Joseph D. Smith, aged 80 years, died at his home at 316 Quincy street, Saturday, April 21, after a short illness. His wife died several years ago, and he left surviving him two sons, George H. Smith of this city and Joseph W. Smith of St. Louis.
He was born in Providence, R. I., April, 6, 1826, and served during the war in the 176th New York volunteer infantry, going in as a private; was with Banks in his Red river operations, and with Sherman around Atlanta and his march to the sea and with the Army of the Potomac. He was provost marshal of Atlanta, veteraned for a second enlistment and came home in command of that splendid and veteran regiment and marched at its head down Pennsylvania avenue at the immortal grand review. He was a modest soldier, served steadily, bravely and gallantly through the entire war and had in him a strain of brave, patriotic blood. His son, George H. Smith, a well known and respected citizen of this city, an elder son, also served through the war, in the navy, and both of them belonged to Lincoln Post No. 1, G. A. R. He also belonged to lodge No. 1, I.O.O. F., of this city. He was a carpenter by trade and came to Topeka in 1869 and lived here since then. For about twenty years he was in the employment of the Santa Fe and for a period before his death he occupied himself in the management and care of his own property. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church from the time he came here and had been an officer in that church.
The writer of this had been his neighbor and friend and knew him in his daily walk and conversation. Topeka never had a better man die. Kind and loving in his family, steady gaited and upright in all his ways. He believed in his religion, lived it and gave it the best he had day after day and year after year. After his death in a search among his papers, it was discovered to his own family that he had been a persistent and free giver to many worthy objects, among them the Salvation Army, and in amounts quite large in proportion to his means and of which his right hand never knew until after his death. He went through life in a most modest way; he did not desire to attract attention; Simply did his duty as he saw it, before God and man and let it go at that, and never mounted a house top to proclaim it. Few persons knew that he had ever been a soldier and yet there was no truer, no braver or better man in the service of his country than he was. His family and friends on the 6th day of this month gave him a birthday party in honor of the octogenarian, and the happiness and general joy of that occasion was never troubled by thought or menace of death which then stood near by, in hearing of the laugh of children, the greetings of kin and the pleasure of this old man. It had come his time to die; a useful life had been accomplished, the harvest had been gathered and he ready and willing to go; and when death did call him there was not a strand of the cable that held his bark to the shore.
The veterans of the late war are few and they are dying day after day.
The story of this life is useful. He did his duty, enjoyed its fruits, and under his own vine and fig tree, in the cool of their shade, as the sun hid himself in the west, he went to that far country upon which his faith had kept eye, the long and happy years of his life. The world cannot provoke a memory to his discredit and before the great judgment seat his life will be a mighty defense.
He will be buried from the First Presbyterian church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, his brother Odd Fellows and his comrades of Lincoln Post having charge.—J. G. W.
—Topeka Daily Capital (Topeka, KS), April 23, 1906, p 8, c 2.
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He was born in Providence, R. I., April, 6, 1826, and served during the war in the 176th New York volunteer infantry, going in as a private; was with Banks in his Red river operations, and with Sherman around Atlanta and his march to the sea and with the Army of the Potomac. He was provost marshal of Atlanta, veteraned for a second enlistment and came home in command of that splendid and veteran regiment and marched at its head down Pennsylvania avenue at the immortal grand review. He was a modest soldier, served steadily, bravely and gallantly through the entire war and had in him a strain of brave, patriotic blood. His son, George H. Smith, a well known and respected citizen of this city, an elder son, also served through the war, in the navy, and both of them belonged to Lincoln Post No. 1, G. A. R. He also belonged to lodge No. 1, I.O.O. F., of this city. He was a carpenter by trade and came to Topeka in 1869 and lived here since then. For about twenty years he was in the employment of the Santa Fe and for a period before his death he occupied himself in the management and care of his own property. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church from the time he came here and had been an officer in that church.
The writer of this had been his neighbor and friend and knew him in his daily walk and conversation. Topeka never had a better man die. Kind and loving in his family, steady gaited and upright in all his ways. He believed in his religion, lived it and gave it the best he had day after day and year after year. After his death in a search among his papers, it was discovered to his own family that he had been a persistent and free giver to many worthy objects, among them the Salvation Army, and in amounts quite large in proportion to his means and of which his right hand never knew until after his death. He went through life in a most modest way; he did not desire to attract attention; Simply did his duty as he saw it, before God and man and let it go at that, and never mounted a house top to proclaim it. Few persons knew that he had ever been a soldier and yet there was no truer, no braver or better man in the service of his country than he was. His family and friends on the 6th day of this month gave him a birthday party in honor of the octogenarian, and the happiness and general joy of that occasion was never troubled by thought or menace of death which then stood near by, in hearing of the laugh of children, the greetings of kin and the pleasure of this old man. It had come his time to die; a useful life had been accomplished, the harvest had been gathered and he ready and willing to go; and when death did call him there was not a strand of the cable that held his bark to the shore.
The veterans of the late war are few and they are dying day after day.
The story of this life is useful. He did his duty, enjoyed its fruits, and under his own vine and fig tree, in the cool of their shade, as the sun hid himself in the west, he went to that far country upon which his faith had kept eye, the long and happy years of his life. The world cannot provoke a memory to his discredit and before the great judgment seat his life will be a mighty defense.
He will be buried from the First Presbyterian church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, his brother Odd Fellows and his comrades of Lincoln Post having charge.—J. G. W.
—Topeka Daily Capital (Topeka, KS), April 23, 1906, p 8, c 2.
