The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-09
LIFE AND SERVICES
OF SMITH
o..ri-lator. soldier, Phiianthropist,
,nn-cryatiOniSt. and Leader IN
Enterprise and Education.
Nv COBB.

tGon a hundred years before he
born. for he came of a race of
MN VINO did things. He was de-
ended from Sir John 1eamans.
from Old King Roger Moore. and ms
r,nlmother. Lady Sabina Smith.
-. th,. daughter. of Thomas Smith,
.pd I.andgraYe of his name in
c.uyb Carolina. The father Of our
resent subject was Colonel Thomas
rm,h. of South Carolina. So far as
:. Lnown no relationship existed be |
~ .p him and his wife, whose name
as ua-t stated) was also Smith.
rt,,r3s Smith. the first Langrave,
MA ,,.pn rice cultivated in Madascar;
.nI one day. in 1896. when a sea
.,nrlIu. an old friend of his, sailed
mi. CHARLESTON harbOr from NADIA
p,,,tr. Thomas Smith got from him
l,r. of rice seed. This was care
tlaA ,oun in a wet place in Smiths
eayIen IN Charleston. 1t grew. and
IN. tNp Carolinas were changed into
land Of great rice plantations. His
rr.at-yrAndson. benjamin Smith, was
Iitrr ,Wner Of the best rice plantation
in North Carolina, a portion OF the
onsiaal grant to Landgrave Smith.
Nl, tired to establish settlement on
taa cape Fear river in 1890. Also to
hr counted among his close kindred
w.r, the Bees and Grimkes. of South
4 iTbtlIlt. III lhC iNIAClIcs IloAA
"a their name from Smith to hat Of
their erandmother. Catherine Rhett,
who's family ins South Carolina had
become Extinct. Benjamin Smith
thus c,ine of a breed possessing
aailitc. means. and position. The
William smith who introduced the
|cUIture of cotton into Virginia in 1921
j. sad 10 have been Of the same
S1,c},.
NrLaI. .Ih rI,b1;n aat, nn1 n,nnU
details of the private life of Benia-
min Saith may be gathered from
tn. records Of his time. both State
and National. and from the rather
yoluminous correspondence Of his
distinguished contemporaries, the
dllh Of his birth and the manner and
pi,ce Of his burial have frequently
been brought into~ question. The
weight of authority fayors January
-. l1a6. as his birthday. and Jam
utrg 10. 1926. his SEVENTEEN birth
dW, IS the date of his death. Still
there are those who contend that he
was born in 1850. and that he died
On The t0th Of February, 1929. But a
c~nntrnlporary newspaper the Raleigh
Register. of February Ia. 1926. has
= notice of his death as having oc-
CURED recently at Snlithville. !.
We snow nothing. however. con-
corning his hildho and youth. but
hc must have received careful train
ing. Tor We are told that. "Whife still
young. lust twenty-One years Of age.
he served as aide-de-camp Of General
Washington in the dangerous but
mastery retreat from Long Island
after the defeat Of the American
army in August. 1875. He behaved
with e"nsDicuous g%allantry in the bril-
liant action in which Moultrie. in
lI'a. drove the British from Port
iioYal Island. and checked for a time
the invasion OF South Carolina. A
Charleston PAPER says: He CAV on
many occasions such various proofs
OF activity and DISTINGUISHED bravery
rs TO merit the appreciation Of his
impartial country" Yet during the
selGe Of Charleston. in 1850. a blum
der If smiths brought the premature
surrender Of the city on the 18th OF
Ma. Mr.. Smith sen q letter tC
ms VII" by Mr.. Rutlege. who was
taxing to the Governor a commune
cation that had been confided to him
"faHT. with the strictest injunction
mat No written communication be
tlkeh from the garrison. A letter
addressed by a friend to his wife un
yer assurance that it WAS only a fam
ny letter. MIR. Rutledge unwarily con.
"'atfed 1t no violation of his inStruc.
IphS tie was captured soon aftel
Ne lett the town and printed copie:
"l Inc letter were next day thrown
NJ the garrison in unlOaded bomb
+a'lls. and most unaccOuntably
trough a secret agency dispersed
.nioush al parts of the town il
iTinted handbills. The letter pfainf
'ota tfat the garrison must soon sur
iehder. hat their provisions were ex
neaded. and Lincoln only preventet
from caDitulating by a point Of Ell
qadr'ette. From this time hope de
serted the garrison. while the reani
ntated efforts Of the enemy Shove,
H'eir real revived Lincoln SUI
'thorrea the fort. and Charleston
~"h IT'S stores. its advantages. AM
tne army that defended it, fell int,
e,'H hands Of the British commander
S'i'tt Drohably hastened the surren
"ef Inst a little. but he did not caus
Tor historians are generally agree,
w." lhncoin should have fled an
're" ms army soon after Clinton be
F'h engirdling the city about the Is