Ancestor Spotlight: John Bowman Smith

 

Prepared November 3, 2018 by Amanda Siems-Dewey

John Bowman Smith was born on September 12, 1836 in Basford, Nottinghamshire, contactEngland.1 At the age of only 5 years old, he immigrated to the United States with his mother, sister, and brother aboard the Ship North Star, which landed in Philadelphia on December 15, 1841.2 Because he resided in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire with his grandparents, mother, and siblings in the 1841 England Census earlier that year3, it is possible his father had already gone to the United States to prepare a home for the family. He is present in the 1850 US Federal Census with his parents and siblings, along with an uncle, living in Huntington County, Indiana.4 Although English by birth, he took his commitment to his new country seriously when he mustered into the Union Army on August 20, 1861 in Saugatuck, Allegan County, Michigan, joining the 6th Michigan Infantry, Company M.5,6 He mustered out on July 17, 18627 due to injuring his left hip after falling from a sand drift in a sham fight on Ship Island.8 Although disabled and having already served his country, he returned as a member of the 3rd Michigan Calvary, Co. C, on August 27, 1863.9 Again, misfortune befell him when he slipped on a log while conveying a pontoon on Leaf River as they moved from Mobile, Alabama to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, injuring his back and reinjuring his left hip.10 According to a fellow soldier, John was engaged in loading one of the pontoon boats onto a wagon and the men on the downhill slide slipped in the mud and let go of the pontoon, which crushed John.11 He stated that he was the tallest of the eight men present and the other seven men slipped on the wet log together, leaving himself to be crushed under the weight of the pontoon.12

Of his reenlistment in the war, John said:
“And then in August the 15th 1863 they began to draft men and I was feeling quite smart and offered to enlist to get others to go but supposed of course when I came to be examined that I would be thrown out but the doctor that examined me just looked at me and left and said I would pass for the calvary”13

After the war, he returned to Michigan and married Sarah Augusta Willard in Monroe County on February 22, 1866.14 The couple lived a time in Bedford in Monroe County,15 then moved to Wexford County, Michigan in 187816. They had five children: Eugene, Melissa, George, and Frank.17 Although disabled from the war, John lived to 86, dying on September 23, 1923 in Cherry Grove, Wexford County.18

1Nottinghamshire Baptisms Index, Basford, Nottinghamshire, England; September 18, 1836; indexed by FreeReg, (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581887b8e93790eca349b96e?search_id=5a650396f493fdb0454e279a&ucf=false).
2Philadelphia, Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1800-1850, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; December 15, 1841; National Archives Microfilm Series Number 425, Microfilm Roll 58, List Number 174; indexed by Ancestry.com, (https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7483&h=86404&ssrc=pt&tid=40036425&pid=19441577767&usePUB=true: accessed November 3, 2018).
31841 England Census, Bulwell Parish, Nottinghamshire; pg. 37, line 19; June 6, 1841; GSU roll: 438904; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8978/NTTHO107_856_856-0253/9152639).
41850 United States Census, Huntington County, Indiana; pg. 4-5, family 1318, dwelling 1318, lines 37-42, 1-2; October 26, 1850; National Archives Microfilm M432, Roll 152; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4192456_00191?pid=1934419).
5U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865; August 20, 1861; data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA; database on-line, Ancestry.com, (https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=iMi4730&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&db=civilwar_histdatasys&gsfn=john&gsln=smith&msidy=1861&msidm=8&msidd=20&new=1&rank=1&redir=false&uidh=ne5&gss=angs-d&pcat=39&fh=4&h=826674&recoff=&ml_rpos=5).
61890 Veterans Schedule, Cherry Grove, Wexford County, Michigan; pg. 1, house 1, family 1, lines 1-2; June 1890; National Archives Microfilm Publication M123; digital images, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8667/MIM123_21-0933?pid=211840).
7U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865.
8Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Federal Military Pension Application – Civil War and Later Complete File, record group 94; National Archives, Washington, D. C.
9U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865.
10Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Civil War, RG 94; NA–Washington.
11Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Civil War, RG 94; NA–Washington.
12Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Civil War, RG 94; NA–Washington.
13Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Civil War, RG 94; NA–Washington.
14Pension Application, John Bowman Smith, Private, Co. C, 3rd Michigan Calvary; Civil War, RG 94; NA–Washington.
151870 United States Census, Bedford, Monroe County, Michigan; pg. 13, dwelling 100, family 100, lines 19-23; July 6, 1870; National Archives Microfilm M593, Roll 691; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4275990_00265?pid=6486041).
16Bureau of Land Management, “Land Patent Search,” digital images, General Land Office Records (http://glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch), John B. Smith, (Wexford County, Michigan), homestead patent no. 3884.
171880 United States Census, Cherry Grove, Wexford County, Michigan; pg. 2-3, dwelling 17, family 18, lines 49-50, 1-3; June 2-3, 1880; National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 609; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6742/4241811-00457?pid=31829401).
18Certificate of Death for John B. Smith, September 12, 1836, Certificate 83 249, State of Michigan Department of State-Division of Vital Statistics; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60872/44471_354583-00250?pid=338671).