Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/629

Rh SMITH, William, naval officer, b. in Wash- ington, Ky., 'J Jan., 1803; d. in St. Louis, Mo.. 1 May, 1873. He entered the U. S. navy as a mid- shipman in 1823, was attached to the " Sea-Gull," and served in Com. David Porter's squadron against the West Indian pirates, lie became lieu- tenant in 1831, co-operated in the " Vandalia " with the army in several expeditions against the Semi- nole Indians in Florida in 1835-'7, and during the Mexican war assisted at the capture of Tuspan and Tobasco. He became commander in 1854, was in charge of the " Levant," of the East Indian squad- ron, and participated in the capture of the barrier forts at Canton, China, in 1856. During the civil war he was in the frigate " Congress " when she was sunk by the " Merrimac," became commodore, 16 July. 1802, commanded the " Wachusett " and gun-boats co-operating with Gen. George B. Mr< 'Irl- lau's army in that year, and was subsequently in command of the Pensacola naval station till 9 Jan., 1865, when he was retired.

SMITH, William Andrew, clergyman, b. in Fredericksburg, Va., 29 Nov., 1802 ; d. in Rich- mond, Va., 1 March, 1870. He was admitted to the Virginia conference of the Methodist Episco- pal church in 1825, became agent of Randolph Ma- con college in 1833, and was subsequently pastor of Methodist churches in Petersburg, Richmond, Norfolk, and Lynchburg, Va. He was a member of every Methodist general conference from 1832 till 1844, of the Louisville, Ky., convention, at which the Methodist Episcopal church, south, was organized in the latter year, and of every general conference of that body fill his death. In 1846-'G6 he was president of Randolph Macon college, and during his occupation of that office he also filled the chair of moral science there, and lectured in Virginia and North Carolina. He was trans- ferred to the St. Louis conference in 1866, and was appointed by the general conference one of the commissioners on the part of the southern church to settle the property question with the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1869 he became president of Central university, Mo. He edited the " Chris- tian Advocate " at Richmond, Va., for several years, and published " Lectures on the Philosophy of Slavery," a defence of that institution as it ex- isted in the southern states (Richmond, Va., 1860).

SMITH, William E., statesman, b. in Inver- ness, Scotland, 18 June, 1824; d. in Milwaukee, 13 Feb., 1883. He came to this country, and spent his youth in New York and Michigan, and finally set- tled at Fox Lake, Wis., where he engaged in busi- ness. He was elected a member of the Legislature in 1851 and re-elected in 1871, when he was made speaker of the house. Besides holding many other offices, he was elected governor of Wisconsin, in 1877 and 1879, on the latter occasion receiving the largest majority that was ever given to a governor in that state. He was earnestly engaged in all philanthropic and Christian enterprises, especially those connected with the Baptist denomination.

SMITH, William Ernest, assistant secretary of the treasury, b. in Rockton, 111., 8 June, 1852 ; d. in Plattsbu'rg, N. Y., 30 March, 1888. He was graduated at Lafayette in 1872 with the degree of mining engineer, admitted to the bar of Platts- burg, N. Y., in 1875, and was its mayor in 1877-'8. He was in the legislature in 1884, and became a leader of the supporters of Samuel J. Tilden. Dur- ing this service he inserted in the supply bill what is known as the " Freedom of worship clause," by which an appropriation of 1,500 is paid to Roman Catholic priests for their services to prisoners in the three parishes where the New York state pris- ons are situated. He was chairman of the New York state central Democratic committee in 1884, and in 1885 was appointed by President Cleveland assistant secretary of the treasury, which post he held till 1886, when he resigned to become gen- eral solicitor to the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba railroad. His death was the result of overwork in that office.

'''SMITH. William Farrar''', soldier, b. in St.Al- Imns, Vt., 17 Feb., 1824. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1845, appointed to the corps of topographical engineers, and, after a year's service on lake survey duty, was assistant professor of mathematics at West Point in 1846-'8. He was then en- gaged in sur- veys in Texas for the Mexican boundary com- mission, and in Floridatilll855, when he return- ed to his for- mer duty at the military acade- my. In 1853 he became 1st lieu-. tenant of topo- graphical engi- neers. He was placed on lighthouse construction service in 1856, became captain of topographical engineers, 1 July, 1859, and was engineer secretary of the light-house board from that year till April, 1861. After serving on mustering duty in New York for one month, he was on the staff of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler in June and July, 1861, at Fort Monroe, Va., became colonel of the 3d Vermont volunteers in the latter month, and was engaged in the defences of Washington, D. C. He became brigadier-general of volunteers on 13 Aug., participated in the Virginia peninsula campaign, and was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, U. S. army, for gallant and meritorious service at the battle of White Oak Swamp, 30 June, 1862. He became major-general of volunteers, 4 July, 1862, and led his division at South Mountain and Antietam, receiving the brevet of colonel, U. S. army, 17 Sept.. 1862, for the latter battle. He was assigned to the command of the 6th corps, and engaged at the battle 'of Fredericksburg, Va., in December, was transferred to the 9th corps in February, 1863, and became major in the corps of engineers on 3 March. The next day his appointment of major-general of volunteers, not having been confirmed by the senate, expired by constitutional limitation, and he resumed his rank of brigadier-general in the volunteer service. He was in command of a division of the Department of the Susquehanna in June and July, 1863, became chief engineer of the Department of the Cumberland in October, and of the military division of the Mississippi in November, 1863. He was engaged in operations about Chattanooga, Tenn., participating in the battle of Missionary Ridge. He rendered important services in carrying out the Brown's ferry movement, which made it possible not only to maintain the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga, but to bring Sherman and Hooker to its assistance. In his report to the joint committee of congress on the conduct of the war, Gen. George H. Thomas said : To Brig.-Gen. W. F.