James Smith (September 10, 1792 – December 25, 1855) was a General in the Texas Revolutionary Army.

Biography

Smith was born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, on September 10, 1792. He served in the War of 1812, the Creek Indian Wars, and served as a lieutenant under Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. From 1819 until 1835, he fought in the Tennessee militia alongside

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

, where he reached the rank of Colonel. In 1835, he moved to Texas, where he established a plantation in Nacogdoches, Texas. On April 11, 1836, Smith joined the revolutionary army as captain of the cavalry of the Nacogdoches Mounted Volunteers. After his victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, he received a promotion to inspector general by General Thomas J. Rusk. Smith commanded the second battalion of Rusk's regiments at the

Battle of the Neches The Battle of the Neches, the main engagement of the Cherokee War of 1838–1839 (part of the Texas–Indian Wars), took place on 15–16 July in 1839 in what is now the Redland community (between Tyler and Ben Wheeler, Texas). It resulted from t ...

. On March 7, 1840, he was promoted to brigadier general, where he took command of the Third Brigade on the northwest frontier of Mexico. Smith represented Rusk County, Texas in the Texas House of Representatives from February 16, 1846, until December 13, 1847. He was instrumental in the establishment of

Smith County, Texas Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,479. Its county seat is Tyler. Smith County is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution. Smith County is part of the Tyl ...

, named in his honor. Smith also donated the land that

Henderson, Texas Henderson is a city and the county seat of Rusk County, Texas, in Northeast Texas. Its population was 13,271 at the 2020 census. Henderson is named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas. The city has functioned as a major cro ...

was built on. Smith is buried at Smith Park, on the corner of S. Main St. and Jacksonville Dr., in

Family

With wife: Hannah Parker (1799–1864), children: # Captain Henry Madison Smith (1817–1882) # Sarah Elvina Smith (1818–1902) # Unnamed Female? (~1820) # Frances E. Smith (1823–1854) # James Smith (Birth date unknown) # Joseph Smith (1825–1860) # Andrew Jackson Smith (1826–1880) # Isaac Newton Smith (1828-1886) # William Jasper Smith (1830–1894) # Francis Marion Smith (1833–1863) # Barsheba H. Smith (1834–1904) # Sam Houston Smith (Birth date unknown) # Birt H. Smith (1837–1863)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James 1792 births 1855 deaths People from Spartanburg County, South Carolina People of the Texas Revolution