J. Allison Smith

As printed in 1888

J. ALLISON SMITH, for ten years Principal of the High School, of Burlington, Iowa, was born near Wheeling, Ohio Co., W. Va., Sept. 5, 1815, and is a son of William C. Smith, who was also a native of West Virginia, born in 1797. John Allison Smith, the paternal grandfather, emigrated to the West from New England prior to the War of 1812. and in that war served under Gen. Jackson, of whom he was afterward a great admirer. William Smith also served in the whisky war of Pittsburgh, Pa. He wedded Miss Mary Neely. who was a native of Ireland, and came with her parents to America in childhood. Five children were born to this worthy couple: J.Allison, the subject of this sketch; Dorcas, wife of John Hosick; Elizabeth, wife of George Wright; Susan, wife of Thomas Todd; and William T., unmarried; the last four are residents of Leavenworth, Kan. They were all reared in the Presbyterian faith and are members of that church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are now deceased, the former departed this life in 1843, the latter in 1851.

The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, his primary education being received in the West Alexandria Academy, supplemented by a course in the Washington College in Washington County, Pa., where he was graduated in 1840. He cast his first presidential vote in 1 840. taking an active interest in that campaign, and in the same year he went to Mahoning County, Ohio, where he was in charge of the Canfield Academy. In 1843 he went to Wheeling, W. Va., there also having charge of the Wheeling Academy for four years, and later became Principal of the Florence (Pa.) Acadeniy. While in the latter place he obtained a position as a teacher in a private family at Milliken's Bend, La., at a salary of 82,000 per year, but through the perseverance and influence of his adviser, the Eev. W. D. Smith, who was strongly anti-slavery in his views, and dul not want him to go into a slave State, he abandoned the offer and was elected as Principal of the Lebanon Academy,.at Lebanon, Warren Co., Ohio. After continuing in that position for four years, he went to Springfield, Ohio, where he was instrumental in building the Springfield Female Seminary at a cost of $40,000. and was the largest stockholder, having charge of the school for nearly' four years, when, in 1857, he went to Edgar County, Ill., where he was Principal of the Edgar County Academy for five years. He then removed to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he was employed as Princip.al of the High School until the breaking out of the Rebellion. Having many friends in the South, it was thought by some people of Mt. Pleasant that his sympathies might be with the people of that section. He was therefore called upon by some Republicans to ascertain his views in regard to the impending struggle. Feeling somewhat injured by the way he w.is approached, Mr. Smith mounted a stand, and in a speech made to a large crowd, which soon gathered round, he gave them to understand that his sympathies were wholly with the Union. It was now vacation time and he made a trip to the East. On his return to Mt. Pleasant he was greatly surprised to find a company which had been enlisted gathered at the depot to meet him, with a band of music.

Ills astonishment was even greater on being informed that he liakl been electefl Captain. Placed in a position from which lie hardly knew how to extricate himself, and having a family depending upon him for support, Mr. Smith asked the boys for a couple of days in which to consider their proposal, and, if he decided to go, to make arrangements for his family. Some of the prominent men of the city came forward and assured him that his wife and children should not want, and so he accepted the command, becoming Captain of Comiiany 15, 25th Iowa Infantry, and was mustered in at Mt. Pleasant. After remaining in camp at that city for a short time, the regiment was then ordered to St. Louis, expecting there to remain in camp for at least two months. The company had been well drilled at Mt. Pleasant by Col. Stone and Lieut. Brydolph, and on their arrival at St. Louis were anxious to make a display of their military proficiency, so calling on Gen. Curtis they performed a number of their best evolutions before him at his headquarters. To rcpa- their efforts the General at once gave orders for them to report to Gen. Gorman at Helena, so they had no camp life at St. Louis. Six companies left by boat for Helena that same day, and the other four were to follow on the morrow. Below Island No. 10 the boat ran ground (it being thought that it was done intentionally by the officers of the boat, who were evidently' in sympathy with the Confederates), and all efforts of the boat's crew to get it off were ineffectual. It seemed as if they were destined to stay there indefinitely. On the third day after their detention a small boat was seen coming down the river, upon which Capt. Smith took passage for Memphis for the purpose of securing relief. He arrived in that city about 10 o'clock at night, and there met an unexpected difficulty. The city was then under military law, of which fact the Captain was unaware, and when he had proceeded up the street for a short distance, he was met by a policeman who ordered him to stop, and on manifesting an unwillingness to do so, he was placed under arrest. Just at that moment an officer was passing with a relief corps to change the guard. Feeling that he belonged to the great army of the AVest and that he owed obedience to that power in preference to the civil authority, Capt. Smith at once requested the officer to take him to Gen. Sherman, with whom he had important business, never once stopping to reflect whether he had the right to do so nor did he know. All he wished was to see the General, and it proved very beneficial to him. Arriving at Sherman's headquarters at 12 o'clock at night, they found him busy with his subordinates. In a few moments, being at liberty, the General pleasantly asked Capt. Smith his business, and, on receiving a brief reply, gave him an order for the steamboat " Queen of the West," and also for ample supplies. Then, turning his piercing eyes on him, he smilingly said, with a look which Mr. Smith will never forget, " Captain, I would like to know what you did before you came into the army." Mr. Smith replied that he taught school. "I thought so," said the General. "No other man would have been so foolish as to run the lisk j'ou did to get here." Capt. Smith soon returned and released the boys from their perilous situation.

While stationed at Young's Point, near Vicksburg, together with about 300 or 400 sick soldiers, June 7, 1863, an alarm was given that the rebels were coming. There were few available men, and probably not fifty guns capable of execution. Death or capture seemed inevitable. There were some long ditches dug for the purpose of draining the land. Into one of these the men dropped for the purpose of using it as a rifle pit. The rebels seeing them, changed their course, when the other pit was appropriated, but was occupied but a few moments when the men were ordered to fall behind the levee. There was a narrow strip with two deep sloughs, one on either side, which led to the levee, and not more than fifty men could cross it abreast. At this point, behind the bank of the levee, which was about ten feet high, the Union troops took position, hoping to kill a number of rebels before they should all be killed. Capt. Smith took his position on top of the levee, but behind a tree, not being extremely anxious to be a mark for a rebel bullet. While there he saw the enemy halt, and the officers collect in front, evidently for consultation. After a moment's pause the enemy turned and marched away, greatly to the relief of the little band of sick soldiers. The Captain took an active part in the campaign in and around Vicksburg, but not being accustomed to coughing it, his health failed him and he was obliged to resign his commission.

In 1865 Mr. Smith came to Burlington, where he was Principal of the Iligli School for ten years. The marriage of Capt. Smitli and Miss Mary Bunce, who was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1817, was celebrated in Washington, "Washington Co., Pa., in 1842. By this union there are six children, three sons and three daughters: Frank W., a jeweler of Creston, Iowa; Lillie, a graduate of the Springfield Seminary of Springfield, Ohio; Clara, a graduate of the High School at Burlington; Ella, wife of J. W. Patterson; William C, a resident of Ft. Madison; and Albert A., local editor of the Burlington Gazette. Jlr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Presbyterian Church.

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Des Moines County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county .. (1888). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.