Ezekiel Smith (1781 - 1854)

Born 19 Oct 1781 in Pearisburg, Virginia, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Susannah (Dingess) Smith — married 2 Feb 1802 in Montgomery, Virginia, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 28 Oct 1854 at age 73 in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Shernick [send private message]

Biography

Ezekiel Smith was a Texan.

When he was born, the population of Pearisburg was less than 200 people. The community now known as Pearisburg was then nothing but a small group of backwoods settlers who had weathered the American Revolution as part of the westernmost Colony of Virginia. Their town was shown on Colonial maps as a small appendage of the New River Settlement. Pearisburg was not formally founded until 1808, when it became county seat of the newly formed Giles County.

The main reason folks passed through Pearisburg in 1781 was very simple: It stood at the head of the New River Valley road, also known as the Southern Trail -- an old Indian path that connected the Yadkin River settlements of North Carolina to the Great Valley Road -- the Old Kanawha Trail -- that led southward and westward into Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.

Ezekiel was literally born at the gateway to the West.

Ezekiel Smith married in February 1802 in Montgomery County, Virginia, to Susannah Dingess, daughter of J. Peter Dingess. The fathers of the bride and groom knew each other well: During the American Revolutionary War, they had fought side-by-side with Trigg's Battalion in Lafayette's Corps at the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, Virginia.

Ezekiel Smith himself became a veteran of the War of 1812.

During the 1820s the Smith family migrated westward from Virginia by way of Kentucky.

About 1829 Ezekiel Smith and his sons were granted a contract by the United States Government to ferry Indians across the Mississippi River.

In 1830 his family resided in Warren County, Illinois and by 1836 they were in Des Moines County, Iowa.

Ezekiel probably sailed down the Mississippi by flat boat and then sailed from New Orleans, Louisiana to a port in Texas, where he was a pioneer by 1837.

A family historian at GenCircles tells us: "The first to arrive in Texas was Ezekiel Smith, who arrived in Texas in 1837 with his son, French Smith. His oldest son, Paris Smith, arrived in 1840 with his family and other relatives. Paris Smith and family traveled down the Mississippi River from Iowa where they had a store and ferry after arriving there from Virginia." ^[1]

From 1837 to 1840 Ezekiel served as a soldier in the Army of Texas. In 1840 Comanche Indians raided Victoria, Texas and carried off several settlers. ^[2] Ezekiel Smith and his son, French Smith, volunteered to ride with the militia from Gonzales, Texas to overtake the Indians and recapture the settlers. Among those who road along were Matthew Caldwell, Jack Hays, Ben McCulloch, Henry McCulloch, Dr. Switzer, Auley Miller, Andrew Sowell, John Sowell, James Nichols, Wilson Randle, Barney Randle, and others.

The group found the Indians and the Battle of Plum Creek resulted.

In July 1840 Ezekiel's son, Paris Smith, sailed down the Mississippi River on a flatboat, hiding by day from the Indians and traveling by night. When he arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, he took a sailing ship to Texas, landing on 1 June 1840 in Old Powderhorn (later called Indianola). He sold some goods there and traveled overland to Seguin, Texas, arriving "July 12th which was the Sabbath". The Battle of Plum Creek took place only a couple weeks later on 12 August 1840.

Ezekiel was a Hero of Texas who participated in the Mier Expedition of 1842. ^{[3] [4]} He underwent tremendous hardship as a prisoner of war.

Having served honorably in the fight to establish the Republic of Texas, Ezekiel Smith and his sons were rewarded with land grants. They became the founders of the town of Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. ^[5]

Ezekial Smith died on 28 October 1854 in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas, and was buried there at Smith Graveyard (now Riverside Cemetery) ^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]} with inscription: "Ezekiel Smith, soldier in the Army of Texas in the Mier Expedition, 1842; born in Virginia; died in Seguin, Texas October 28, 1854; Erected by the state of Texas 1936."

