William Stephens Smith William Stephens Smith ( November 8 , 1755 – June 10 , 1816 ) was a United States Representative from New York . He married Abigail " Nabby " Adams , the daughter of President John Adams , and so was a brother - in - law of President John Quincy Adams , and an uncle of Charles Francis Adams . Born on Long Island , he graduated from the College of New Jersey ( now Princeton University ) in 1774 , and studied law for a short time . American Revolutionary War . He served in the Revolutionary Army as aide - de - camp to general John Sullivan in 1776 . Smith fought in the Battle of Long Island , was wounded at Harlem Heights , fought at the Battle of White Plains , was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the Battle of Trenton and fought at the Battle of Monmouth and Newport . He was on the staff of General Lafayette in 1780 and 1781 , became an adjutant in the Corps of Light Infantry then transferred to the staff of George Washington . Years after the war . He was secretary of the Legation at London in 1784 . While there , he met and courted John Adams ' s daughter Abigail ( " Nabby " ) , whom he married in 1786 . He returned to America in 1788 . Smith was appointed by President Washington to be the first United States Marshal for the District of New York in 1789 , and later supervisor of revenue . He was one of the originators of the Society of the Cincinnati , and served as its president from 1795 to 1797 . He was appointed by President John Adams surveyor of the Port of New York in 1800 . During this period the Smiths bought land in what was then the countryside outside of New York City , and planned to build an estate , which they called Mount Vernon , in honor of George Washington . They never lived there , but a carriage house on the property was later converted to a hotel and is now operated as the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum . Colonel Smith raised private funds , procured weapons , and recruited soldiers of fortune to fight the Spanish territory of Venezuela . This action was inspired by Smith ' s renewal of acquaintance with Francisco de Miranda , whom Smith had first met when he was John Adams ' s secretary in London in 1783 . On 2 February 1806 , a force of filibusters , including Smith ' s son William Steuben , set sail on a chartered merchant vessel , the " Leander " . The Spanish captured the ship and the mercenaries . Steuben later escaped . Colonel Smith was indicted in New York for violating the Neutrality Act of 1794 and put on trial . Colonel Smith claimed his orders came from U . S . President Thomas Jefferson and U . S . Secretary of State James Madison , who refused to appear in court . Judge William Paterson ruled that the President " cannot authorize a person to do what the law forbids . " Colonel Smith stood trial and was found not guilty . In 1807 Smith moved to Lebanon , New York . Smith was elected as a Federalist to the 13th United States Congress , holding office from March 4 , 1813 to March 3 , 1815 . After the United States House of Representatives elections in New York , 1814 , credentials of his election to the 14th United States Congress were issued by the Secretary of State of New York , but Stephens did not take or claim the seat . Part of the votes had been erroneously returned for " Westel Willoughby " ( omitting the " Jr . " ) , thus giving Stephens apparently a majority . On December 13 , 1815 , Westel Willoughby , Jr . was declared by a vote of the House entitled to the seat . Smith died in Smith Valley in the town of Lebanon in 1816 . He is interred in the West Hill Cemetery in the Town of Sherburne , on New York State Route 80 . Family . William Stephens Smith was the son of John Smith , a wealthy New York City merchant , and Margaret Stephens . He had many brothers and sisters , and his sister Sarah was married to Charles Adams , the son of John Adams and brother of John Quincy Adams .