John W Smith

This post was originally published on 3 November 2018 and is being revised based on newly discovered information (20210828).

John W Smith was born about 1813, presumed by inductive reasoning, in Washington County, Georgia. An alternate case can be made for Wilkinson County, Georgia. See article for Isaiah Smith Sr.

John’s grandparents and uncles started migrating to Washington County, Georgia from Warren County, Georgia around 1796.

Here is a map created by Benjamin Tanner (1775-1848) dated 1796. I’ve marked in red the part of the Oconee River that formed the south western border of Washington County and circled Long Bluff. This gives us perspective of area during that time and the general area where John W Smith was likely born. Everything to the west was the Indian Frontier at the beginning of the 19th century.

Here is map snippet that I’ve used before and have further annotated the believed general proximity where John W Smith was born and raised. This is loosely based on the the land warrants of a William Smith around Oconee and where a Richard Smith was stationed at Long Bluff. More of this location can be examined in an article about Needham Smith Sr.

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John W Smith moved to Houston County, Georgia, with his parent(s) around 1827. John’s father was Isaiah Smith Sr. There is not enough documentation or association to conclude who John’s mother was, however an Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) is first referenced in the 1850 U.S. Census for Dooly County, Georgia.

Note: There are numerous amateur genealogist that have recorded this particular John W Smith’s parents as a Isaac Smith and Elizabeth Jane Furr (found in hundreds of trees online). This line has been researched and no merit to its legitimacy has been found. Unfortunately, this has spread through the Ancestry community in error by means of copy and paste without research and validation of the information. This statement is also supported by Y-DNA research the author has conducted. The Isaac Smith descent line is linked to the I-M253 paternal haplogroup. Whereas the subject’s paternal haplogroup is J-M267. Therefore they can not be related.

Houston County was created on 15 May 1821, land that was received through a treaty with the Creek Indians. In November of 1821, Georgia held its fourth land lottery (lots of land, awarded in the counties of Dooly, Fayette, Henry, Houston, and Monroe). Most winners never saw the lots they won but sold out to speculators who in turn sold the lots to other families. And in some instances land lots were never claimed and were sold at auction by the state.

In the 1821 lottery, Frederick Carter drew lot 165 section 13 and Larkin Holt drew lot 172 section 13 in Houston County. Isaiah Smith Sr purchased lot 165 from Mr. Carter on 23 January 1827 for $400 (the equivalent of about $10,520 in 2021). In the 1829 Houston County tax list it shows Isaiah Smith Sr paying taxes on 202.5 acres lot 165 section of Houston County. Likewise, Needham Smith Sr purchased lot 172 from Mr. Holt as alluded to in the said tax list.

** 1829 tax list source: FamilySearch /  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSW8-MQ82-K?cat=2739193

Below is a snippet from a map drawn by O. H. Sheffield in 1921 showing the lots and sections of Houston County as created for the 1821 lottery. Click here to view the full map at the Georgia Archives.

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Listed in the 1830 U.S. Census for Houston County, Georgia is Isaiah Smith Sr. In the fourth column it indicates that there are 2 males of 15 years old and under 20. John W Smith was born c1813, he would be about 17 years old in 1830 and accurately represented here in the 1830 U.S. Census. The other male in this column his John’s brother Richard.

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John W Smith married Nancy A Smith in Houston County, Georgia on 1 February 1835. Nancy A Smith is believed to be the daughter of Hardy Smith Sr of Laurens County, Georgia, (supported by circumstantial evidence and autosomal DNA research).

Within a couple years of being married, John W and Nancy A Smith moved to Dooly County, Georgia where they gave birth to their first son Richard Calhoun Smith on 7 May 1837. Richard had reported, many years later, his birth was in Dooly County, Georgia on his Confederate Pension papers in Alabama.

It is speculated that John W Smith’s father Isaiah moved to Dooly County, Georgia with or before John and Nancy moved there. Shown in the 1840 Dooly County census is a male 20-30 and a female 20-30. These marks could be showing John and Nancy living with Isaiah Smith Sr. Research has not been able to find John in a census for the year 1840 in Georgia or Florida (this is what has caused many family genealogist to hit a road block. Without documentation pointing to Isaiah Smith as John’s father, researchers have never known where to look). This information is further enhanced by knowing that John W Smith’s first 5 children were claimed to be born in Georgia.

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It seems that John may have served/volunteered for at least six months, during the 2nd Seminole War (1835/42), in the Florida Militia. This could provide some of the underlying cause and effect in why John moved from Georgia to Florida.  Between 1848 –  1850, John and family left Georgia and moved to Nassau County, Florida as recorded in the 1850 U.S. Census. Through deduction reasoning, examining the location of his neighbors from the 1850 to the 1860 census, John appears to have lived in the vicinity of Callahan, Nassau, Florida.

