & dress themselves by; which if they do, their 
adorning will be found to praise and honour & glory at the appearing of Jesus 
Christ"
Sept 6/26 9:33 Am resuming.
It is time, that to be indifferent about a good name commonly proves the loss 
of all moral principle.
He closes 13 pages of an excellent sermon with the exhortation that "the Lord 
may raise up here from age to age many daughters who shall be as corner stones, 
polished after the similitude of a palace".
Then follows 11 pages of an "Appendix" with sketches of six of the ministers of 
that section.  The first is that of Rev Audley Calhoun, regularly installed 
pastor then of Roundhill & McKeesport who at the latter place in Feby 1846 on 
25th or 26th I think married my dear & precious God fearing & Christian father 
& mother.  He reports that he was born on Jany 2, 1821 (only 4 days older than 
my dear mother) in the midst of that congregation of which he died the pastor.  
He graduated from Jefferson College in the fall of 1839.  The following year, 
he was in the Western Theo Sem. but by reason of a severe bronchial affection, 
this was followed by a period in the south & rtg in improved health, he 
completed his course & was licensed
 to preach by the Pres of Redstone in the spring of 1844 & in June 1845, was 
installed pastor at Roundhill  & McK as above noted.  He had stored his mind 
with wisdom & knowledge.  He was loved & honored & systematically commenced the 
upbuilding of the church by committing the cause of Domestic missions to the 
married ladies & mothers of his Con.  the cause of Foreign missions to the 
married & elderly men & the cause of education to the young of both sexes & 
himself generously contributed a portion of the books to a library he started, 
his delightful winning intercourse with the children & youth of the Con, his 
continued attempts to preach in season & out of season far beyond his strength, 
his devoted filial & fraternal affection, were too much for his frail body.  In 
the winter of 1847 48, his health began to decline.  A typhoid fever which 
lingered long, hastened the development of pulmonary disease, seated in his 
system, notwithstanding heroic resistance, he died on Mch 1848.
Rev Alexander G. Fergus was born Nov 18, 1823 in Elizabeth & graduated at 
Washington College in 1845, with first honors.  He passed through the western 
Theo Sem & was licensed to preach Apr 10, 1850 & on Sept 2, 1851 was ordained 
pastor of Sewickley & West Newton.  On the night of Sept 23, he was taken 
seriously ill & died Sept 30, 1851 of inflammation of the bowels.  He was 
buried at Roundhill.
Rev Dr John Black D.D..  This remarkable man was a native of Ireland & a 
graduate of the Univ of Glasgow.  In the fall of 1797 by reason of the 
insurrectionary movement many & especially the Reformed Pres to which church he 
adhered were given three alternatives: 1st to sin by swearing allegiance to a 
tyrannical Gov, 2d being shot on the instant on the spot without trial, 3d to 
flee & exile themselves from their country.

He chose the last & coming to Phila, pursued his Theo studies at the Univ of 
Penna, was licensed to preach & in the fall & winter of 1799 first visited the 
Forks of the Yough & a year later in 1800 was installed pastor of the Reformed 
Pres Con at Pgh.  He had an iron constitution & a cheerful spirit & served a 
scattering field 100 miles square, traveling 3000 miles a year & enduring 
hardships innumerable. Mr Ewing came to his aid & later married his eldest 
daughter.  His services in Ky & S.C. were laudatory & greatly blessed.  He died 
Oct 25, 1849 aged 841 yrs having lived to bury the last member of his Con who 
signed the call to him as their pastor.  He was the Father of the Covenanter 
Church in W. Pa which he served for 50 yrs.  He died in Pgh & was born in Co 
Antrim, Ireland Oct 2, 1768.  Over his grave a handsome marble monument bears 
many inscriptions illustrative of his life & work.
Rev Dr Wylie.  Rev Wm Wylie D.D. is a native of Wash Co, Pa.  His] father was a 
native of Ireland & a half brother of the Rev Dr Samuel Wylie, late of Phila.  
He was an early emigrant to Upper Buffalo, Wash Co, Pa in bounds of Rev Joseph 
Smith's Con. & here William was born about 1774, studied at infant Academy at 
Canonsburg & was induced by Rev James Welch who married one of his pastor's 
daughters to go to Ky where he taught & studied & was licensed to preach by 
West Lexington Pres.  In 1800, he rtd & Pres of Ohio gave him privilege to 
itinerate etc.  Helped organize Pres of Erie & came on Feby 6, 1805 to Redstone 
Pres & ordained Pastor of Rehoboth & Roundhill.  In 1816 at his own request, he 
was dismissed & removed to Uniontown, Pa from whence in 1823 he went to 
Wheeling, Va in the Pres of Washington, Oct 2, 1832, he was dismissed to Pres 
of Lancaster Ohio.  He accepted a call to Newark, O & has ever since lived & 
labored.  Abt 2 yrs ago recd a fall & fractured a hip bone but lives resigned 
80 yrs old.  He was a mighty man in the pulpit & when in a happy frame of mind, 
he was altogether unrivalled for pathos, sublimity & grandeur.  He gives a fine 
encominum [sic] from a NY minister who heard him preach a communion sermon at 
Chartiers when assisting Dr McMillan on the text "ye have both seen & hated 
both me & my father".  His appearance was tall & striking.
Rev Robert Johnston was born in Cumberland (now Perry) Co Pa on the banks of 
the Juniata in Aug 1774, where he spent the first years of his life.  He 
studied at Canonsburg Pa & was licensed to preach by the Pres of Ohio Apr 23, 
1802.  He evidently studied under Dr McMillan, Itinerated in Pres of Erie late 
in 1803 he was installed pastor of Scrubgrass & Bear Creek where he labored 7 
yrs.  After 6 yrs, then at Meadville Pres, he came to Redstone Pres & Westnd Co 
& was installed pastor of Rehoboth & Roundhill June 18, 1818 at his own 
request, he was dismissed in 1831 from Roundhill & in 1832 from Rehoboth & in 
1833 went to the old historic "Bethel" on Black Lick in the Pres of 
Blairsville, Pa.  Here he continued many years until the infirmities of age 
drove him to Indiana Pa where he lived without a pastoral charge with his son 
James Johnston Esq.  Upon the removal of his son, a distinguished lawyer to New 
Castle, the Co seat of the new county of Lawrence, he & his aged wife 
accompanied him.  Here she died two years later, where however, he still lives 
at a very advanced age.  He was a tower of strength in the Pres Ch & for over 
40 years never missed a meeting of the Synod of Pgh.
Rev Dr James R. Willson Elizabeth Tp in a rather obscure part of Allegheny Co & 
out of the beaten path of travellers can like many other secluded places boast 
as did the Maine Yankee who when asked what could be raised from the poverty 
stricken land of his state answered "we raise school houses and churchs [sic] 
and men".  One of the noblest specimens of humanity that our country ever 
produced began his career in the bounds of Roundhill church.  The Rev James R. 
Willson D.D. was born about 1779 on the farm now owned & occupied by Wm Shrader 
where he was a hard worker on his father's farm & a "greedy devourer of 
books".  When out of his minority, he went to Canonsburg pursuing his studies & 
graduating about 1807.  His attention was turned to the gospel ministry of the 
Reformed Pres body to which his parents belonged, but he had been baptized by 
Rev Dr Power at which early time there was no Covenanter minister in the 
neighborhood. He taught at Bedford Pa where he found at a hotel Dr Todd of Ky 
an infidel who on his rtn fr the medical lectures at Phila, Pa took sick here & 
died not however until Dr Willson had lead him to salvation an Illuming tract 
on which that he put out was most interesting & instructive.  His first 
settlement was at Coldenham, Orange Co NY abt 1817.  Later he was at Allegheny 
as a teacher in the Cov Theo Sem there & in various important missions & 
committees.  He was called to the west to occupy the highest station which can 
be assigned to a minister of the gospel: "An instructor of the youth of the 
church, preparing for the gospel ministry".  He closed his noble career at 
Coldenham NY Sept 29, 1853 in his 74th yr.  Here he & other members of his 
family are buried.  "He went about doing good".
Memorial sermon on Rev Joseph Smith D.D. preached at two services, morning & 
evening Mch 14, 1869 by Rev W.H. Gill, successor of Dr Smith in the pastorate 
of the pres Ch at Gbg, but who never heard him preach.  It contains a few 
errors, one which stating that he was born at Rehoboth, but is a most able 
valuable & worthy discourse.  I make some notes fr its 46 pages.  Wish I could 
make more.




He heads his pamphlet which was printed by request of the Session & Trustees of 
the Presbyterian Church Greensburgh, Pa
      The Pilgrim
And starts with Longfellow's 8 line verse "lives of good men all remind us" etc 
& Young's line
"A christian is the highest style of man: both most appropriate.
"Soldiers' said Napoleon as under the Shadow of those stupendous & impenetrable 
structures of Egypt, he marshalled his troops "Soldiers from the summit of 
those pyramids Forty ages are looking down on you"
But structures more enduring & sublime are to be found in the lives of holy men 
in whose souls have been reared the God like characters which are the triumph 
of divine art.  Dr Smith regarded himself a pilgrim. Hence his favorite text 
was: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto 
wisdom".  This is our text a petition of "Moses, the man of God" in the 90th 
Psalm. Dr Smith regarded "this world not as his home, but as the house of his 
pilgrimage" of his favorite hymns were:
1. I'm a pilgrim, and I'm a stranger etc.
2. Gently, Lord O Gently lead me Pilgrim through this vale of tears
3. My days are gliding swiftly by and I, a pilgrim stranger etc
I will too give a biographical view affording me, standing in his former place 
the mournful satisfaction of casting a single flower on the grave of a servant 
of our Lord Jesus Christ so "good & faithful as was Dr Smith"

Rev Joseph Smith was born July 15, 1796.  His grandfather Smith was a native of 
England, while the same relative by his mother's side was born in Ireland.  (I 
do not think he means what he says, bur rather that his ggmother Smith was born 
in Ireland) l Both, however, quite early in life, came over & settled in the 
eastern part of this state & in Maryland where both the grandparents of Dr 
Smith were born.
His paternal grandfather was Rev Joseph Smith D.D. whose name he bore without 
having, in any respects, clouded the glory reflected upon him by his close 
connection with this truly great & good man.  He was born in Maryland in 1736, 
now 133 yrs ago.
His maternal grandfather was Rev James Power D.D. who was born in this state in 
the year 1746.
Their birth & early manhood carry us back to Revolutionary days. Though they 
took no part directly in that conflict, they took on themselves "the whole 
armour of God" & fought the good fight of faith. They enlisted under the 
captain of our Salvation in the cause of religion, the grandest, the holiest, 
the best that engage the thoughts, the hearts & services of men without which 
the victories of Washington wd have had neither permanence or worth.  They were 
two of that noble band of ministers who first preached the gospel west of the 
Allegheny mountains & two of the four who constituted the Presbytery, now 
called "Old Redstone" the parent Pres in all this region.  The other two were 
Rev John McMillan & Rev Thaddeus Dod who should be held in remembrance with 
such as McKemie & Andrews, who were honoured instruments in founding the Pres 
Ch in the U.S.

Rev Joseph Smith D.D. was, with two exceptions, the oldest minister of the 
gospel who fell in the battlefield of Christian conflict in the west & found 
the first minister's grave in the valley of the Mississippi.  He came to the 
western country in 1779 & labored the last 12 yrs of his life as Pastor of the 
churches of Buffalo & Cross Creek, Wash Co, Pa.  In 1785, he opened the first 
school for the purpose of training young men for the ministry ever taught in 
the west.  It was held in a building put up for a kitchen & outhouse which his 
estimable wife cheerfully sacrificed to so laudable an object.  He took an 
active part in everything pertaining to the education of the young.  He had 
much to do with the initiatory steps toward founding Jefferson college.  He 
died in 1792 in the 56th yr of his age & the 25th yr of his ministry.  He had 
five daughters, one of whom died in the full bloom of womanhood.  The other 
four became wives of Pres ministers.  He had also two sons one of whom died in 
preparation for the ministry.  The other was Rev David Smith of Rehoboth, the 
father of the subject of this sketch.

Rev James Power D.D., his maternal grandfather came out to the west in 1776, a 
few months after the Declaration of Independence had been read in Phila.  A 
very graphic picture of himself & family is given in "Old Redstone" as he stood 
for the first time on the summit of Laurel Hill & gazed over this western wild, 
where he was henceforth to make his home among the yells of desperate savages & 
growls of prowling wolves.  In Nov, he crossed the mountains & in Dec one month 
after their arrival, his wife presented him with their daughter Rebecca, the 
first child born in a minister's family west of the Alleghenies & who afterward 
became the mother of him whom today we delight to honor. (I think he went first 
to Dunlaps Creek, making her as well as her loved & illustrious sons native of 
Fayette Co).  Dr Power had no less than eight daughters, but no son.  Of these, 
as in the case of Dr Smith's daughters, four became the wives of Presbyterian 
ministers & the other four were married to gentlemen of prominence & worth in 
this community. (Three, if not all four were married to Pres Elders, two or 
three of them my blood relatives).  Dr Power himself performed the marriage 
ceremony for two of his daughters "standing with their husbands before him at 
the same time."  After arriving in the west, Dr Power was a missionary pastor 
for 4 or 5 yrs when in 1781, he became settled over the Cong at Mt Pleasant Pa 
of which he remained pastor until within a few years of his death when 
infirmities of age compelled him to resign & he was succeeded by Rev A.O. 
Patterson.  He died, amongst the people with whom he had labored for almost 
half a century, in 1830 at the age of 84 & the 58th of his ministry.