Children

Ezekiel and Susannah had eight children including

1. Paris Smith
2. Peter D. Smith
3. French C. Smith
4. Charles A. Smith
5. Gertrude Smith (twin)
6. Eliza Smith (twin).

War of 1812

Ezekiel Smith was drafted at the Courthouse for Giles County, Virginia, by Captain George Ott to serve during the War of 1812. He served as a Private under Captain George W. Kemp (or Camp).

The National Archives has established a War of 1812 Discharge Certificates, but papers for the militia were often not well kept. Appendix III lists individual soldiers by name including Ezekiel's father, Isaac Smith, but unfortunately there is no record of Ezekiel's discharge from service.

Turning to muster rolls and payrolls, one may find Ezekiel Smith's name listed on a muster roll copied down and reproduced at the Giles County, Virginia GenWeb by Edgar C. Smith for Thomas Kirk and Ralph Lucas' Militia Company in the War of 1812. This shows that Private Ezekiel Smith was one of 124 men listed on the muster roll of 30 Oct 1813 in Lt. Ralph Lucas' Militia Company, a rag-tag group attached to the 4th Regiment of Infantry in the Virginia Line. The 4th Regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. John Koontz. Earlier in the War, Koontz had been in charge of several units raised in Rockingham County, Virginia as well, and many of Ezekiel's relatives (including David French and William B. Smith) may be found in the Rockingham rolls.

The men in Giles County's hodge-podge militia were detached from their original units and technically reassigned to the command of Capt. George W. Camp, But aside from brief inspections they were, for all practical purposes, left under the direct command of Lt. Ralph Lucas. Hence they thought of themselves as Lucas' Militia Company. The unit was raised at Giles County, Virginia, in early September 1813. Pay and muster rolls show

1813/Sep/15-1813/Oct/15 At Norfolk; in Lieut. Ralph Lucas' Company of Infantry, Regiment#4, Virginia Militia.

1813/Oct/15-1813/Nov/30 Joined Camp on east side of Lyn Haven Bay Inlet.

1813/Dec/18 Capt. George W. Camp's Company of Militia Infantry, detached from Regiment#86 Regiment#72 Virginia Militia and now attached to Regiment#4 Virginia Militia.

1813/Nov/30-1814/Mar/10 Rear of Fort Norfolk, Virginia; Capt. George W. Camp's Company of Infantry of the Line, Regiment#4 Virginia Militia.

"All of the pay and muster cards also indicate, Lt. Col. McDowell, Lt. Col. Koontz, Lt. Col. Chilton."

Lucas' militia were discharged in March 1814.

"The company was in existence only six months, from mid-September 1813 to mid-March 1814. It was formed in Giles County, and under Lieut. Lucas they marched over 200 miles to Norfolk. It appears that they camped in Fort Norfolk or in the Peach Orchard at its rear for the entire term of the enlistment except for 40 days Lynnhaven Bay.

"The company was discharged at Fort Norfolk; the men apparently then walked home ...". Distance from place of discharge to home was 400 miles.

"All the muster rolls identified the company as Capt. George W. Camp's Company, 4th Regiment, Virginia Militia. The note beside Camp's name (listed first) was that he was detached to be Regimental Inspector, which accounts for Kirk's note that he did not see Camp after the first day, and several men identified Lieut. Ralph Lucas as their [actual] commander. Lieut. Andrew Caldwell was listed second, followed by Ensign John Peters."

"The winter of 1813/1814, the time the company existed, was unusually cold so that military activity was minor. A pitched battle had occurred the previous June at Craney Island across the Elizabeth estuary from Norfolk, and several significant engagements culminating in the sack of Washington would occur the following summer.

"That winter, however, things were at a stand-off in the Chesapeake. The British fleet maintained ships throughout that time in Lynnhaven Bay and in Hampton Roads and only a few American ships were able to run the blockade. The British frequently came ashore in small boats to obtain fresh water and provisions and to harass the populace in general. It is likely that Lucas' company met the British in one of these excursions, but the precise action has not been identified."

Mier Expedition

In 1842 by Mexican forces led by General Adrian Woll attacked San Antonio, Texas. A company of volunteer militia from LaGrange, Texas, were attacked on 14 Sep 1842 at Salado Creek. This attack continued for a few days and the Mexican forces were soon expelled from San Antonio.

