Franklin H. Smith (abt. 1825 - 1863)

Born about 1825 in Giles County, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Adkins) Smith — married 20 Nov 1851 in Giles Co., Tennessee

Descendants

Died 17 Jul 1863 at about age 38 in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Art Black [send private message]

Biography

Pvt. Frank Smith served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Nov 29, 1862 (Bellefonte, Ala.)
Mustered out: Jul 17, 1863 (KIA; Jackson, Miss.)
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Company I, 55th Alabama Volunteer Infantry

Frank was born about 1825, based upon his age in the 1860 U.S. Census for Giles County, Tennessee ^[1] Being the eldest of the known children listed for his parents, it has always been assumed that he was their first born. However, his parents marriage date is not known, but rather assumed, based, again, upon Frank's estimated birth year at which time his mother Delilah would have been around 17. The possibility of an older brother has been suspected at times, mostly based upon his having moved his family to Alabama during the later 1850s, rather than stay in Giles County and eventually take over the family farm.

Marriage, Moving South and the Rumbling of War

All that is known is that he grew up on his parents farm, east of Pulaski, Tennessee, and that he married Mary Ann Adkins on November 20, 1851 in Giles County ^[2] . While living in the same county, they had two daughters, Theodosia (Addie) in 1854 and Laura in 1857. At some point in time between Laura's birth and the 1860 U.S. Census, Frank relocated his family to a new farm in Jackson County, Alabama ^[3].

Settled in Alabama

The U.S. Census of 1860 and the Slave Schedule of 1860 are the only two documents known at this time that record Frank and Mary Ann's settling in Jackson County, Alabama. The regular census suggests that they lived in Township 5 Range 6E of the county and oddly, the schedule records them in Township 4 Range 6E, where the county seat of Bellefonte stood. This suggests that they lived within a few miles of Bellefonte, possibly south of the town near the boundary of the two areas. At the time, Bellefonte was probably the largest town in the county with a population of a few hundred. The Census lists Frank as a farmer whose personal wealth was valued at over $1300 dollars, includeding the one slave listed in the Schedule, a girl of 15. On the other hand, no monetary value is listed for real estate holdings suggesting that he was not in ownership of the land he farmed.

The Civil War and Enlistment

The next record of Frank's life in Alabama is his enlistment in the Confederate Army in Bellefonte one November 29, 1862. The great unknown at this point is why he enlisted. At the time of his enlistment, he was 38 or 39 years of age, already approaching or past the general midpoint of life for that timeperiod. He had a wife and two little girls at home. Other companies and regiments had already been formed and left for the war, but he had not joined any of them. Did he feel social pressure to join up; at his age, was he feeling the urge for his last chance at an adventure? Perhaps he felt some need to defend what he saw as his "property", the one slave? We will never know.

More narrative to come. Art Black 2/20/2022

He was killed in action Jackson, Miss. in 1863. ^{[4] [5]}

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XCP9-1M?cc=1401638&wc=95RV-BZF%3A1031307201%2C1032146801%2C1032146802 : 9 April 2016), Tennessee > Giles > Giles county > image 274 of 399; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ Giles County, Tennessee Genealogy Site (https://gilestn.genealogyvillage.com/marriage/gilegr7.htm#S) Genealogical website for Giles County, Tennessee. This site has moved a couple of times over the years, but seems to be stable at this address. The specific link is to a listing of grooms in a 1818-1862 Marriage Index for the county.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBG-CZN?cc=1473181&wc=7QN3-GJF%3A1589422203%2C1589422215%2C1592313059 : 24 March 2017), Alabama > Jackson > Township no 5 of Range 6 East > image 2 of 2; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ Family tree handed down to Art Black.
5. ↑ Miller, Rex. The Forgotten Regiment. Round Rock, TX: Patrex Press, 1984. Pate 265. Revised edition, 8th printing, April 2001 (a history of the 55 Alabama Infantry Regiment, US Civil War)

See Also

• "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBJ-JGZ?cc=3161105&wc=8113-T38%3A1610302401%2C1610372701%2C1610802501 : 16 October 2019), Alabama > Jackson > Township 4 and Range 6 East > image 1 of 3; citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Natalie K. Black; Pioneer Preacher, Descendants to 1980 of the Rev. Samuel Black (1700-1770) of Pennnsylvania and Albemarle County, Virginia; privately printed, Williams Printing Company, Nashville, Tenn., 1981; page 191