Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-02-12
VIOLATING THEDRY LAW Late FRANCIS |. SMITH
Resolutions of Respect to His Mem
ory to be Spread Upon Minutes of
Corporation Court.

~
Shortly after the death of Colonel
Francis L. Smith, August 25. 1916
the Bar Association of Alexandria
met and appointed Messrs. J. K. VI
Norton, Gardner L. Boothe and Rob-
inson Moncurc to draft resolutions
in respect to his memory and present
them to the Corporation Court with
the request that they be spread upon
the minutes.
After the docket had been called
in the court today and cases set for
trial, the committee made their re-
port and after the resolutions having
been read eulogiums upon the de-
ceased were delivered by Messrs. J.
X. M. Norton, Eugene B Taylor,
Samuel G. Brent, John NJ. Johnson,
Edmund Burke, James R. Cation and
Gardner L. Boothe.
Judge Barley subsequently directed
the clerk to spread the resolutions
upon the minutes and the court adj
journed.
The following are thu resolutiors:
With the Civil War came the first
serious call of duty. He was stu
dent at the Virginia Military Institute
When the students marched to war,
he was of that glorious band of boys
who tossed aside their books, shoul-
dered their muskets, and,wi haver-
sack and canteen, marched to join
the army defending Virginia soil.
With these boys he not only marched
but fought, fought bravely, fought
steadily, and fought determinedly.
Their foes were seasoned veterans,
but they minded this not at all.Can-
non doomed, shells shrieked. bullets
whistled all around them. Into the
open they marched at New Market,
into hail of lead. Steady, steady,
was the command; but no need, there
was no wavering in those ranks.
They moved to battle like veterans.
BOYS in age became, instantly, men,
brave, dependable men. Hs was seri-
ously wounded in the throat, and
suffered inconvenience therefren, at
times, all his life.
Francis l.. Smith was never
boy from that time. -
After the war, he studied law with
his father, one of the leading lawyers
in Alexandria, and one of the old
school. Admitted to the bar he came
in contact with such men as Col.
George w. Brent. and S. Ferguson
Beach. amongst the very able law
yers in the State.
Col. Smith, as he afterwards be-
came. and as he was known by nearly
all of the present Alexandria bar,
started the practice Of law as he
ended, careful, resourceful, thorough
patient, painstaking, and laporlous'
In attack or defense, he was always
prepared at every point. Nothing OF
strength on his own side, and5 equally
nothing of weakness on his adver-
sarv's. ever escaped him. If there
was a weak spot, no matter how ap-
parently insignificant, no matter
how obscure, he was almost sure TO
find it. -,
He was a safe and wise counsellor.
He was an advocate of great force.
He was at times an orator. Always
there was about him persuaslveness
almost irresistible, and earnestness
overwhelming. His legal papers
were models of care and perfection.
His courtesy and kindness to young
lawyers, seeking his advice, was al
ways warmly encouraging; and they
invariably received his best consid-
GRAFTON and thought, and rarely left
without some valuable aid or sug-
gestion.
He could not have been otherwise
than successful in his chosen profess
sion.
Few cases of local prominence fail
ed to find him on one side or the
other.
Colonel Smith was held in great
esteem by all who knew him. He
was the soul Of honor. With what
touched his honor there was no COM
promise, no dallying.
With him what was right, was
right; and wrong, was wrong; as he
saw the right that was his side, none
other ever.
When he took an interest in Mill
tia, he was Captain of the Alexan'
dria Light Infantry, and made it one
of the first Companies IN the State
almost perfect. He afterwards be-
came a Colonel. He took an interest
in politics, and was a strong anc
forceful speaker and debater.
He represented his district in th'
Masonic Notice. Attention!