In retaliation, a group of Texans under General Alexander Somervell decided to follow the retreating Mexican forces, harass their flanks and provoke them into battle. Known as the Somervell Expedition, they had several sharp and successful exchanges of gunfire along the Rio Grande River. They recaptured the town of Laredo on 7 Dec 1842 and then with a force of 500 men, took the town of Guerrero.

Having bloodied their enemy, Somervell held a meeting to discuss how to proceed; without support from the Republic of Texas, they could not go much further. Some of the group declared their desire for vengeance to be satisfied. The weather was cold and they weren't comfortable going much deeper into Mexican territory as they had promised their families to return before Christmas. However, a hotheaded minority of the group (including Ezekiel Smith), bitterly disagreed. They recalled the Dawson Massacre of 17 Sep 1842, in which 36 Texan militamen were gunned down at Salado Creek and they wanted to continue into Mexico and keep fighting. Somervell considered both sides and decided it was time to go back. On 19 Dec 1842 he ordered the militia to disband and return to Gonzales. According to Wikipedia "Five captains and their men disobeyed, which initiated the start of the privateering Mier Expedition. More men were gathered at LaGrange, Texas. They continued the march to Ciudad Mier under the command of William S. Fisher."

After a day of riding and running low on supplies, this group of 308 soldiers decided to attack the next town that provided a good target. On 20 Dec 1842 they made camp on the Texas side of the Rio Grande River, outside of Ciudad Mier. Leaving 47 men behind to guard the camp, 261 soldiers crossed the river and drove forward to attack the town of Mier. "The Texians were unaware that 3,000 Mexican troops were in the area under the command of Generals Francisco Mexia and Pedro de Ampudia. In the Battle of Mier that resulted, the Texians were outnumbered ten to one. They inflicted heavy casualties on the Mexicans -- 650 dead and 200 wounded -- but they were forced to surrender on December 26."

Prisoner of War 1842-1844

Once captured, they were treated very brutally by the angry troops of Gen. Mexia. They were bound, beaten, fed poorly, and forced to march all the way to Mexico City, Several escaped but most of the escapees were recaptured.

Having arrived in Mexico City, President Santa Anna ordered every tenth man be executed. In order to determine who was to be executed, the prisoners were made to draw from a pot containing 17 black beans and 159 white beans. On 23 March 1843 the men who drew black beans were executed and the ones who drew white beans were imprisoned until 1844.

At age 60, Ezekiel Smith was the oldest participant in the Mier Expedition. But he survived capture, imprisonment, the beatings, the long gruelling march to Mexico City and near execution by firing squad. Luck was on his side - he drew a white bean.

Ezekiel wrote the following letter to his wife while a prisoner at Perote:

Tampico, Mexico April 29, 1843

Dear Wife: After a long and tedious march of forty-two days, being subject to all privations and degradations that ferocity could invent, I arrived at this place with four other Texan prisoners.

It is difficult for me to undertake to describe to you my suffering and the hardships I have endured and in fact it would almost appear incredible that a man of my age and affected as I am could endure it, and I believe nothing but a hope of meeting my friends again; to live and die with those I love, has kept me alive.

From Matamoros to this place is five hundred miles, but we were counter-marched one hundred miles which makes the way six hundred. I cannot say that the officers are tyrannical. We were used better than their own men and that treatment was bad enough, in fact. We came to the conclusion that to resist at the risk of our own lives rather than to submit to anything tyrannical.

I was unable to march much of the way and was put into a cart together with eight sick soldiers and they covered with vermin. I can give you some idea of my disagreeable situation by informing you of the manner in which the soldiers rode in the cart. In the morning they were thrown into the cart, those not able to sit up laid on the bottom and those able to sit up seated on top of them. I saw three die in this manner; smothered to death.Thanks be to God I was able to sit up.

Part of the time I had a horse, without saddle or bridle, and generally one of the sick placed behind me. As regards the food, part of the time we had only one scant meal a day.

Since we came to this place we have experienced a great change. We have more liberty and plenty to eat. How long we will be here I have not the least idea, but I think not long.

