Hopkins Co. TX - John Fleming Smith

Submitted by: June E. Tuck  <1224be@neto.com>

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or
dispute any historical facts in the article.
 

Past History and Present Stage of Development of Texas

Published by The Forrister History Company

Regan Printing House, Chicago, Ill.

I. G. Forrister, Publisher

(No date given. 1912??)

JOHN FLEMING SMITH of Como, Northeast Texas, was born on a farm in
Randolph County, Alabama, January 20, 1843, but reared in Calhoun County,
of that state. Of English descent, his grandfather, James Smith, was a
native of South Carolina and a Revolutionary soldier. His father, Enoch
Smith, and his mother, Miss Jane Moore, were also natives of South
Carolina, and five daughters and four sons were born to this union, of
whom the subject of this sketch, Esq. J. F. Smith, was third in number.
Sone few years after the civil war, the parents moved to Hopkins County,
Texas, and settled on a farm in the Old Caney church neighborhood. He is
in his eightieth year, she in her seventy-sixth. Retracing to the scene
of Alabama, Esq. Smith enlisted in the Confederate army July 1, 1861,
near Jacksonville, in Capt. "Bob" Draper^Òs Co. A, and Col. S. A. Wood^Òs
7th Ala. Reg., Army of the Tennessee. During the first year he was in the
battle of Beach Grove, near Tullahoma, and numerous skirmishes, and was
ordered from Pensacola, Fla., to East Tenn. to break up the obstreperous
Cliff Regiment, which mission was successful, but failed to capture Col.
Cliff while taking a number of his men. Dropping back to Chattanooga in
the latter part of the first year, Mr. Smith^Òs regiment was ordered to
Bowling Green, Ky., thence back through Nashville, being the last to
leave that city, and was there when the battle of Fort Donelson was
fought, and his regiment disbanded at Corinth, Miss., term of enlistment
having expired, in April 1862. Mr. Smith next joined the 58th Ala. Inf.
at Mobile, was made orderly sergeant of Co. F., and after four months
time left Mobile in October, 1862, on being transferred to the Army of
the Tennessee. Performed active skirmish work through Middle Tennessee,
marched thence to Chattanooga and was in the fiercest of the battles of
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. In the battle of
Chickamauga, on Sept. 19-20, he fought under Gen. Wm. B. Bate, Capt. S.
D. McClelland and Cols. Bush Jones and J. W. Inzer - than whom braver
soldier never drew sword - and in which the records of history show they
lost more than fifty per cent of their regiment at Snodgrass Hill in face
of heavy artillery fire. The night before the battle of Lookout Mountain
his regiment was camped at the foot of Missionary Ridge, and performed
skirmish duty from dark to midnight on Lookout Mountain, when they were
ordered to fall back and reach the valley between Missionary Ridge and
Lookout Mountain; marched across and took position on top of Missionary
Ridge at Gen. Bragg^Òs extreme left. Having to fight Hooker^Òs corps that
night, they made a detour next morning and attacked Esq. Smith^Òs
regiment in the rear at Missionary Ridge. The lines were very thin and
history gives it that 12,000 Confederate soldiers, largely of Bragg^Òs
army, were there captured. Esq. Smith was among those captured and taken
to Rock Island (Illinois) prison; was confined there for sixteen months;
released March 20, 1865, and reached Richmond about the time Gen. Lee was
getting ready to evacuate that city. Was paroled, and , footing it most
of the distance, reached his old home in Alabama about time of the
surrender, finding his people - father, mother and five single sisters -
much broken in spirit and bereft of property. Three of his brothers had
participated in the Confederate army, one of which had died at Okolona,
Miss., and all others had been taken prisoners. Esq. Smith was married to
Miss Catherine Wingo, youngest daughter of an old-time Methodist
minister, Sept. 27, 1866, and, having aided his parents to obtain a new
material lease on life, left his Alabama home Oct. 15, of that year for
Lamar County, Texas, where they resided for two years, spent two years in
Red River county, and settled in woodlands of Hopkins county in 1870,
where he purchased land. Esq. Smith, in association with Drs. T. J. Lynch
and W. Lewis, engaged in general merchandising business at Como, Dr.
Lynch retiring in 1882, and Dr. Lewis ten years later, leaving Mr. Smith
in full control. The business is now incorporated as Como Mercantile
Company, housed in a large and handsome brick structure, and all stock
owned by Esq. Smith, president, and his two sons, the store being one of
the largest in Hopkins county. In addition to has landed, town, realty,
and mercantile interest, he has played a conspicuous part in developing
the Como Lignite Coal District. Mr. Smith recently gave a reunion dinner
to his children - married and unmarried - and divided equally among them
$20,000 worth of property, retaining control of his coal interest in
order to develop same. He is a Mason and Baptist of long standing.
(Edited)