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Joseph D. Smith, aged 80 years, died at his home at 316 Quincy street, Saturday, April 21, after a short illness. His wife died several years ago, and he left surviving him two sons, George H. Smith of this city and Joseph W. Smith of St. Louis.
He was born in Providence, R. I., April, 6, 1826, and served during the war in the 176th New York volunteer infantry, going in as a private; was with Banks in his Red river operations, and with Sherman around Atlanta and his march to the sea and with the Army of the Potomac. He was provost marshal of Atlanta, veteraned for a second enlistment and came home in command of that splendid and veteran regiment and marched at its head down Pennsylvania avenue at the immortal grand review. He was a modest soldier, served steadily, bravely and gallantly through the entire war and had in him a strain of brave, patriotic blood. His son, George H. Smith, a well known and respected citizen of this city, an elder son, also served through the war, in the navy, and both of them belonged to Lincoln Post No. 1, G. A. R. He also belonged to lodge No. 1, I.O.O. F., of this city. He was a carpenter by trade and came to Topeka in 1869 and lived here since then. For about twenty years he was in the employment of the Santa Fe and for a period before his death he occupied himself in the management and care of his own property. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church from the time he came here and had been an officer in that church.
The writer of this had been his neighbor and friend and knew him in his daily walk and conversation. Topeka never had a better man die. Kind and loving in his family, steady gaited and upright in all his ways. He believed in his religion, lived it and gave it the best he had day after day and year after year. After his death in a search among his papers, it was discovered to his own family that he had been a persistent and free giver to many worthy objects, among them the Salvation Army, and in amounts quite large in proportion to his means and of which his right hand never knew until after his death. He went through life in a most modest way; he did not desire to attract attention; Simply did his duty as he saw it, before God and man and let it go at that, and never mounted a house top to proclaim it. Few persons knew that he had ever been a soldier and yet there was no truer, no braver or better man in the service of his country than he was. His family and friends on the 6th day of this month gave him a birthday party in honor of the octogenarian, and the happiness and general joy of that occasion was never troubled by thought or menace of death which then stood near by, in hearing of the laugh of children, the greetings of kin and the pleasure of this old man. It had come his time to die; a useful life had been accomplished, the harvest had been gathered and he ready and willing to go; and when death did call him there was not a strand of the cable that held his bark to the shore.
The veterans of the late war are few and they are dying day after day.
The story of this life is useful. He did his duty, enjoyed its fruits, and under his own vine and fig tree, in the cool of their shade, as the sun hid himself in the west, he went to that far country upon which his faith had kept eye, the long and happy years of his life. The world cannot provoke a memory to his discredit and before the great judgment seat his life will be a mighty defense.
He will be buried from the First Presbyterian church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, his brother Odd Fellows and his comrades of Lincoln Post having charge.—J. G. W.
—Topeka Daily Capital (Topeka, KS), April 23, 1906, p 8, c 2.
Info provided by 47628867
He was born in Providence, R. I., April, 6, 1826, and served during the war in the 176th New York volunteer infantry, going in as a private; was with Banks in his Red river operations, and with Sherman around Atlanta and his march to the sea and with the Army of the Potomac. He was provost marshal of Atlanta, veteraned for a second enlistment and came home in command of that splendid and veteran regiment and marched at its head down Pennsylvania avenue at the immortal grand review. He was a modest soldier, served steadily, bravely and gallantly through the entire war and had in him a strain of brave, patriotic blood. His son, George H. Smith, a well known and respected citizen of this city, an elder son, also served through the war, in the navy, and both of them belonged to Lincoln Post No. 1, G. A. R. He also belonged to lodge No. 1, I.O.O. F., of this city. He was a carpenter by trade and came to Topeka in 1869 and lived here since then. For about twenty years he was in the employment of the Santa Fe and for a period before his death he occupied himself in the management and care of his own property. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church from the time he came here and had been an officer in that church.
The writer of this had been his neighbor and friend and knew him in his daily walk and conversation. Topeka never had a better man die. Kind and loving in his family, steady gaited and upright in all his ways. He believed in his religion, lived it and gave it the best he had day after day and year after year. After his death in a search among his papers, it was discovered to his own family that he had been a persistent and free giver to many worthy objects, among them the Salvation Army, and in amounts quite large in proportion to his means and of which his right hand never knew until after his death. He went through life in a most modest way; he did not desire to attract attention; Simply did his duty as he saw it, before God and man and let it go at that, and never mounted a house top to proclaim it. Few persons knew that he had ever been a soldier and yet there was no truer, no braver or better man in the service of his country than he was. His family and friends on the 6th day of this month gave him a birthday party in honor of the octogenarian, and the happiness and general joy of that occasion was never troubled by thought or menace of death which then stood near by, in hearing of the laugh of children, the greetings of kin and the pleasure of this old man. It had come his time to die; a useful life had been accomplished, the harvest had been gathered and he ready and willing to go; and when death did call him there was not a strand of the cable that held his bark to the shore.
The veterans of the late war are few and they are dying day after day.
The story of this life is useful. He did his duty, enjoyed its fruits, and under his own vine and fig tree, in the cool of their shade, as the sun hid himself in the west, he went to that far country upon which his faith had kept eye, the long and happy years of his life. The world cannot provoke a memory to his discredit and before the great judgment seat his life will be a mighty defense.
He will be buried from the First Presbyterian church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, his brother Odd Fellows and his comrades of Lincoln Post having charge.—J. G. W.
—Topeka Daily Capital (Topeka, KS), April 23, 1906, p 8, c 2.
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AGED 80yrs & 15 ds
CO E 17th N.Y. INF.
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H/O Abby M.Smith
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