The American Consul visited us the day after we arrived here and gave us ten dollars. He also informed us that he intended to do more, that he had spoken to the Americans of the place with respect to our situation, and they are all of one mind and willing, and if we are to judge from what the Americans that came here before we got here, we will want for nothing. They received $500.00 in money and good clothing and went from here on horseback.

On receipt of this I want you to write, directing your letter to the American Minister to Mexico. It would relieve me very much to hear from you, and to learn that you are well.

My health is extremely good, considering the experiences I have been subject to, and there has been so much change in our treatment that it has enlivened my spirits and seems the next thing to liberty itself.

I hope and pray that the time is not far distant when I shall meet my family again, never to part until we are parted to meet no more in this world of trouble.

My horse was taken, luckily not the one I rode from home, I traded with Willy Jackson for a very good sorrel, bald faced horse, with white legs and a dent in the forehead over the eye. I had an excellent saddle also.

Remember me to my friends, and especially Major Erskine's family.

From your truly affectionate husband, Ezekiel Smith

P.S. - I forgot to say that on my arrival at this place I was as naked as I came into the world, with the exception of an old pair of pantaloons, the sun at one hundred, and in nearly a tropical climate. Man cannot imagine what he can endure until he has tried.

Ezekiel Smith

Research Notes

There are contradictory sources for his birthday ...

b: 09 Oct 1781 ? ^[11] OR

b: 19 Oct 1781 ? ^[6]

There are contradictory sources for his marriage date ...

m: 02 Feb 1802 ? ^[12] OR

m: 04 Feb 1802 ? ^[13]

See Giles County FamilySearch Wiki Research page for records of Smith family members living at Pearisburg prior to 1808. If you get lost, go up a level to the overall resource page, State of Virginia or go down one level to the resources page for Pearisburg Town History. That will definitely take you to Pearisburg records, regardless of the county designation.

There is no known relationship between Ezekiel Smith and Erastus "Deaf" Smith, a famous frontiersman and leader of the Battle of San Jacincto. Deaf Smith was born 1787 in Dutchess County, New York ... not Virginia.

Sources

1. ↑ Gencircles
2. ↑ Great Raid of 1840 on Wikipedia
3. ↑ Family pages from the Bible of Ezekiel Smith : the oldest man on the Mier Expedition by Mary Elizabeth Smith Burden of San Antonio, Texas in 1989; listed on World Catalog; available at Daughters of Republic of Texas Library
4. ↑ Journal of the Texian Expedition Against Mier by Gen. Thomas J. Green & Harper and Bros. of New York in 1845; on archive.org
5. ↑ "Ezekiel Smith - Seguin's First Permanent Settler" by Miss Willie Mae Wienert in the Seguin-Guadalupe Enterprise-Gazette on 11-18 Dec 1936; republished in Historical Sketches p15-16; free PDF from Seguin and Guadalupe County Heritage Museum
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #6450070 for Ezekiel Smith, b: 09 Oct 1781 Giles County, Virginia; d: 28 Oct 1854 Texas; buried: Riverside Cemetery, Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas; with gravestone photos
7. ↑ U.S., Find A Grave Index 1600s-Current on ancestry.com for Ezekiel Smith, b: 09 Oct 1781 Giles County, Virginia; d: 28 Oct 1854 Texas; buried: Riverside Cemetery, Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas; spouse: Susannah Smith; children: French Smith, Paris Smith, Peter Dingess Smith
8. ↑ Riverside Cemetery
9. ↑ Monument Hill & Tomb at State Parks & Historic Sites by Texas Parks and Wildlife
10. ↑ Stopping Points with Ezekiel Smith Historical Marker Map
11. ↑ "Pedigree Resource File" compiled by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on FamilySearch database entry for Ezekiel Smith, b: 19 Oct 1781
12. ↑ Virginia, Select Marriages 1785-1940 on FamilySearch; citing ancestry.com; FHL#32633; p93; m: 02 Feb 1802 Montgomery County, Virginia for Ezekiel Smith & Susana Dingus
13. ↑ Family Bible Record of Ezekiel Smith "Ezekiel Smith married the wife Susanah Dingess, February the 4th,1802

