Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/591

Rh cultural topics. In his profession his services were rendered gratuitously, and in every yellow-fever epidemic he went t<! Houston or Gaiveston and devoted himself to the sulferers. He was instru- mental in the establishment of the state university, ami president of its board of regents. His publi- cations include "Account of the Yellow Fever in Gaiveston, in 1839 " (Gaiveston, 1840): "Account of the Geography of Texas" (1851); and "Per- manent Identity of the Human Race " (1860).

SMITH, Augustus William, educator, b. in Newport, Herkimer co., N. Y., 13 May, 1803 ; d. in Annapolis, Md., 36 March. 1S66. He was gradu- ated at Hamilton college in 1835. became a teacher in Oneida conference seminary, Cazenovia. X. Y.. was professor of mathematics and astronomy in Vslcyan in 1831-'51. and at the latter date be- came its president. From 1859 until his death he was professor of natural philosophy in the U. S. naval academy. Hamilton gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1850. In 1800 he was one of the corps of a-tronomers that were sent by the U. S. govern- ment to Labrador to observe the annular eclipse of the sun. He was an excellent mathematician, and the author of several text-books, including an " Ele- mentary Treatise on Mechanics " (New York, 1846).

SMITH, Azariah, missionary, b. in Manlius. N. Y., 16 Feb.. 1817: d. in Aintab. Asia Minor. 3 June. 1851. He was graduated at Yale in 1837, studied medicine and theology, and in 1843 em- barked for western Asia as a missionary. He ar- rived in Smyrna in January, 1843, made numerous journeys into the interior, and was the travelling companion of Sir Austin Henry Layard. Subse- quently, when Asiatic cholera raged there, he suc- cessfully practised among the sufferers. He settled at Aintab in 1848, and taught and preached there until his death. He wrote several valuable papers on meteorology and Syrian antiquities for the ' American- Journal of Science."

'''SMITH. Benjamin''', governor of North Caro- lina. I), in Brunswick county. N. (.'.. in 1750: d. in Smithville. N. C., 10 Feb., 1839. He became aide- de-camp to Gen. Washington in 1776, was with him in the retreat from Long Island, participated in the defence of Fort Moultrie, and served during the British invasion of South Carolina. In 1789 he gave 30.000 acres of land to the University of North Carolina, whose trustees named a hall in that institution in his honor. He was fifteen times a member of the state senate from Brunswick county, served as major-general of militia in 1794-1810. and, when war with France was threat- ened in 1796, raised a regiment of North Carolina volunteers in his county. He was governor of the state in 1810-'13. A town and an island of North Carolina are named in his honor.

SMITH, Benjamin Bosworth, P. E. bishop, b. in Bristol, R. L, 13 June, 1794: d. in New York city, 31 May, 1884. He entered Brown university, Providence, R. I., and was graduated in 1816. Al- though of Congregational parentage, he studied for the ministry in the Episcopal church, was or- dained deacon in St. Michael's church. Bristol, 33 April, 1817, by Bishop Griswold, and priest in St. Michael's church, Marblehead, Mass., 34 June, is is. by the same bishop. His earliest work in the ministry was in Marblehead for two years, after which he became rector of St. George's church, Ac- comack county, Va., and two years later rector of Zion church. Charlestown, with charge of the church in Shepherdstown. In 1833 he removed to Ver- mont and became rector of St. Stephen's church, Middlebury, in 1838 he assumed charge of Grace church mission, Philadelphia, and in 1830 he ac- cepted the rectorship of Christ church. Lexington, Ky. This last post he held until 1837. While in Vermont he was editor of " The Episcopal Regis- IIT," and subsequently in Philadelphia he conduct- ed " The Episcopal Recorder." He received the dcgr f S. T. D. from Geneva(now Hobart) college in 1833, and that of LL. D. from Griswold college, Iowa, in 1870. and from Brown uni- versity in 1S72. He was elected first bishop of Kentucky, and was consecrated in St. Paul's chap- el, New York /? city, 31 Oct., 1833. On the death of Bishop Hopkins in 1868 he became the presiding bishop. From 1873 onward, owing to advanced age and accompanying infirmities, he was allowed to reside out of the limits of his diocese, and he was furnished with an assistant in January, 1875. In ad- dition to his contributions as editor to church jour- nalism, Bishop Smith published " Five Charges to the Clergy " of his diocese : " Saturday Evening, or Thoughts on the Progress of the Plan of Salva- tion" (New York, 1876); and "Apostolic Succes- sion, Facts which prove that a Ministry appointed by Christ Himself involves this Position" (1877).

SMITH, Benjamin Mosby, clergyman, b. in Powhatan county, Va., 30 June, 1811. He was graduated at Hampden Sidney in 1839, and at the Virginia union theological seminary in 1833. He was tutor in Hebrew and introductory studies from that date till 1836, and was successively pastor of Presbyterian churches in Danville and Augusta county, Va., from 1840 till his appointment in 1854 to the chair of Oriental and biblical litera- ture in Union seminary, which office he still (1888) holds. In 1858-'74 he was pastor of Hampden Sidney college church, and he was moderator of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in 1876. Hampden Sidney gave him the degree of D. D. in 1845. Dr. Smith exercises much influence in the affairs of his church in Virginia. He has published numerous sermons and addresses, " A Commentary on the Psalms and Proverbs " (Glas- gow, 1859; Knoxville, Tenn., 1883), and "Ques- tions on the Gospels " (Richmond, Va., 1868).

SMITH, Buckingham, antiquarian, b. on Cumberland island, Ga.. 31 Oct., 1810; d. in New York city, 5 Jan., 1871. He was graduated at Harvard law-school in 1836, and practised his profession in Maine, but soon returned to his family estate in Florida, where he was a member of the territorial legislature. He was U. S. secretary of legation in Mexico in 1850-'3, acting as charge d'affaires in 1851. During his residence there he made a thorough study of Mexican history and antiquities and Indian philology, and collected many books and manuscripts. He was secretary of legation at Madrid in 1855-'8, made important researches in the Spanish libraries and archives respecting the colonial history of Florida and Louisiana, and rendered valuable services to George Bancroft, Jared Sparks, and Francis Parkman. He settled in Florida in 1859, became a judge, and served several terms in the state senate. A part of