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- COL. NICHOLAS SMITH, President of the Gazette Printing Co.
- of Janesville and a member of the State Board of Supervision
of Charitable Reformatory and Penal Institutions of Wisconsin,
was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, Oct. 31, 1837, and
is the son of William and Sarah (BAILEY) SMITH, both of whom
were also natives of England. The latter died in October, 1840,
while the former died in California in 1885. When but five years
of age our subject came to America with an elder brother and
an aunt, who settled in Fall River, Mass. One year later his
father came also, and found employment as a cotton weaver in
that village. In 1844 the family moved to Grant County, Wis.,
and a few months after their arrival Nicholas
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- was indented to James VIRDEN, a farmer in that county, with
whom he lived five years. His father having remarried, Mr. VIRDEN
relinquished all claim to him. He was now eleven years of age
and was put to work in the lead mines in the winter, and in the
summer worked upon a farm. Continuing his labors in the mines,
he became a practical miner, thoroughly mastering all the details
of the business, from running the windlass to managing the most
difficult feats of lead-mine blasting.
- The following twelve years were of constant toil, great hardships
and pinching want, during which
- time he was deprived of every opportunity to get an education
in the schools. He borrowed a few old text-books, and without
the aid of a teacher began studying them as best he could; and
when twenty years old he walked thirty-six miles - eighteen miles
to Galena and return - to purchase a dictionary, the first one
he had ever seen, and which cost him one summer's labor. He was
engaged in the falls of 1857, '58, '59 and '60 in running a threshing
machine for his father; and late in the fall of the latter year
he began teaching a small district school near Elk Grove, in
Lafayette County. Considering his advantages young SMITH made
reasonably fair progress in his studies, and in the spring of
1861 entered the law office of the Hon. John K. WILLIAMS, of
Shullsburg, Wis., with a view of preparing for the legal profession.
In 1862 he was admitted to the bar, but concluded that the time
had not come for him to enter into practice. At that time his
adopted country was engaged in a mighty conflict for existence,
and Mr. SMITH determined to become a member of the gallant 33d
Wisconsin Infantry. Before enlisting, however, he was united
in marriage with Miss J. Clara, the second daughter of Dr. Moses
MEEKER, of MEEKER's Grove, Lafayette County. She is a native
of Wisconsin, born in Iowa County, her parents being among its
earliest settlers.
- In November, 1862, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant
of Company H, 33d Wisconsin
- Infantry, and a few days later started for Memphis, Tenn.,
and with his regiment took an active part in the Oxford and Holly
Springs campaign under Gen. Grant. In April, 1863, he was promoted
to First Lieutenant and immediately after the siege of Vicksburg
to Captain of Company H. In August, 1863, he was appointed acting
Assistant Adjutant General on the staff of Gen. Pugh, who was
in command of the 1st brigade of the 4th division of the 17th
army corps, but declined the appointment, preferring to remain
with his company.
- Captain SMITH remained with his company until January, 1865,
when, in consequence of a
- wound in the foot, he sent in his resignation, which was
accepted. During his term of service, with his regiment he took
an active part in the siege of Vicksburg, the Meridan expedition
and the Red River expedition. While on the latter expedition
he was placed in military command of the ill-fated steamer John
Warner, which was sunk below Alexandria by the rebels, with 2,000,000
rations. He took part in the expedition through Arkansas and
Missouri after Marmaduke, and was in numerous battles and skirmishes.
- On returning home from the service Captain SMITH became a
law partner of his old preceptor,
- Mr. WILIAMS, of Shullsburg, which partnership continued until
April, 1866, when it was dissolved and he removed to Prairie
du Chien, where he formed a partnership with the Hon. O. B. THOMAS,
who, at this writing, in the spring of 1889, is serving as Congressman
from the Seventh District of Wisconsin. IN 1867 he was appointed
Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the 3d District, and
in this office served about one year, when he went to Waukesha
and took charge of the Waukesha Freeman, as editor and
publisher. At the expiration of two years he was induced to return
to Prairie to Chien and take charge of the Union of that
place. Purchasing the office he continued in charge of the paper
till September, 1874, when he accepted the position of city editor
of the Janesville Gazette, and Jan. 1, 1878, succeeded
Gen. James BINTLIFF as editor of that paper.
- During the sessions of the Legislature in 1871, 1872 and
1873, Mr. SMITH was clerk of the
- Senate judiciary committee. For two sessions of that body
he represented the Milwaukee Sentinel as its regular correspondent
from the State Capital. During the first session of the Forty-third
Congress, he was the Washington correspondent of the same paper.
In 1880 and 1881 he served on the staff of Gov. SMITH with the
rank of Colonel, and as such participated in the Yorktown Centennial
Celebration. In May, 1885, he was appointed a member of the State
Board of Supervision of Charitable Reformatory and Penal Institutions
of the State by Gov. RUSK, and still holds that position.
- Since coming to Janesville in 1874, Col. SMITH has made this
city his home. Politically he is a
- stalwart Republican, and as editor of the Gazette
has dealt some heavy blows at his political opponents. He is
a member of the Congregational Church, while his wife is a member
of the Court Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
- Colonel and Mrs. SMITH have four children. Their eldest son
Charles Fenton, died April 26,
- 1874, aged six years. The living are Pauline Lorena, Jessie
Florence, and Marshall Denison.
- An excellent steel portrait of Col. SMITH is shown upon another
page of this work.
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- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 615-617; lithograph page
unknown.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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