Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/761

 VTRC^.INIA BIOGRAPHY

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v]unteer bearer of a flag of truce at the battle of Germantown and was killed under the very eyes of his beloved general. The children of General S"mith rose to eminent position, his daughters marrying prominent men.

Colonel Augustine Charles Smith, lifth child of General Smith, was born at "Hack- wood Park." Frederick county, Virginia, 1789. died in 1843. He was a graduate of William and Mary College, receiving the highest honors. He chose the law as his profession, and when the second war with Great Britain broke out abandoned a large practice to volunteer for service. He was commissioned major of the Thirty-first Re- giment, United States Infantry, and rose to the rank of colonel. He served with dis- tinction, having a horse shot under him at the battle of Bladensburg. After the war he was retained in the regular service and commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Twelfth Regiment of Infantry. After a few years service he resigned and resumed the practice of law at Winchester. He was elected state senator and came within a few votes of an election to Congress. He was originally a Presbyterian, but later an Epis- copalian. He was for a time in charge of AVinchester Academy, and later, when in South Carolina for his health, accepted the management of the Female Seminary at Columbia, resigning in 1840 and returning to W^inchester. He was appointed prose- cuting attorney for Winchester and was holding that office at his death in 1843. H!e married Elizabeth Daingerfteld, eldest daughter of Colonel Charles Magill, a lead- ing lawyer of Winchester. She bore him fifteen children, four of whom died in in- fancy, but eleven grew to adult age, all of whom, except the eldest son, married and became the heads of families. Two of his sons, John Augustine and Charles Magill Smith, were eminent physicians, of Louis- iana ; Augustine J., of further mention ; A. Magill, was a noted educator, sixteen years principal of Shenandoah Valley Academy, later principal of Episcopal Female Insti- tute at Winchester, was the organizer of the Frederick county public school system, and served in the Confederate army.

Elizabeth D. (Magill) Smith, mother of this large family, was a descendant of Rob- ert Magill, of the Isle of Mull on the coast of Scotland, who in 1650 was made Viscount

Oxingford by Charles II. in recognition of valiant service. He was also invested with an estate, Tullycairn in county Antrim, Ire- land, which became the family seat. Three great-grandchildren. ]:)rothers, John, Charles and Arthur, came to America in 1766; John settled at Winchester. X'irginia. where he practiced law successfully, married and is the father of Colonel Charles Magill. father of Elizabeth I). Magill.

Colonel Charles Alagill. although not yet of age when the revolution began, engaged actively with the patriots and for this was disinherited b) his father who was an avowed royalist. Charles entered the ser- vice as a private, served throughout the war, rose to the rank of colonel, received a severe wound. He served the greater part of the war under the immediate command of Gen- eral Washington and for a time was at- tached to his staff, later served upon the staff of (leneral Green. He was with the army during the terrible winter of suffering at Valley Forge, his correspondence con- taining startling corroboration of the stor- ies of suffering there endured. After the war he became a prominent lawyer, was one of the organizers and the first president of the Bank of the Valley at Winchester. He was a Federalist in politics, member of the state senate, and was appointed by Presi- dent John Adams, one of the three Federal judges for Virginia. His county seat "The Meadows" was situated five miles south of Winchester surrounded by twenty-five hun- dred acres of \aluable land. He was one of the original members of the "Society of the Cincinnati," and a member of the Pres- byterian church. He is described as "tall of stature, of dignified bearing with a gentle, genial manner, commanding universal re- spect and esteem." He married (first) a Miss Daingerfield, who died without issue. He married (second) Mary Buckner Thrus- ton. daughter of Colonel Charles Mynn Thruston, a distinguished \^irginian. She bore him seven sons and four daughters : Elizabeth D.. the eldest daughter, became the wife of Colonel Augustine Charles Smith.

Augustine Jaquelin Smith, son of Colonel Augustine C. and Elizabeth D. (^Magill) Smhh, was born at Winchester, ^'irginia, in T828, died in 1903. He was highly edu- cated, an eminent lawyer, practicing in Bal- timore, Maryland, for many years. For ten