The acts of 1850, 1852, and 1855 granted bounty-land warrants for service in all Indian Wars fought from 1790 up to the beginning of the Civil War. Under the act of 28 September 1850, a John Smith received Bounty Land (79.57 acres) in Nassau County, Florida on 30 October 1857.

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Between 1857 – 1860, John and the family has moved on from Nassau County and ventured south and settled in Volusia County, Florida, which was formed on 29 December 1854 when Orange County was split.

Judging from several sources, John had settled in the northern part of the county in the Haw Creek Precinct.

As noted from the, “History of Volusia County, Florida” by Pleasant Daniel Gold, 1927; ‘In the vast area of flat woods lying in the northern central portion of the county, between Lake Diston and the upper waters of the three branches of Haw Creek and the Tomoka River, several families had taken up homesteads. John Smith lived farthest north. A little to the south of him was William Hull, who had three sons in the Confederate army, James, William and Ezekial.’

Below is a map snippet showing John’s approximate location in Volusia County circa 1860. {William Hull’s son James would later marry John W Smith’s daughter Nancy Ann Elizabeth Smith in 1866.} (google maps link)

Below is a snippet of the 1867-68 Voter Registration Roll for the 6th Precinct (Haw Creek), Volusia County. Of the 18 people registered to vote, listed is John W Smith his sons William A Smith and Richard Smith along with James F Hull (John’s son-in-law).

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By this point in time, John W Smith and Nancy A Smith are known to have had the following children:

• Richard Calhoun Smith – b. Dooly County, Georgia on 7 May 1837
• Hardy Smith – b. Georgia abt 1839
• Sarah Ann Elizabeth Smith – b. Georgia on 19 March 1842
• William Alexander Smith – b. Georgia abt 1843
• Thomas Smith – b. Georgia abt 1847
• Susan N Smith – b. Nassau County, Florida on 3 August 1849
• John Henry Smith – b. Florida in April 1854
• Needham Jerome Bonaparte Smith – b. Nassau County, Florida on 1 August 1856.

On 8 February 1878 John W Smith and Nancy A Smith of Volusia County sold to Needham J B Smith of Volusia for the sum of $50, a parcel of land lying and being in Volusia County known and described as the North East quarter of the South East quarter of Section 24 in Township 14 South of Range 30 East. Witnessed by Wm C Bennett and J. Wilkinson.  Signed by John W Smith (X – his mark) and Nancy A Smith (X – her mark) {Volusia DB E:69} {represented by A on the image below}

On 8 February 1878 John W Smith and Nancy A Smith of Volusia County sold to John H Smith of Volusia for the sum of $50, a parcel of land lying and being in Volusia County known and described as the South West quarter of the North West quarter of Section 19 in Township 14 South of Range 31 East. Witnessed by Wm C Bennett and J. Wilkinson.  Signed by John W Smith (X – his mark) and Nancy A Smith (X – her mark) {Volusia DB E:71} {represented by B on the image below}

On 8 February 1878 John W Smith and Nancy A Smith of Volusia County sold to John H Smith and Needham J B Smith of Volusia for the sum of $50, a parcel of land lying and being in Volusia County known and described as the South East quarter of the North East quarter of Section 24 in Township 14 South of Range 30 East. Witnessed by Wm C Bennett and J. Wilkinson.  Signed by John W Smith (X – his mark) and Nancy A Smith (X – her mark) {Volusia DB E:74} {represented by C on the image below}

The tracts of land identified above are likely additional properties that John owned and is not indicative of where he was living in Volusia County.

As shown in the 1880 U.S. Census, it’s assumed that John and Nancy were caring for their grandchildren William J Smith, Nancy C Smith and Annie Ella Smith. They are believed to be the children of their son William Alexander Smith. John is also shown to be disabled with a broken leg.

Between June 1880, when the 1880 census data was collected, and 5 July 1881; John W Smith died. This is alluded to by a deed enacted on 5 July 1881.

“State of Florida Volusia County. Know all here by these presents that we the undersigned surviving and lawful heirs of John W Smith deceased of Volusia County and State of Florida for and in consideration of the sum of twenty five hundred dollars to us paid by Henry P Bryan ……” (source: Volusia County DB 4:401) {land sold is marked by the letter D in the image above}

The deed was signed by Nancy Smith, R.C. Smith, James F Hull, Sarah A.E. Hull, William A Smith, James H Futch, Nancy A.S. Futch, Nancy C Smith, John C Smith, Susan C Smith, Neadum J.B. Smith. 

