Jacob Smith (Wahbesins "The Young Swan"; 17731825), was a fur trader in the
Michigan Territory, the founder of
Flint, Michigan, and an American spy best known for developing close relations with many Native American tribes in the
Michigan Territory and brokering significant land treaties on behalf of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government.
Working as an intelligence gatherer and confidential agent for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
, Smith was captured at
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac ( ) is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The British built the fort during the American Re ...
in an attempt to inform Lieutenant
Porter Hanks of the impending war. Smith served as a captain in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
and was present during the
surrender of Detroit under General
William Hull
William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed as Governor of Michigan Territory (1805–13), gaining large land cessions from several Am ...
. Smith also served as an Indian interpreter-liaison for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and helped negotiate the release of several white families taken prisoner by Native American tribes.
Family and early life
Jacob Smith was born to a soap-maker of Canadian and German descent in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada, and learned to speak fluently in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
French, and the
Chippewa-
Ottawa dialect of the
Algonquin language.
Smith married his first wife, Mary Reed, on July 25, 1798 in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. They went on to have five children while Smith began working in the family butchery. He later married a Native American woman, with whom he had one child, while engaging in the fur trade.
Native American relations
Smith began his career as a fur trader among many Native American tribes along the
Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
and
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and S ...
s. Known for being honest in his dealings, assimilating to Native ways of life, and greatly admired for his skills in
woodcraft
The term woodcraft — or woodlore — denotes bushcraft skills and experience in matters relating to living and thriving in the woods—such as hunting, fishing, and camping—whether on a short- or long-term basis. Traditionally, woodcraft per ...
, Smith became very close and well trusted among the Native Americans in the
Michigan Territory. Smith had a confidence placed in him that no other white man had in the region and was given the Indian name of "Wahbesins," meaning "Young Swan," by the
Chippewa tribe.
Smith helped the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government secure land from many Native American tribes, playing a key role in the 1807
Treaty of Detroit
The Treaty of Detroit was a treaty between the United States and the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot and Potawatomi Native American nations. The treaty was signed in Detroit, Michigan on November 17, 1807, with William Hull, governor of the Mich ...
and the 1819
Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
, which ceded millions of acres of land to the United States that make up a majority of
Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Treaty of Detroit
The 1807 treaty, made in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
with the
Ottawa,
Chippewa,
Wyandot
Wyandot may refer to:
Native American ethnography
* Wyandot people, also known as the Huron
* Wyandot language
Wyandot (sometimes spelled Wandat) is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot or Wya ...
and
Potawatomi nations, ceded to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
present-day
Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan, also called southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are c ...
and
Northwest Ohio
Northwest Ohio, or Northwestern Ohio, consists of multiple counties in the northwestern corner of the US state of Ohio. This area borders Lake Erie, Southeast Michigan, and northeastern Indiana. Some areas are also considered the Black Swamp are ...
and was hailed as the first major land cession in the region.
Treaty of Saginaw
Reluctant to cede more land in the central portion of
Michigan's Lower Peninsula during the 1819 talks, in what was deemed to be a hunter and fisherman's paradise, the
Chippewas
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
secured an ample number of
land reservations in the area from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government.
Smith played a very influential role in securing these treaties, even proposing the eventual compromise in the 1819
Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
, which set aside eleven, 640-acre sections of land for the
Chippewa tribes located near the Grand Traverse of the
Flint River. Each of the 114
Chippewa chiefs that eventually signed onto the treaty had previously interreacted with Smith and knew him to be an honest and hospitable fur trader. He used these connections to help move the process forward on behalf of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government.
For his efforts in helping broker the
Saginaw Treaty, Smith received five hundred dollars from the
Territorial Governor of Michigan
The governor of Michigan, is the head of government of Michigan and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto appropriation bills passed b ...
,
Lewis Cass, and was hailed as a wise counsel during the talks.
Boyer Family release
In addition, Smith rendered admirable service in using his relationships with Native American tribes to help liberate prisoners captured by Indians – to which the Boyer family release in the summer of 1814 was the most notable.
After the Boyer home was burned by Indians and the family taken captive, Smith went into the local village with a horse full of saddled goods to use as ransom. The Boyer family was released unharmed as the Indians were impressed by Smith's bravery in coming to the village.
Henderson Family release
Smith also helped aid in the release of the Henderson family from a Saginaw tribe in late July 1812. After David Henderson, his wife, and their children were taken prisoner, Smith talked to Saginaws, with whom he was friends, with and convinced them to release the Henderson family.
The War of 1812
Smith served in the
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia is a paramilitary Michigan-based organization founded in 1994 by Norman Olson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The group was formed in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government on the rights of citizens ...
during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
under Captain Richard Smyth's Company of Twelve Months Volunteers Cavalry from June 30 to August 16, 1812 and was present during the surrender at the
Siege of Detroit
The siege of Detroit, also known as the surrender of Detroit or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the War of 1812. A British force under Major General Isaac Brock with Native American allies under Shawnee leader Tecums ...
.
