- EDWARD H. SMITH, an Attorney-at-law and Justice of the Peace,
of Edgerton, Wis., was
- born in the town of Grafton, Worcester Co., Mass., on the
31st day of January, 1829, and is of English descent. His paternal
grandfather, however, was a native of Connecticut, and his father,
Henry SMITH, is also of New England birth. The latter married
Miss Louisa STONE, a native of Northboro, Worcester Co., Mass.,
and they continued to reside in Grafton, where they had lived
for many years, until their death. The father died in May, 1875,
at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother was called to
her final rest in June, 1886, at the advanced age of eighty-one
years. Their family numbered seven children, five sons and two
daughters, of whom three sons and a daughter are living, namely:
James, who is the eldest of the family; Edward, of this sketch;
Mrs. Nancy NICHOLS, who makes her home in New England; and Daniel
Waldo, who is a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y. Those who have passed
to their final rest are: Charles, who died at Uxbridge, Mass.,
a number of years ago; and Samuel, who enlisted in a New York
Regiment in the late war, serving as Orderly Sergeant of his
company, and was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, July 3,
1863.
- The subject of this notice remained under the parental roof
until sixteen years of age, when he
- began learning the jeweler's trade, serving an apprenticeship
in that line. He made his first trip to the West in the month
of February, 1856, and coming to Wisconsin located at Madison,
where he engaged with a jeweler until 1858. Then he removed
to Edgerton, Rock County, and engaged in that line until 1861,
when the Civil War broke out. He responded to the Presidents
call for troops to put down the Rebellion, enlisting in Company
H, 13th Wisconsin Infantry. For the long period of four years
and two months he followed his country's flag, marching over
all the seceded States. He was very fortunate in his military
experience, never in his whole term of service receiving a wound,
nor was he confined in the hospital by sickness. He was never
on detached service, but was always found at his post of duty,
and participated in many of the hardest-fought battles and skirmishes
of that struggle. His regiment belonged to the Western Army,
which was commanded by various generals, including Grant, Rosecrans,
Thomas and Sherman. When Lee surrendered, and hostilities were
brought to a close, he was discharged.
- Returning to his home Mr. SMITH once more resumed business
in the jewelry line, which he
- carried on until 1875, when he turned his attention to farming,
and followed agricultural pursuits for several years, after which
he again returned to Edgerton. He began the study of law in
1885, though he had given the subject considerable attention
before that time, and is now engaged in the practice of that
profession. In the spring of 1887 he was elected Justice of
the Peace for two years, and so ably did he discharge the duties
of that office he was re-elected in the spring of 1889.
- On the 10th day of September, 1850, Mr. SMITH led to the
marriage altar Miss Sarah
- ARNOLD, a native of Middlesex County, Mass., and a descendant
of English ancestry. Unto them has been born a family of eight
children, three sons and five daughters, of whom Henry Edward,
the eldest, died in Edgerton, in the spring of 1860, at the age
of nine years, his disease being scarlet fever; Mrs. Eleanor
A. NICHOLS now resides in her father's town in the old Bay State.
Mrs. Jessie DAVIDSON makes her home in Edgerton; Benjamin Franklin
is now living in Minneapolis, Minn.; Mrs. Lulu LEARN is residing
in Albion, Dane Co., Wis.; Glenn and Rosa are still at home with
their parents; and Lizzie died with scarlet fever at about the
same time of her brother's death.
- Thus have we given a brief sketch of one of the older residents
of Edgerton, and one of
- Wisconsin's gallant soldiers, whose loyalty to his country
is only equaled by his faithful adherence to his friends. On
the 1st day of March, 1878, he was called upon to mourn the death
of his wife, a most estimable lady, at whose death a feeling
of sadness pervaded the whole community.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 478-479.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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