Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/445

 SMITH

SMITH

congress, Dr. Smith preached a sermon at all Saints' Church, Lower Dublin, Philadelphia, which caused much criticism, as he prayed for the King, although not using the words as printed in the Book of Common Prayer, but a modified form of his own composition. He was married, June 3, 1758, at Moore Hall, to Rebecca, daughter of Gen. William IMoore, the attachment having grown during the repeated visits of the daughter to the prison during the imprisonment of Justice Moore and Dr. Smith for libel. The legislature of Pennsylvania revoked the charter of the College of Philadelphia in 1779, and Dr. Smith removed to Chester parish, Md., where he was rector, 1779- 89, and president of AVashington college, founded by him, 1783-89. He was president of the con- vention that met in Slay, 1783, to organize the American Protestant Episcopal church in Mary- land, and in June he was elected bishop of the diocese of Maryland, but the convention of 1786 refused to sanction the election, and he was not consecrated. He continued to serve as president of the general conventions of the church. He resumed the duties of provost of the college in Philadelphia in 1789, on the restoration of the charter, and he continued in ofiice up to 1791, when he retired. He served as secretary of the board of trustees of the College of Philadelphia, 1704-90; was president of the St. Andrew's So- ciety of Philadelphia, and president of the corpo- ration for the relief of the widows and children of clergj'men in the communion of the Church of England in America. His son, William Moore Smith, born June 1, 1759, graduated, University of Pennsylvania, A.B. 1775, A.M. 1778; married Ann, daughter of Col. Joseph Rudolph; practised law in Philadelphia, and died there, March 12, ISn. Besides addresses. Dr. Smith is the author of: Brief Account of the Province of Pennsylvania (London, 1755) (New York, 1865); Bouquet's Ex- pedition Against the Western Indians (1765); Poems of Nathaniel Evans icith Memoir (1772). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., May 14, 1803.

SMITH, William, delegate, was born in Balti- more, Md., in 1730. He favored the American Revolution and served as a delegate to the Con- tinental congress that met at York, Penn., from Sept. 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778. He was a Fed- eralist representative from Maryland in the 1st U.S. congress, 1789-91, was appointed auditor of the U.S. treasury in 1791, and in 1798 was a presidential elector from the 4th district of Mary- land, but was absent when the electoral college met. He died in Baltimore, Md., March 27, 1814.

SMITH, William, statesman, was born in North Carolina in 1762. He removed to York district, S.C, in his early youth, was grad- uated from Mount Zion college, Winnsborough, S.C, in 1780; studied law and established

himself in practice in Charleston, S.C, Jan. 6, 1784. He was a i*epresentative from York district in the state legislature for several years; state senator, 1806-08; president of the senate in 1808, and was elected a circuit judge in that year. He was a Democratic representative from the Cliarleston district in the 5th congress, 1797- 99; was appointed U.S. senator to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Taylor in 1815, and was re-elected in 1817. serving till 1823, when he was defeated by Robert Y. Hayne. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1823- 26; was elected to the U.S. senate in December, 1826, to fill the unexpired term of John Gaillard, serving, 1826-31, and was twice defeated for re- election by Steplien D. Miller. He declined the appointment of judge of the U.S. supreme court, and in 1829 he received 23 electoral votes for Vice-President of the United States. He re- moved to Huntsville, Ala., in 1833; declined the appointment of associate justice of the U.S. supreme court tendered him by President Jack- son in 1836; and was a representative in the state legislature of Alabama, 1835-39. He ac- cumulated a vast fortune and owned profitable plantations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louis- iana. He died in Huntsville, Ala., June 26, 1840.

SMITH, William, governor of Virginia, was born in King George county, Va., Sept. 6, 1796. He attended the Plainfield academy. Conn., and private schools in Virginia, and practised law in Culpeper county, Va. He was state senator. 1830- 35; a Democratic representative in the 27th con- gress, 1841-43; and governor of the state, 1845-48. He removed to California in 1850, where he was elected president of the constitutional conven- tion held at Benicia, Cal., in 1850. He returned to Virginia in 1852; was a representative in the 33d-36th congresses, 1853-61; was commissioned colonel, 49th Virginia infantry, 1861; was a representative in the 1st Confederate congress, 1862-64; was commissioned brigadier-general, C.S.A., in 1862; was severely wounded at Antie- tam, Sept. 17, 1862, and in August, 1863, he was promoted major-general. He was re-elected governor of Virginia in 18G4, and u]H)n the evac- uation of Richmond, Va., he removed the seat of government to Lyncliburg. In 1865 he re- turned to Warrenton. and engaged in agriculture, and in 1877 was elected to the state senate. He died in Warrenton, Va.. May 18,1887.

SMITH, William, naval officer, was born in Washington, Ky., Jan. 9, 1803. He was ap- pointed midshipman in the navy in 1823: served under Porter in his expedition against West In- dian pirates; was commissioned lieutenant in 1831, participated in the Seminole war, 1835-37, and in the war with Mexico, 1847; was promoted commander, 1854, assisted in the capture of the