Jeremiah Smith was born 23 December 1773 in South Carolina. He was the son of Jeremiah Smith, Sr. and Jemimah (Hollis) Smith. On 16 December 1798, in South Carolina, he married Joanna (Dillon) Smith, daughter of Richard Dillon and Anne (Lawrence) Dillon, who was born 22 August 1778.[i],[ii], [iii],[iv], [v]They raised a very large family. Jeremiah did not remain in South Carolina.
Jeremiah Smith came from Lancaster District, South Carolina, in 1808. He moved in a cart, and settled on a place near Dillontown, where Edwin Alford married Martha. He was the father of Eli’ Edwin and Wyatt Smith. He was one of the finest mechanics of his time.[vi]
When the War of 1812 was being fought Sergeant Jeremiah Smith served as a mounted rifleman in Captain Bond’s Company of Lt. Colonel Nixon’s Regiment of the Mississippi Militia. He enrolled 15 October 1813 and served for 2 months and 17 days, until 31 December 1813. For that service he was later paid $11 per month, plus travel pay ($11.50 travel pay and $2.40 travelling subsistence) and forty cents a day for his horse, for a total of $73.13.[vii],[viii]
Travelling allowance is here calculated at the rate of 300 miles, from Pierce’s Fort on the Alabama, to the counties of Pike and Marion, M. Terr. [Mississippi Territory], and 5 rations at 16 cents.[i]
It looks like he was allowed, at times, to return to his home in Mississippi. Jeremiah served from 15 October 1813 to 31 December 1813. He served again from 8 January 1814 to 14 April 1814 under the same command.[ii]
In 1816 Pike County, Mississippi took a census of their county’s inhabitants. Several Smith families were included: Gideon, Jeremiah, John, Mary and Richard.[iii]The 1820 Territorial Census Jeremiah Smith and a few other Smiths: George Smith [probably Jeremiah’s brother], Bailey Smith, Richard Smith, Sr., Richard Smith, Jr., Britton Smith and David Smith.[iv]The 1841 census taken in the county clearly refers to the son because Jeremiah Smith, Sr. had died previously.[v]
In 1837 Jeremiah Smith was mentioned in the newspaper.
In the Senate, Mr. Love presented the petition of Jeremiah Smith and others, for the incorporation of the Silver Creek Church, in Pike County, which was referred to a select committee.[i]
Jeremiah died in 1843.[ii], [iii]
[i]In the Senate (Jackson, MS: 28 April 1837) 2; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed July 2020).
[ii]Gurr, Cindy Brock and Dennis Ray Gurr. The Ties That Bind US Together, Volume 5 (Privately Printed, 2006) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed March 2019) 131-212.
[iii]Find A Grave (findagrave.com: accessed March 2019) Memorial #35740835, Jeremiah G. Smith (George Smith Sr. Cemetery, Walthall Co., MS).
[i]Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.
[ii]Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.
[iii]Rowland, Dunbar. The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, Centennial Edition (Madison, WI: Democrat Printing Company, 1917) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed March 2019) Smith, Pike Co.
[iv]1820 MS State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792 – 1866; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed April 2019) Smith in Pike Co.
[v]1841 Mississippi State Census Index, Pike; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed 2018) Jeremiah Smith.
[i]Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society. Be it Known and Remembered, Bible Records, Volume 1 (Baton Rouge, LA: 1960) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed March 2019) 146-7. Jeremiah Smith Sr. Bible.
[ii]Conerly, Luke Ward. Source Records from Pike County, Mississippi, 1798-1910; 1798-1910; (SC: Southern Historical Press, 1989) 118.
[iii]Gurr, Cindy Brock and Dennis Ray Gurr. The Ties That Bind US Together, Volume 5 (Privately Printed, 2006) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed March 2019) 131-212.
[iv]Find A Grave (findagrave.com: accessed March 2019) Memorial #35740835, Jeremiah G. Smith (George Smith Sr. Cemetery, Walthall Co., MS).
[v]South Carolina Marriage Indexes, 1641-1965; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed March 2019) Jeremiah Smith.
[vi]Conerly, Luke Ward. Source Records from Pike County, Mississippi, 1798-1910; 1798-1910; (SC: Southern Historical Press, 1989) 36.
[vii]Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.
[viii]Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers, 1812 – 1815; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed March 2019) Jeremiah Smith.
Jeremiah Smith served in the War of 1812. He was a Sergeant in Nixon’s Regiment, Mounted Riflemen in a detachment of the Militia of MS. He enlisted 15 October 1813 and served till 14 April 1814.
1 Jeremiah Smith b: 23 Dec 1773 SC, d: 1843 Pike, MS
…… + Joanna Dillon b: 22 Aug 1778 Bertie, NC, m: 16 Dec 1798 SC, d: Aft. 30 April 1821 Pike, MS
…………2 Hollander Smith b: 8 July 1800 Pike, MS
………… + Benjamin Morris Jr. b: c. 1792 SC, d: Aft. 1870
…………2 Martha P. Smith b: 25 March 1802 SC, d: 08 Aug 1861 MS
………… + Edwin Barksdale Alford b: 25 Nov 1792 NC, m: 20 Dec 1818 Pike, MS, d: 10 March 1878 in Pike, MS
…………2 Eli Smith b: 21 January 1804 in SC, d: 02 Aug 1838 Pike, MS
………… + Orpha Roberts
…………2 Jane Smith b: 09 Oct 1805, d: 1846
………… + Thomas Coulter Warner m: 25 Dec 1825
…………2 Edwin Smith b: 03 June 1807 in Pike, MS
…………2 Wyatt Smith b: 31 Aug 1809 in LA, d: 16 Feb 1894 Pike, MS
………… + Euseba Fortenberry b: 03 Dec 1809 in SC, d: 13 Oct 1878 MS
………………3 Emmaline Smith b: 13 Sept 1831 Pike, MS, d: 3 Aug 1920 Pike, MS
……………… + Allen Moses Brown b: 26 Jan 1836 MS, m: 1858, d: Aft. 1870
…………2 Eliza Smith b: 14 Feb 1811 in Pike, MS, d: 6 April 1837
…………2 Calvin Smith b: 22 Sept 1812 in Pike, MS, d: 22 Jan 1843 Pike, MS
………… + Sarah Brumfield
………… + Sarah Brumfield b: 09 April 1824 in Washington, LA, m: 1843
…………2 Lidda Smith b: 06 April 1816 Pike, MS
………… + Harris Harvey
…………2 Mehala Smith b: 15 July 1816 in Pike, MS
…………2 Milevey Smith b: 13 April 1818 in Pike, MS
………… + Don Harvey
…………2 Joanna Smith b: 05 Oct 1819 in Pike, MS
…………2 Jeremiah Smith b: 30 April 1821 in Pike, MS, d: 13 May 1894
………… + Pernecia Smith b: 26 Sept 1820, m: 15 July 1841, d: 04 April 1887
Selected Sources:
- The Jeremiah Smith, Sr. Bible, c. 1800 – 1917, Bible in possession of Mrs. W. C. Uhlman, Copy given to author by Pat (Brock) Smith.
- Pedigree Chart for Roy Brown; 1700’s to 1948; Compiled by Zelda Marie Alford Fortenberry.
- Luke Ward Conerly, SOURCE RECORDS FROM PIKE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 1798-1910; 1798-1910; South Carolina, Southern Historical Press, 1989.
- 1790 US Census, Greenville Co, SC Jeremiah Smith
- Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi, M678, roll 20, Nixon’s Regiment, 1813, Jeremiah Smith. fold3