My Genealogy Hound

Simpson Smith. In former years the life of the farmer was considered a laborious one, but in this progressive age, with such improvements in machinery, he can do his work with half the dispatch or labor as in the time of his father, and in fact works but little if any harder than the average man who strives to make a living. Besides all this he is independent, which is one of the much sought-for conditions of life. Mr. Smith is one of the successful farmers who have kept thoroughly apace with the times, and has reached the condition of life mentioned above. He was born in Benton County, Tenn., in 1833, and is the son of William and Elizabeth (Lewis) Smith, natives respectively of South Carolina and North Carolina. William Smith came with his parents to Tennessee when a small boy, settling in Maury County for some time, and then moved to Benton County, where he passed the remainder of his days. He was a farmer and trader by occupation. He volunteered in the war under Gen. Jackson. Mrs. Smith was born in 1798, and died May 13, 1889, on the old home place in Tennessee. She was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Their family consisted of eight children, six now living: Angeline, Ellen, Elizabeth, Simpson, Mary and Thomas J. Those deceased died in infancy. Simpson Smith grew to manhood on the home place in Tennessee, and at the age of fourteen years began working for himself as a day laborer. After this he worked on the railroad for two or three years, then farmed for some time, and when the war broke out he enlisted in the Confederate army, Company I, Forty-ninth Volunteer Infantry, and served three years. He was in the battles of Fort Donelson, Port Hudson and Jackson, Miss. He was taken prisoner twice, first at Fort Donelson, and was carried to Chicago, where he was retained seven months and three days, and was then exchanged. He then returned to the South, entering the Southern army in the same company, re-organized and consolidated with the Forty-eighth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, and was captured at Port Hudson, but was soon afterward paroled, when he returned home and resumed his farm work. He remained in Tennessee until 1881, when he came to Arkansas and settled on his present farm in Greene County. He had first moved to Arkansas in 1854, but later returned to the home place, where he was married, in 1856, to Miss Ellen Erp, a native of Benton County, Tenn. The result of this union was the birth of nine children, seven now living: William, Mary, Belle, Caldonia, John, Augustus, Scott, Doy, Daniel Lee and Vency. Those deceased were Porter and an infant unnamed. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in which he is a deacon. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., is a Democrat in politics, and takes an active part in all public enterprises. He has a fine farm, with 170 acres under cultivation, and is one of the leading farmers of the county.