Richard L. Smith Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 928, 931-933

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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RICHARD L. SMITH was born in Jennings county, Indiana, April 26, 1833, 
and is one of eleven children. His father was a farmer, and the boys, 
of whom there were eight, assisted with the farm work during the 
farming season and attended the district school during the winter, and 
by this means and a natural love for reading at home, young Smith at 
eighteen applied for and obtained a license for teaching a common 
school. In teaching he was successful and followed it for three 
successive terms, and during this time he turned the affairs of the 
farm over to younger brothers and worked at the carpenter's trade 
during the summer months, teaching in the winter and reading medicine 
all the time, a part of the time with an older brother, who was a 
physician; then for two years with a very kind doctor, W. F. Riley, 
with whom he made his home, and from whom, in the autumn of 1855, he 
obtained certificates of qualification that admitted him to practice 
medicine under the laws of the state of Indiana. 

After a short time, during which he was associated with his preceptor 
in the practice of medicine, he went west and was two years in Decatur, 
Illinois. In the autumn of 1857 he moved to Salem, Illinois, and the 
following year entered the office of Dr. S. F. Mercer, where he spent 
two years in a systematic review of his studies in his chosen 
profession and continued this till the early spring of 1861, when he 
entered the military service of the United States as a private in 
Company G, Twenty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, on May 9th, and 
for the succeeding four years and nine months the history of the 
Twenty-first Illinois is his. Its marches, its battles, its advances, 
its retreats,-he was there, never wounded nor sick, never a furlough 
nor leave of absence. He was always "present for duty" or "on detached 
service." He was made a lieutenant in October prior to the battle of 
Stone river and was with his command during that engagement. Soon after 
this battle he was detailed as A. C. S. on the staff of General W. P. 
Carlin, his brigade commander, which position he held till a few days 
prior to the battle of Chickamauga, when he was detailed as an acting 
assistant quartermaster on the staff of General Jefferson C. Davis, his 
corps commander. 

Was mustering officer for his regiment when it re-enlisted as a veteran 
organization. Went home with it when it went on veteran furlough, and, 
instead of getting a furlough himself, was detailed commander of the 
post of Mattoon, Illinois, until the regiment should return to the 
field. 

Returning to the field with his regiment he at once entered on active 
duty and participated in all the battles in its front until the fall of 
Atlanta, Lieutenant Smith commanding Companies F, G and H on that 
campaign, their officers having been all either killed or wounded at 
the battle of Chickamauga. 

Shortly after the capture of Atlanta Lieutenant Smith was detailed as 
A. C. S. on staff of General D. S. Stanley, commanding the Fourth Army 
Corps, which position he held until mustered out of service at San 
Antonio, Texas, December, 1865. He was discharged with his regiment at 
Springfield, Illinois, February 6, 1866. While on the staff of General 
Stanley he was promoted to captain, and later was elected lieutenant 
colonel of his regiment, but was not mustered, preferring a place on 
the corps staff to the command of a regiment after the fighting was 
done. 

On leaving the army he returned to his former home in Marion county, 
Illinois, to get a needed rest and re-acquaint himself with the duties 
and obligations of civil life, bought a farm and cultivated it by 
proxy. He made a campaign in 1868 for circuit clerk and was beaten, as 
he says, by a respectable majority. The next year, 1869, he was 
appointed by President Grant, who had been more successful in his 
campaign of the year before and who was first colonel of the Twenty-
first Illinois Volunteers, to the position of superintendent of schools 
of the "Nez-Perces" tribe of Indians at Lapwai, northern Idaho. He 
entered upon his duties there July 15, 1869, reorganized the school 
system, built new school houses, dormitories for the scholars in 
attendance, added industrial features to the curriculum and built up an 
interest in the work that in a short time more than doubled the daily 
attendance. In April, 1870, he was transferred to the "Yakima" agency, 
but before reaching that station was ordered to the "Round Valley " 
agency in northern California, and while en route there was overhauled 
and directed to the Shoshone and Bannock reservation in Wind River 
valley, Wyoming, and, after spending the summer in chasing phantoms, in 
October he landed at "Camp Brown" in Wind River valley and at once set 
himself to work planning and superintending the erection of the 
necessary buildings (under the direction of agent) to accommodate the 
various interests of the agency. A grist and saw mill, two store 
houses, blacksmith, wagon and carpenter shop, ten dwellings for 
employee, one for the agent and a blockhouse for the defense of the 
post by the little community, besides a combination schoolhouse and 
church. This was conducted under rush orders and was finished and ready 
for occupancy by the first of April, 1871. At this point, "good, easy 
man," he thought to enjoy a trial of his skill in giving first lessons 
to children just emerging from barbarism, but it was not to be so; for 
on the first of May, 1871, he was ordered to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, for 
the same duties as before and with the same agent (Major J. W. Wham), 
now major and paymaster in the United States army. 

Arrived at this post in May, the Indians were induced by the agent to 
agree on the location for agency the first of August, and by the middle 
of November had the buildings erected, goods stored and preparing to 
organize a school, when he was directed to proceed to the Navajo agency 
in Arizona for the same duties. He went as far as the city of Cheyenne, 
where he was snow-bound for eighty days. He took the first train to 
Washington, where he made final settlement with all the accounting 
officers with whom he had done business for three years, received his 
final receipts, and on the first day of Slay, 1872, returned to his 
home in Illinois, much disappointed, having been superintendent of more 
schools and made less advancement than any other man living, during the 
same time. 

In July, 1872, he was married to Miss Emma D. White, of Iuka, Illinois, 
and in October of that year took service with J. B. Lippincott & 
Company, publisher,s, of Philadelphia, and was given change of their 
educational department for the northwest, headquarters at Chicago. 

The following year, September, 1873, he was appointed, by Governor 
Beveridge, steward of the state prison at Joliet, Illinois. While 
residing there their first child was born. After a stay of one year he 
was transferred to the state grain inspection force at Chicago, and 
later (August, 1875) was appointed an inspector in the special service 
division of the pension department, which position he held for near two 
years, when he resigned, returned to his home in Illinois,,and after 
some delay he located at Odin, Illinois, and engaged in the practice of 
medicine, where he was successful and built up a good business. 

In 1882 he came to South Dakota and located his present holdings in 
township 113, range 70, in Hand county. In the organization of the 
county he was appointed superintendent of schools, and at the first 
general election, in 1882, was elected superintendent of schools for 
the full term, after which he turned his attention to the study of the 
live stock industry and has done much to induce the people to abandon 
grain raising, and, instead, grow grass-eating animals. 

He has two boys, Lawrence N. W., born in state prison at Joliet, 1874, 
and Clarence I. W., born at Odin, Illinois, December, 1876. In religion 
he is always liberal. In politics he is always radical, Republican and 
American. 

Of Mr. Smith's eight brothers and three sisters, two of the sisters and 
one brother are dead. All the brothers were soldiers, the oldest in the 
war with Mexico, the other seven in the Union army in the war of the 
Rebellion, and one has served a term as bandmaster on the cruiser, and 
was with Kautz, in raising the "flag" at Honolulu, and in crowning a 
king at Apia. 

Mr. Smith has always been an active worker in the interest of South 
Dakota. Was a member of the first territorial convention looking to 
"division and admission" in 1883. In 1889 was elected county 
commissioner for his district, serving three years. The last year 
chairman of the board. In 1892 was Republican candidate for state 
senator. His party being in minority he with the balance of the ticket 
was beaten by a small majority, since which time he has drawn out of 
politics and is living on his ranch at Riverside with his family, his 
books and papers.