• 1810 USA Census of Giles County, Virginia; on FamilySearch database with images (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2R-7BS : accessed 02 Apr 2016) citing NARA#M252; roll#68; GS#0181428; folder#5157085; image#754; p384; for Ezekiel Smith

• War of 1812 Payrolls - Men Who Served with Rockingham County on Rootsweb

• U.S., War of 1812 Service Records 1812-1815 compiled by Direct Data Capture on ancestry.com citing Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 mustered into the American armed forces between 1812-1815; NARA#M602; rollBox#192 for Ezekiel Smith, service: Private in Regiment#4 & #20 Virginia Militia

• 1830 USA Census of Warren County, Illinois; on ancestry.com citing Record Group #29; FHL#7649; NARA#M19; roll#24; p288; for Ezekiel Smith @40-49 & wife @40-49 & son @15-19

• 1836 Iowa Territorial Census in DesMoines County, Iowa, USA

• Texas, Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 on ancestry.com citing repository: Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin, Texas; Texas military units; Civil War Muster Rolls index Cards (both Confederate & Union); also Texas State Rangers; Ranger Rolls - Republic Era (excluding Minute Men); Gonzales Rangers Muster Roll with commander Capt. M. Caldwell; for Private Ezekiel Smith, enlisted: 16 March 1839; discharged: 16 June 1839

• Texas, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index 1820-1890 compiled by Ron V. Jackson & Accelerated Indexing Systems (AIS); on ancestry.com citing U.S. Federal Census indexes for Texas 1820-1890; TX Tax List Index 1840-1849; Texas Census 1850-1890; for Ezekiel Smith, res: 1840 Gonzales County, Texas

• U.S., Compiled Military Service Records for American Volunteer Soldiers, Mexican War 1845-1848 on ancestry.com citing Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican War in Organizations from the State of Texas; Record Group #94 Records of the Adjutant General's Office 1762-1984; NARA#M278; roll#1; for Ezekiel Smith, res: Texas, USA; enlisted: Huntsville TX; service: 16 May 1846 Huntsville, TX; rank: Private; unit: First Texas Foot Rifleman;

• 1850 USA Census of Sequin, Guadalupe County, Texas; on ancestry.com citing Record Group #29; NARA# M432_910; image#567; p290A; family#43; which included ...

39 Smith Charles A.

29 Smith Elizabeth (wife)

09 Smith Ezekiel

08 Smith Paris

06 Smith Gertrude

03 Smith Margarett

<1yr Smith Emily

68 Smith Ezekiel, b: c1782 VA

22 Martin Abraham G.

• War of 1812 Military bounty land warrants 1815-1858 on archive.org citing NARA

• Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas by A. J. Sowell & Ben C. Jones & Co. Printers of Austin, TX in 1900; on archive.org; mentions p312-313 participation in Battle of Plum Creek; & p418-420 Great Comanche Raid of 1840

• History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory] by David E. Johnston & Standard Printing and Pub. Co. of Huntington, WV in 1906; on archive.org; p452-453 for Ezekiel Smith's birth family; & p175 briefly mentions Ezekiel Smith & son French C. Smith

• "Daughters of the Republic of Texas" by Turner Publishing Company in 1995 v1 p255 on Google Books; for Ezekiel Smith

• Rootsweb Family Tree - Joel Hager's Southern West Virginia Research; for Ezekiel Smith (1781-1854)

• The Smith Family by Elizabeth Smith Burden on Rootsweb

• Descendants of Richard Smith of Northumberland County, Virginia by Darryl J. Diemer in 1995 on Google Books

• Ancestry Family Tree submitted by ancestry.com member for Ezekiel Smith

• Virtual Graveyard for Texas 1812 Veterans including Abram Trigg Smith, Gen. Nathaniel Smith

• War of 1812 Veterans in Texas by Mary Smith Fay in 1915; updated 1994 edition on Google Books

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Army_of_the_Republic_of_Texas Army

• https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Texas_Military_Records

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seguin,_Texas

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalupe_County,_Texas