Both of these men were eminently godly & useful men, of apostolic purity & 
piety & full of zeal & self denial. As a preacher, however, Dr Smith stood out 
pre eminently.  He was a giant & wielded the sword of the spirit with 
tremendous power.  His whole ministry in the west was a continuous revival 
scene.  His son, Rev David Smith born in Wilmington Del in 1772 was 7 or 8 yrs 
old when his parents came to the west.  He began to preached in 1794.  He was a 
young man of remarkable talent & power as a preacher.  It was a common remark 
that the mantel of the father had fallen on the son.  He died in the midst of a 
glorious revival in his own church in 1803, after a short, but most successful 
ministry of 9 yrs.  His wife only 27 at his death afterwards married Rev Thomas 
Hunt of Two Ridges, O.  She out lived her first husband some 36 yrs & died in 
1839 in her 63d yr.

It can thus be seen how thoroughly Pres our Dr Smith was.  It is doubtful 
whether there is such another family tree in all the Pres Ch. He was a 
Presbyterian of Presbyterians.  His two grandparents, his father, his step 
father, eight Uncles, a brother, a son, two sons in law & any number of cousins 
& more distant relatives too numerous to mention were Presbyterian ministers.  
An Uncle & a brother died also in preparation for the same glorious work.  Thus 
including himself, there were seventeen ministers in his own immediate family 
connexion [sic] besides the two who died in preparation wd have made nineteen.

His published works are "Old Redstone" or "Historical Sketches of Western 
Presbyterianism; its early ministers; its perilous times & its first records".  
This is an octavo vol of 460 pages & is full of exceedingly valuable & highly 
interesting matter.  Every Pres shd read it.  It is a volume of church history 
which will be of constantly increasing value & interest & will one day be the 
standard work on this whole subject.
His "History of Jefferson College" is in every way a supplement to "Old 
Redstone:.  Shame on the descendants of those pioneer founders & Wash Co that 
they do not better meet the crisis of this critical time (It is when I was 
there in 1869) & if they cannot save it for its past usefulness, let it "have 
at least a respectable burial".

After Dr Smith's retirement from the pastorate of our church, he devoted 
himself to the work of preparing a revised & greatly enlarged edition of 
his "Old Redstone", the manuscript of the first part of which he had finished 
but a few days before his death.  To this, it was his purpose to add a second 
part especially "concerning the noble race of elders & laymen who shared in the 
glorious enterprise of raising & defending the walls of our beloved Zion".  In 
this work he had made as he tells us "Encouraging progress" & had all his plans 
laid for carrying it on to completion, but this he was not to do.  For just 
then, he was taken up to the saints in heaven.

A short account of his last sickness & death will be proper here.  Dr Smith was 
a man of very vigorous constitution.  He had never had a protracted illness.  
For some weeks, however, previous to his death, he had been confined to his 
room by reason of some malady in his head which caused him much pain.  He felt 
sufficiently recovered however to come over from Ludwick for some medicine & to 
consult his physician. This was Tuesday Dec 1, 1868, three days before his 
death.  This was his last visit to Greensburg and as if he had had some 
premonition of the fact, he stood that day on one of the street corners & gazed 
intently in this direction & in that, as if taking a farewell look on these 
familiar scenes he should look upon no more.  He reached home safely, but much 
fatigued, having no doubt contracted a fresh cold which increased the trouble 
in his head & hastened the unlooked for termination of his life.  Early on 
Thursday morning, he arose & attempted to dress, but being unable to do so 
returned to the coach from which he rose again no more.  He spoke confusedly 
for a short time, but soon lost the power of speech in which state he remained 
until his death.  Seemingly conscious, he lay until noon Friday when his 
condition grew worse.  I was with him & watched the good man die Friday Dec 4, 
1868 at 4:30 PM as the shades of evening began to fall.


