John William Smith (November 4, 1792 – January 12, 1845) (born William John Smith in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

) was a Texas political figure, the first mayor of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

under the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

and the first mayor of San Antonio under the state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He supported and served Texas during the struggle for Texas Independence.

Early life

Smith was born as the second son of John and Isabel Smith. He grew up in Ralls County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

after moving from his birth state of Virginia, and received an expensive education. He married Harriet Stone in

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Mario ...

sometime between 1821 and 1822. They had three known children, Samuel, Mary Elizabeth and Lucinda. His first elected position was in 1822 as

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Ralls County and State and County tax Collector. He resigned from the post in 1826 to move to Texas following the birth of his third child. His wife refused to accompany him and filed for divorce. She ultimately came to Texas with her second husband.

Move to San Antonio

Smith moved to

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...

and settled in San Antonio. In Texas, he changed his first and middle names around because "William" was difficult for Mexicans to pronounce. He was known throughout the town as "El Colorado", Spanish for "Redhead". He served as in the city as military storekeeper until 1835 also working as a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

(like his Texas contemporaries; James Kerr,

Byrd Lockhart Byrd Lockhart (1782–1839), was a 19th-century American surveyor, Alamo defender, courier, and Texian officer during the Texas Revolution. Early life and family Lockhart was born in Virginia in 1782. At age 32, Byrd Lockhart was known to be a ...

, and

Arthur Swift Arthur Swift (1812–1855) was a 19th-century Texas merchant, surveyor, political and military figure. He along with Rangers Mathew Caldwell and James Campbell were founders of Seguin, Texas and a member of Callahan's Gonzales-Seguin Rangers an ...

) and a civil engineer. While in the city (

San Fernando Cathedral Cathedral of San Fernando or San Fernando Cathedral may refer to: * Basilca Cathedral of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina * Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando (Pampanga), Philippines * Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando (Resis ...

to be exact), he converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and married a 15-year-old Spanish (her great grandfather Juan Curbelo came from the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

) girl named Maria Jesusita Curbelo.

Texas Revolution

Through time, Smith had become upset by the occupation of San Antonio by Mexican Colonel

Domingo Ugartechea Domingo de Ugartechea (c. 1794 – 24 May 1839) was a 19th-century Mexican Army officer for the Republic of Mexico. Biography Early years Domingo de Ugartechea served for José Joaquín de Arredondo in 1813. Ugartechea as well as Antoni ...

. He was arrested with A. C. Holmes and

Samuel Maverick Samuel Augustus Maverick (July 23, 1803 – September 2, 1870) was a Texas lawyer, politician, land baron and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. His name is the source of the term "maverick," first cited in 1867, which means "indepe ...

and was saved by his wife's pleas, which enabled him to escape and guide the final assault in the

Siege of Bexar A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

. He served twice as a messenger during the

Siege of the Alamo The siege of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was the first thirteen days of the Battle of the Alamo. On February 23, Mexican troops under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna entered San Antonio de Bexar, Texas, and surrounded the ...

. On February 23, Smith and Sutherland were sent by Travis as scouts to assess the Mexican Army's strength and position. Upon locating the Mexican Army in strength, he immediately returned to the Alamo. That evening he was dispatched to

Gonzales, Texas Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 7,165 at the 2020 census. The "Come and Take It" flag in the War for Texas Independence from Mexico originated in Gonzales. Its economy is enh ...

with a message from Travis. He returned to the Alamo from Gonzales, Texas on March 1. Before the final

battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

and its fall,

William B. Travis William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army. He died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Tr ...

sent Smith with a message for

Washington-on-the-Brazos Washington-on-the-Brazos is an unincorporated community along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. The town is best known for being the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independenc ...

, allowing him to escape the fate that all Texas soldiers defending San Antonio ultimately succumbed to. After delivering the message, he returned with men to fight in the battle but heard no gunfire as their horses drank at

Cibolo Creek Cibolo Creek is a stream in South Central Texas that runs approximately from its source at Turkey Knob (in the Texas Hill Country) near Boerne, Texas, to its confluence with the San Antonio River in Karnes County. The creek is a tributary of th ...

. He was informed that the

was over and headed eastward to fight at San Jacinto, where independence was won.

Mayor of San Antonio

He was elected Mayor on September 19, 1837, and served until 1838. As mayor, he prohibited public bathing in the

San Antonio River The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in midtown San Antonio, about 4 miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the ...

and

San Pedro Creek San Pedro Creek (Spanish for ''St. Peter'') is a perennial stream in the City of Pacifica, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area whose tributaries originate on Sweeney Ridge in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Mont ...

between the hours of 5 a.m. and 8 pm. He established that businesses must close at 9 p.m. on Sunday, and allowed for milk cows in Downtown as long as they were milked and in the corral before 10 pm. Smith also regulated dog ownership, taxing citizens $2.00 for bitches and $0.50 for males. Although he did not run for re-election in 1838, he would run in 1840 and was elected. He served his second time as mayor until 1844. During this time, he constructed the city's first bridge across the San Antonio River on Commerce Street. He was for a time postmaster of San Antonio. Other positions he held in

Bexar County Bexar County ( or ; es, Béxar ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in South Texas and its county seat is San Antonio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,009,324. Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–New Bra ...

were alderman, tax assessor, clerk of the County Court, clerk of the Board of Land Commissioners, clerk of the County Probate Court, county treasurer.

Senator of the Republic

During the Republic years, Smith served as a commissioner, to treat with the Indians of Texas. From 1842 to January 12, 1845, he served the Republic as a Texas Senator.

Death

He died on January 12, 1845, most likely from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

. He is regarded as a hero and was honored as such upon his death. He was buried at the

State Historical Park, but his remains were later transferred to Washington Cemetery which is located on 19724 Washington Cemetery Rd,

Washington, Texas Washington-on-the-Brazos is an unincorporated community along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. The town is best known for being the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence ...

in Washington County, where his body remains today.Find A Grave
/ref>

References

External links

Daughters of the Republic of Texas John W. Smith records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John William 1792 births 1845 deaths Converts to Roman Catholicism Mayors of San Antonio Alamo survivors Alamo defenders People of the Texas Revolution Republic of Texas Senators 19th-century American politicians