In the spring/summer of 1883, John W Smith’s oldest son Richard Calhoun Smith leaves Florida and migrates to Coffee County, Alabama. (This contradicts family tradition and research conducted by my grand-uncle in 1993. There is a lengthy examinayion of this, that will be explored in a future post on Richard Calhoun Smith)

Since Nancy A Smith is not recorded in the 1885 Florida State Census, it appears that Nancy and at least her grandson William J Smith joined Richard in Alabama.

With the burning of the 1890 U.S. Census records, the opportunity was lost to examine where in Alabama, Richard and his mother Nancy were living.

However, there are a few clues which supports the idea that Nancy was living and eventually died in Coffee County, Alabama.

In 1884, Richard had purchased property in the northern part of Coffee County, along highway 125 north of Victoria (property was at the end of route 112 / Google Maps). In the early 1890’s, Richard is recorded granting a lumber company to take trees on a property that was about a three and a half hour horse and buggy ride south on a property in Kimmey’s Mill Precinct of Coffee County. Research was unable to find any records of Richard buying this property.

In the late 1890’s Richard sells his property north of Victoria and is thought to have moved to the same property, where the trees were cut, that was in Kimmey’s Mill. This is partially evident as the 1900 U.S. Census shows Richard living in the Kimmey’s Mill Precinct.

Here is a Google Map snippet to show you the general relationship of where the property was in Kimmey’s Mill, where Richard Calhoun Smith is buried, and the town of Damascus, Coffee County, Alabama. (Kimmey’s Mill can be crossed referenced from the census enumeration maps found here)

In 1991, a descendant of John W Smith and Nancy A Smith was doing research to locate Nancy’s final resting place. The contents of a letter is below.

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26 August 1991

Mrs. Virginia N. Windham
Treas. Damascus Cemetery Fund
Rte 3, Box 47 A
Elba, Alabama 36323

Dear Mrs. Windham,

My husband and I visited the cemetery on 15 August in search of the grave of my great, great Grandmother, Nancy Ann Smith. Not finding a tombstone for her, we concluded that she might be buried in an unmarked grave there.

Do you possibly have a listing of burials in that cemetery or in any other cemetery in Damascus? We were directed to another cemetery, but unfortunately, we got lost and never found it.

The only clues we have found, as to the place of death of Nancy Ann Smith, are contained in a letter written to her daughter, Sarah Ann Elizabeth Smith Hull and was addressed from Damascus, Coffee County, Alabama. Unfortunately, the letter was not dated … but does mention a Richard Smith (who was probably her oldest son) and a John Smith & Susan (also probably a son).

We know for sure that she lived with her husband, John W. Smith, in Volusia County, Florida in June of 1880, when the Florida census was taken. Therefore her letter was written after that date … but we have no idea how long after. She was about 70 years old, in 1880. We do not know if her husband, John W. Smith, was with her in Damascus, Alabama or if he died prior to her going there.

I would like to contact any Smith, who may still reside in that area, as they are possibly descendants of Nancy, and may have information. If I can find her gravesite, I would like to install a tombstone, if one does not exist.

Can you help?

Enclosed a small donation for the Damascus Cemetery Fund.

Thank you kindly for any help or information you may provide.

Sincerely,
Myra Sullivan Carter

(editor note: Myra’s line: Nancy A Smith > Sarah Ann Elizabeth Smith Hull > Sarah Jane Missouria Hull Banks > Pearl Estelle Banks Sullivan > Myra Mae Sullivan Jordan Smith Davis Carter Jackson)

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The letter from Nancy to Sarah was at some point transcribed. The original has not been reviewed.

Dear Sarah Ann

It has been some time since I have heard from you so I will try to write you a few lines to let you know that I am still among the living but am very feeble. I am able to be up most of the time, but am troubled with paines a great deal the rest are well. Willie is going to school he weighs one hundred and seventeen pounds. He thinks he is most a man. Richard was and Jimmy and his wife stayed here night before last. Jimmy is living in Fla he has a fine boy, Johney has a good crop corn is splendid cotton looks well, well Sarah Ann I have had you all a picture taken at last and will send it in this, I will close for this time as I am in a hurry.

Susan & John join me in love to you all, write soon and all the news, to your mother.

Nancy Smith

the picture is dark it was a cloudy day and I could not stay and wait for it to fair off

(note: letter continues later — in pencil and handwriting has deteriorated.)

there is so many people and I have got to go up there to where all them people are by my self I have got to go ten hundred thousan and million and billion of miles high God have mercy on me I am dying

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Based on Nancy’s letter, Willie or William J would have been between 14 and 16 years old, based on the average weight of males. This would put the date of the letter around 1887 to 1889. Nancy would have been about 74 to 76 years old. 

No death records or gravesite information has be located to date.