His family then consisted of his wife, & six children.  There was nothing in 
his whole life to give his friends any cause for regret, but as the venerable 
Dr Sprague of Albany, his friend & classmate  writes: "There was everything in 
his character everything in his  life, to be thankful for".  As a man, Dr Smith 
was one of matures  gentlemen.  He had a heart of unusual tenderness & 
intellect of a high order.  While at the seminary he was "distinguished for the 
absence of anything like guile or artifice, & at the same time for a generous & 
confiding spirit" (says Dr Sprague) "His manners were true fruit of goodness, 
rather than of etiquette, the result of a generous & benevolent nature...... & 
they were so gentle & winning as to make everyone feel at home in his 
presence". (Dr Howard's sermon)
He was never absent more than two successive Sabbaths from the sanctuary, until 
prevented by his last sickness. But not least among the the many excellencies 
with which his Christian character was adorned was his humility   "the lowliest 
& the sweetest flower in the Lord's garden".  He was a personification of that 
heavenly wisdom which is "First pure, then peaceably gentle, & easy to be 
entreated, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality & without hypocrisy"

Of Dr Smith's domestic life I shall say "that they only knew him well who knew 
him there, & to add the testimony of one who was for a long time, 35 yrs ago, a 
member of his household & who had learned to love & esteem him as a father.  He 
(Rev Ross Stevenson) says: "Dr Smith was the tenderest of parents & the kindest 
of friends".  His home was a most delightful minister's retreat.  As a minister 
& pastor, he excelled.  He was a frequent & ever welcome visitor at the 
dwellings of his people.  Bad weather never kept him from the sanctuary, the 
sick room or a funeral. To the poor, he was especially kind & the gratitude of 
the lowly was always precious.  Among the touching incidents at his funeral 
ceremonies, was a woman apparently in poor circumstances & unknown to any 
present, who, like the Marys who were first at the sepulchre of the Crucified 
One, went early to the house in order to make sure of getting a last look at 
the still features of her departed friend. Alone she went to the house, alone & 
in silence she followed the procession to the church, & thence to the cemetery 
where she saw his remains safely deposited in their last resting place, who was 
she. Behold how she loved him.  He attained the enviable distinction of 
having "lived so as to be missed" (McCheyne).

Among his brethren in the ministry, he was universally beloved.  The venerable 
Dr David Elliott D.D. L.L.D. writes; "During a long & intimate acquaintance, I 
am unable to recall a single unkind or unbrotherly remark which he ever uttered 
to the disparagement of any of his fellow laborers in the Gospel of Christ.  In 
this respect, he was a faithful observer of the apostolical [sic] 
injunction "speak not evil one of another, brethren".

He gratefully acknowledges to God that he had during his ministry been 
privileged to bring five hundred sons to Christ.  His piety, purity & sincerity 
were patent to everybody & universally acknowledged.
"No preacher ever so deeply impressed me or had such complete mastery over my 
feelings & affections.  I seldom heard him that I did not weep.  From his 
preaching, I learned more of myself & of my Savior than I ever had before.  I 
am under lasting obligations to his ministry.  If I am so happy as to reach 
heaven, the first minister of the Gospel, I shall want to see will be Joseph 
Smith".  Such is the testimony of Rev Ross Stevenson.

He has gone to the Redeemed above to his godly ancestors Joseph Smith & James 
Power his long lost father & sainted mother & his beloved offspring, his 
darling boy Willie, whose death & burial during an absence from home caused his 
heart to bleed with an unaccustomed sorrow & the companions of his fathers, 
McMillan & Dod and Finley & Patterson and Clarke & his own early companions in 
the ministry, venerable man, Faithful servant of our adorable Redeemer, 
Farewell, where is Smith & Kirkpatrick & Gillett of our own Pres of Blairsville 
all of whose remains in the space of six short weeks we have followed to the 
tombs.  Note Rev David Kirkpatrick died Jany 5, 1869 & Rev N.H. Gillett Jany 
21, 1869.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
      This pamphlet bears date & signatures given below:
Greensburg, Pa Mch 24, 1869 W.H. Gill

I recall with vivid distinctness the wonderfully benign & good face of this 
grand man Rev Joseph Smith in "Old Redstone" which countenance fixed on my 
countenance fully fifty years ago is as vivid as then, although I cannot at 
this moment lay my hands on the cherished copy of "Old Redstone" that my 
sainted mother so delighted to read & it is her reverence of the author that 
has prompted me to give the daylight of a week & a day or two to read over the 
manuscript of his last years writing & make the notations on the 69 pages 
preceding.
Fayette Co, Pa has produced some good & great men, but in my humble judgement 
neither it, nor any adjoining county nor an adjoining state has produced a man 
so good & noble & gracious & so wholly devoted to his Master's cause & the work 
he was called to do in his vineyard as Joseph Smith who died on Dec 4, 1868
      Josiah V. Thompson


Additional Comments:
Taken from the Journals of Josiah V. Thompson, Vol. 18

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