Samuel G. Smith, Civil War Veteran

Samuel G. Smith

I'm continuing my posts about the Smith family, and the ancestral line of my paternal grandfather, Glenn Murray Smith. Most recently, I profiled Walter Samuel Smith, my second great-grandfather. Walter's father was Samuel G. Smith of Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

My third great-grandfather, Samuel G. Smith, was born on June 9, 1837 in Fitchburg. He was the youngest child and only son of his parents, Samuel Belding Smith and Mary Hall. As a young man, he and his parents moved to Bunker Hill, Illinois. They can all be found in the same Bunker Hill household in the 1860 census. Samuel was 23 in 1860, a very dangerous time to be a young man. The American Civil War was on the horizon, and in 1861, Samuel enlisted in the 7th Illinois Infantry Regiment.

Samuel Smith’s military career can be confirmed with a record from the database "U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938." The record for Samuel Smith states that he enlisted in the 7th Illinois Infantry on July 11, 1861 in Bunker Hill, Illinois. This would have made him part of Company F. His rank was private. Samuel served in the same company as his future brother-in-law, Wallace Partridge. They were both from Bunker Hill and volunteered for service with the 7th Illinois Infantry within days of each other in 1861. It's not known whether they were friends before enlisting, or if they created a bond during the the war, but Samuel married Wallace's sister, Ellen Henrietta Partridge, five months after being discharged in July 1864.

There is no record of any specific experiences Samuel had during the Civil War. We do know that he served for three years without significant injury or illness, which is really remarkable. The 7th Illinois Infantry saw action at the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Corinth, the Battle of Allatoona Pass, the March to the Sea (under command of General Sherman) and the Carolinas Campaign. These were all very significant campaigns which resulted in a lot of casualties, so Samuel's ability to survive rather unscathed is incredible. He was discharged on July 29, 1864 at the end of his term of service. The war would continue for another nine months, but it does not appear that Samuel reenlisted after being discharged in 1864.

The Battle at Shiloh, by artist Thure de Thulstrup.
Image in public domain, available at the United States Library of Congress. 

After completing his military service, Samuel returned home to Bunker Hill. Five months later, on 27 December 1864, he married Ellen Henrietta Partridge. Ellen was the eldest daughter of James Partridge and Sarah Pendleton, both of whom had been born in England. Samuel was 27 at the time of the marriage, and his bride was just 18. Samuel and Ellen had four children together:

1. Mary Emma Leticia Smith (b. 1865, d. aft 1940, m. Oscar Clement Partridge)
2. Walter Samuel Smith (b. 1869, d. 1962, m. Julia Emrette Bigham)
3. George D. Smith (b. 1877, d. 1967, m. Elizabeth Roberts)
4. Charles Edgar Smith (b. 1884, d. 1962, m. Florence Belle Isaac)

The 1880 U.S. Census lists Samuel's occupation as stone mason. The 1900 U.S. Census lists his occupation as farmer. The 1870 U.S. Census describes him as a "plasterer and farmer." He owned his own farm in Bunker Hill, right near his parents, Samuel and Mary Smith. In 1893, when Samuel was 56 years of age, his father died. In 1905, aged 68, Samuel lost his wife, Ellen. They had been married for forty years at the time of her death. By 1914, when Samuel was 77 years old, he had gone to live in Togus, Maine.

Togus in 1906. Source

From Wikipedia:

Togus is a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Chelsea, Maine. The facility was built as a resort hotel, and housed Union veterans of the American Civil War prior to being converted to a veterans hospital. It was the first veterans facility developed by the United States government.

Samuel lived at the veterans facility for the rest of his life, and died there on June 10, 1922. He was 82 years old. At the time of his death, all four of his children were still living and he had nine grandchildren. His body was taken home to Bunker Hill for burial, and he lies next to his wife Ellen in the Bunker Hill Cemetery.