Saginaw Mission
Using his close relations with many Native American tribes, Smith helped gather intelligence for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government during the war. In one instance, Smith rode into a
Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
village with two assistants pretending to be on a trading expedition in an attempt decipher the tribe's position in the war and level of sympathy to the British cause. One of the assistants, while drunk in the village, unknowingly revealed to the tribe that they were spies – a mistake that cost him his life. Smith managed to escape the village but sustained a permanent eye injury when brush caught his face while fleeing in haste on horseback. By successfully gaining the information needed in this very dangerous mission, Smith was immediately made a captain in the
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia is a paramilitary Michigan-based organization founded in 1994 by Norman Olson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The group was formed in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government on the rights of citizens ...
.
Fort Mackinac Mission
In July 1812, Smith embarked upon a journey to
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac ( ) is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The British built the fort during the American Re ...
in an attempt to alert
Porter Hanks about a potential
British attack at Mackinac Island after learning about the American
declaration of war against
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. British commanders found out about the declaration of war many days before Americans in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
did, let alone the commanding officer on
Mackinac Island. Smith clashed with the
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
Postmaster, James Abbott, whom he accused of intentionally delaying the mission. Abbott denied Smith's mission was government business, which resulted in a national controversy after the fact.
Smith left
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
traveling alongside three Native Americans, one of whom was a young
Ottawa carrying an important
wampum
Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western Nor ...
with a message from his chief that advised the northern Michigan Indians not to join the British cause in the war. When Smith arrived in
Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
along his journey he met with veteran fur trader Charles Girard to disclose that he was carrying letters for American authorities on
Mackinac Island alerting them of the war declaration.
[
However, Smith was detained by pro-British Indians in ]Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
on the suspicion that he was working on behalf of the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Knowing of this possibility, Smith had prepared by hiding the American orders and wearing a British military breast plate underneath his clothing. When he revealed to the Indians the British breast plate, they presumed him to be a British agent and were assured he was not working with the Americans. This act of foresight by Smith allowed him to trick the Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
tribe into releasing him as he told them he was going north on a mission for the British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
.
While the Indians followed Smith and his compatriots to make sure he told the truth, Smith told Girard that if his true identity was compromised to ensure the return of the American orders to Postmaster Abbott in Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
. The Indians eventually stopped following Smith and he ultimately reached Mackinac. However, unknown to Smith was that the fort had been taken by the British just days earlier. Flying an American flag
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...
on the canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
to the island, Smith was taken prisoner by British forces. Smith's imprisonment did not last long as he hired three Indians to smuggle himself and his crew out. Hiding in canoes down the Au Sable River, Girard and Smith eventually made it back to Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
.[
]
Flint
Smith is credited as the first white settler in Flint, Michigan. He located his first trading post there in 1810 where the Saginaw Trail
Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeast and Central Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint that was originally a tribal foot trail. To drive it today, drivers would follow:
* from ...
from the Detroit River
The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detro ...
and Grand Traverse of the Flint River separate and lead to Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
and Birch Run – a central point which made it very easy to trade with the Native Americans.
While Smith's trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...
was founded in 1810, it was not his permanent residence as he continued to live in Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
until 1819. After the death of his wife, Mary Reed, and the signing of the Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
, Smith built a sizeable log trading store in Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
in 1819. This became his permanent residence until his death and was the first building erected by a white man in present-day Genesee County.
Death and legacy
Before the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
, Smith lived in Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
at the current corner of Woodbridge Street and Woodward Avenue
A woodward is a warden of a wood. Woodward may also refer to:
Places
;United States
* Woodward, Iowa
* Woodward, Oklahoma
* Woodward, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place
* Woodward Avenue, a street in Tallahassee, Florida, which bisects th ...
. His family continued to live there after his death in 1825 while Smith's son-in-law, Major John Garland, took possession of the trading post in Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
. Smith, the earliest white pioneer in Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
, also became the first white pioneer to die in Genesee County after passing in poor condition in 1825 from heart problems.
Treaty controversies
In the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
, many Native American names were listed to receive the various reservations outlined in the compromise. Later, five of the eleven reservations came under intense national debate. Smith wrote into the treaty five Native American names that were willed reservation numbers seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven. After his death, it was discovered that these reservations were actually willed to Jacob Smith's five white children under Native American names that were given to them by Indians who frequented their house in Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
.
Lewis Cass later wrote about knowing of Smith's plan and added a clause in the treaty to curtail Smith's proposal by outlining that reservations could only be granted to true Indians. The children claimed the land, but the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
government refused to grant the land titles. After petitioning Congress and getting ten of the original 114 Chippewa chiefs who signed the Treaty of Saginaw
The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, b ...
to testify that it was the original intention of the treaty that Smith's children would inherit the land, some of the land in the reservations was granted to the Smith family. Although Smith died penniless, his children eventually inherited great sums of property from his work.
Legacy
Years after both Smith and Ne-o-me, the principal of the four chiefs of the Pewanigos of the Flint River, with whom Smith was very close, had died, the Indians spoke of them as brothers. While Jacob Smith was an influential and controversial figure in his lifetime, his name garners very little attention in Michigan history today. Regardless, his settlement in Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
grew to become a major city that has played a critical role throughout Michigan's history.
References
External links
Jacob Smith at FindAGrave.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jacob
American militiamen in the War of 1812
Flint, Michigan
1773 births
1825 deaths
Canadian fur traders
War of 1812 prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom