AARON STUART SMITH AND FAMILY, Smith County, TX ************************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by: Doris Peirce - ginlu@home.com 7 June 2001 *************************************************************** AARON STUART SMITH AND FAMILY "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter XIII - Pages 67 - 72 Aaron Stuart Smith was born in Laurens District (now county), S.C., in 1808. He was the oldest son of Samuel Smith, and his wife, Mary, daughter of Joseph Harlan, also of Laurens District. Nothing is known of the Revolutionary record of the family except that Joseph Harlan was in the battle of King's Mountain. It may be interesting to state here that Joseph Harlan was the grandfather of John Marshall Harlan, who has been on the United States supreme bench for a number of years. At the age of twenty-five years, Stuart Smith was married to Lucinda Willis, in Anderson District, S.C. She was an only child and being left an orphan in her infancy was raised by her grandmother Jones, from whom she inherited considerable property in land and slaves. Four children---William H., Samuel A., John P., and Edward W. were born to them in South Carolina. They then moved to Georgia and finally settled near Marietta, Cobb county, where he opened and improved a fine farm, to which he gave his exclusive attention, amassing a considerable fortune. Here the remaining children were born, Robert E., George W., Virgil S. (Doc)., A.J. and Julius T., making nine--- all boys. In the fall of 1859, he moved to Smith county, Texas, and settled near the site of Swan, having previously made a prospecting tour over the state with his brother, John B. Smith, John Y. Felton and Seaborn Florence. In 1858, the year before the removal of the family, John P. brought out some of the family slaves, opened a farm, and made some rough improvements on the land previously purchased. In September, 1858, Samuel A. was married to Miss Melissa Dobbs near Marietta, La., and that fall came to Texas with John P. and the following year taught school in the old Nebo church, near the present site of Lindale. William came out later and taught school in Tyler during the year 1859. The next winter he returned to Georgia and married Miss Pope Varner in Marietta. Returning to Texas he entered the practice of law with Judge D.W. Crow, now of Wood county, and also established the "State's Rights Sentinel," first with Geo M. Johnson, as publisher, and afterwards with W.L. Waites. He was graduated with first honors from the Georgia Military Institute in the year 1856, having spent a year previously at the University of Georgia. He entered the Confederate service as Captain of Company K, Seventh Texas Infantry, which immediately joined the forces then gathering in Kentucky, and, becoming a part of the garrison of Fort Donelson, was surrendered with the army there, and sent to Camp Douglas, near Chicago. At the time of the surrender Capt. Smith was absent on a short furlough, with his wife in Georgia. Being thus left without a command, he sought and received authority from the War Department to proceed to Texas and organize a regiment. Enroute to Texas his wife and baby were taken sick with measles, and both died at Shreveport, La. After bringing their remains to Smith county and placing them in the family burying ground, he gave up the project of recruiting a regiment, and returning east was assigned duty by Gen. Bragg as inspector-general on Gen. Ector's staff, Buck Kilgore being adjutant on the same staff. He served with Ector until his old regiment was exchanged and returned to service with the army in Mississippi, where at his request, he was reassigned to the Captaincy of his old company. He reached his command and took charge of his company as they were entering the battle of Ramond, (Baker's Creek), and was soon afterwards killed. Robert E. also went out with Company K, Seventh Texas Infantry, at the age of 16; was surrendered at Fort Donelson, and died in prison at Camp Douglas near Chicago, where he yet lies in an unknown grave. Samuel A.'s first wife died in October, 1881. They had four children---Harlan P., a prosperous merchant at Swan; David S., of Lindale; W.R., a prominent lawyer, and at present district judge at Colorado City, Texas, and Mrs. Jessie Smith Kerr, of Big Springs, Howard county. He was afterwards married to Mrs. Mollie Hodges, of Navarro county, who, with five children, survives him. John P. Smith was married in January, 1867, to Miss Sallie Wiggins, oldest daughter of Col. John M. Wiggins of this city. He lived on a fine farm at Mt. Carmel, near Winona, until a few years ago, when he moved to Tyler, since which time he has served as justice of the peace of the Tyler precinct, and three terms as sheriff of Smith county. He has five children---Stuart Wiggins, who is prominent in county politics, and has a state wide reputation as a peace officer, having served as head deputy under his father for six years; Charles H., a prominent teacher; Douglas, who has been with the Pacific Express company in Tyler for many years, and Misses Lottie and Nellie. Ed W. was married to Miss Johhie Robertson, daughter of Judge John C. Robertson, Nov. 1st, 1866. She died June 1st, 1897. Ten children were born to them---nine sons and one daughter: Stuart Robertson, Hope, Sledge Harlan, Edward William, Robert Ewing, Lloyd Travis, Charles Daniel, Maurice Virgil, Sawnie-Brock and Benjamin Goodman. Stuart, Robert and Ed W. Jr., are lawyers in Tyler. Hope is married to Dr. A.R.Swan, Smith county; Sledge married Miss Bettie Shelton of Noonday, Smith county; Lloyd, Sawnie-Brock and Ben Goodman are living with their father at the family homestead near Noonday, while Charles and Maurice are students. George W. married Miss Laura, oldest daughter of the late Col. Thomas R. Swann, of Tyler. He ia a lawyer; was county judge of Smith county one term, and was secretary of state under Gov. James S. Hogg from 1891 to 1895. He now lives at Colorado City, Texas. They have four children---Royal is a law student in the State University, Miss Louise is a teacher in the Mitchell county schools, and Thomas R. and Dilce, the younger children, are at ] home. V.S. (Doc) Smith was married to Miss Tempie Yarbrough, daughter of Col. Harvey Yarbrough. He was county clerk of Smith county from 1884 to 1890, when he accepted an important position in the general land office and has filled it continuously since that time. He still lives in Austin. He has two children---Mrs. May Ballew, of Palestine, and Miss Maud. Julius T. Smith was married to Miss Bettie Burrell, of Smith county, in 1876. He died in 1884, leaving a widow and three children---Stuart, George T. and Miss Jule. They live on the ] original Smith homestead, near Swan. His widow afterwards married Mr. W.T. Ray. A.J. (Downie) remaines unmarried, and makes his home with his brother, Ed W. Smith, Sr., at Noonday.