Doddridge County Roots

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Jacob SMITH

Jacob SMITH

Male 1827 - 1875  (48 years)

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  • Name Jacob SMITH 
    Born 9 Mar 1827  [1] 
    Gender Male 
    Census 1850, 1860  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Military From 5 Jun 1862 to 10 Jun 1865  [2] 
    Captain, Co A, 14th W.Va. Inf, Civil War 
    • Jacob Smith was born in 1827, the son of John Smith and Betty Seaton Boreman. It is unclear exactly when his parents came from Greene County, Pennsylvania to settle on Nutters Fork in Doddridge County, but we know that they were living here prior to 1830. During the Civil War, Jacob was made Captain of Company A, 14th W.Va Infantry, a unit comprised almost entirely of soldiers from Doddridge County. Below is an excerpt from Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick Dyer:

      "Many of the company officers performed deeds of heroism that are worthy of record. Capt. Jacob Smith, of Co. A, is deserving a medal for gallantry in the following episode. In the spring of 1863, the captain with his company was ordered to Greenland Gap, W. Va., to reinforce a company of the 23rd Illinois Infantry. The two companies were stationed in two log houses at the cut. The Confederate General Jones, with his command, appeared on the scene. He charged the two companies, and was driven back. He charged again and again, but was as often driven away by the well-directed fire of the two companies, with considerable loss. Jones demanded the surrender. The Illinois captain who ran short of ammunition, did surrender, he, being the senior officer, ordered Captain Smith to do likewise. But Captain Smith replied, "I have some ammunition left," and continued to fight. Jones threatened to blow the house to fragments, but Smith was resolute and continued to fight. Under cover of the large chimney, the Confederates approached the house and set it on fire. Still Smith declined to surrender, nor did he until his last cartridge was gone, when the gallant captain and his men left the burning building, now half consumed, stacked arms and gave themselves up as prisoners."

      From this article we can see that Jacob Smith served an invaluable and heroic service to his company and his country. However, Jacob’s brother, James, was not so fortunate. Private James S. Smith died in 1863 from dysentery while in service of Company A, 14th W.Va. Infantry, under command of his very own brother. Jacob Smith died in 1875 and is interred at Freeman-Coleman Cemetery at Crystal Lake. Near him lies the body of his brother, James S. Smith. Many of Jacob Smith’s descendants are still found in Doddridge County, including those of surnames Smith, Cottrill, Corathers and Montgomery.

      SOURCES: Researched and written by Jennifer Wilt. Originally printed in "The Doddridge Independent," May 20 2016.
      https://wvcivilwar.com/union-regiments/14th-west-virginia-infantry/
    Census 1870  West Union District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation carpenter  [3] 
    Died 21 Sep 1875  Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 4, 5] 
    Buried Freeman-Coleman Cemetery, Rt 18 N (Crystal Lake), West Union, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Person ID I29697  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 29 May 2016 

    Father John SMITH,   b. 1 Jan 1795, Greene Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Mar 1875, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years) 
    Mother Betty Seaton BOREMAN,   b. 22 Jan 1799, Waynesburg, Greene Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 May 1882, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Family ID F21717  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Eliza SMITH,   b. 15 Jul 1832, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Aug 1913, West Union District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 81 years)  [7, 8] 
    Marriage License Feb 1851  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Married 27 Feb 1851  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Notes 
    • 1860 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Jul 23 1860:
      Jacob Smith, 32, occup carpenter; Eliza, 27; Leanora, 8; James, 5. All born in Virginia.
      NOTE: Eliza's birthplace is known from the 1850 and 1870 census to be in Ohio. The next enumerated household in this census was that of Eliza's parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Smith.

      1870 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (West Union Twp), enumerated on Jun 13 1870:
      Jacob Smith, 43, b. Pennsylvania, farmer; Eliza, 38, b. Ohio; Lenora, 18, b. Va; James M, 15; b. Va; John Sr, 73, b. Pa, farmer; Bettie S, 71, b. Pa; Perry C, 37.
      NOTE: Jacob's birthplace as Pennsylvania is at variance with other records, which show it as (West) Virginia. His parents were born in Pennsylvania.
    Children 
     1. Lenora SMITH,   b. 6 Feb 1852, Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Mar 1924, Wick, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years)
     2. James Madison SMITH,   b. 1854, Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Dec 1938, Los Angeles, CA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 84 years)
    Documents
    29697_JacobSmith_ElizaSmith_MarriageRecord_DoddridgeCoWVa_27Feb1851.jpg    		29697_JacobSmith_ElizaSmith_MarriageRecord_DoddridgeCoWVa_27Feb1851.jpg
    Family ID F11362  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Freeman-Coleman Cemetery, Rt 18 N (Crystal Lake), West Union, WV Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    29697_SMITH_Jacob_1827-1875_Freeman-ColemanCem_CrystalLake_WestUnion_DoddridgeCoWV_29May2016.jpg    		29697_SMITH_Jacob_1827-1875_Freeman-ColemanCem_CrystalLake_WestUnion_DoddridgeCoWV_29May2016.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S5] Headstone.

    2. [S97] Cemetery marker.

    3. [S1890] 1860 Census, Doddridge County, (W)VA.

    4. [S1563] Doddridge County Death Records, West Union, WV, DR p. 25, Line 51 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=5050889&Type=Death.

    5. [S2568] West Virginia Deaths Index, 1853-1973 [database on-line], (Ancestry.com).

    6. [S934] Findagrave.com.

    7. [S1567] Marriage record of son.

    8. [S1583] Marriage record of daughter.

    9. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV, Marriage Licenses : www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11792051&Type=Marriage.
      In the Marriage License Register, identified as Jacob C. Smith, 21, son of John Smith; and Eliza Smith, 18, dau of Thomas Smith. Marriage license issued in February 1851. The exact date is no longer in the record, as the page was torn and the piece of it containing the date is missing, with only the name of the month remaining. The preceding entry in the ledger-style register is January 15 1851, while the entry immediately following it is February 28 1851. A separate document shows that the marriage occurred on February 27 1851. (NOTE: This is the only reference we have found to this Jacob Smith having a middle initial.)

    10. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV, MR p. 16 : www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11791141&Type=Marriage.
      The handwritten marriage record, signed by T. T. Henderson (this would be Thomas T. Henderson, a Methodist minister born about 1810 and who later moved to Iowa) on March 23 1851, states in its entirety:
      "I do hereby certify that Jacob Smith and Eliza Smith were lawfully married by me 27 Feby 1851."