John William Smith: Soldier, Messenger, Patriot

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SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS

1997-2002, Wallace L. McKeehan, A ll Rights Rese rved

Alamo Defenders-Index

John William Smith: Soldier, Messenger, Patriotby Zelime Vance Gillespie II

THE BEGINNING

"The winning of the independence of Texas by a handful of American pioneers, against the

almost overwhelming odds opposed to them forms one of the most remarkable events in the

long record of human warfare, unsurpassed by the most heroic examples in ancient and

modern, history. To understand how it was accomplished, one must look to the character of the

men who composed the Texas forces. They were men animated by that high-soul courage which

characterizes the patriot who is willing to die in defense of his country's liberty or his own

home. The pages of history are lled with the deeds of such as these but beyond a passing

no ce li le is known of the last courier of the Alamo, John William Smith. whose daring exploits

helped very materially in the great struggle." [Lucy Josephine Newton, Incidents in the Life of John

W. Smith, A report taken from her scrapbook, Personal Papers of Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr, p. 5]

In order to obtain a fuller picture of John William Smith and the age in which he lived, one must

start with the beginning of his life. William John Smith, as he was christened, was born in

Virginia on November 4, 1792, the second son of John and Isabel Smith. A few years later (no

exact date is given) he and his family moved to Ralls County, Missouri. Li le is known of his

youth other than that he received the best possible educa on that Missouri could aord at that

me. ["In Early San Antonio", San Antonio Express Magazine, October 5, 1947, Alamo Library]

In either 1821 or 1822 he married Miss Harriet Stone in his home town, of Hannibal, Missouri.

[Dolly M. Stone, Samuel Stone and his wife, Mary Ann Chunn (San Antonio: Naylor Company,

1955), p. 11] At the age of thirty one he was elected to the role of Sheriof Rolls County and

State and County tax Collector. ["In Early San Antonio", San Antonio Express Magazine, October 5,

1947, Alamo Library] Two children, a son Samuel and a daughter Mary Elizabeth were born to

them and their lives owed along accepted and happy lines for several years. [Dolly M. Stone,

Samuel Stone and his wife, Mary Ann Chunn (San Antonio: Naylor Company, 1955), p. 11]

In 1826 Green DeWi made a trip to Missouri in order to arouse interest in his colony in Texas.

He had obtained permission from the Mexican government on April 15 of the previous year to

bring four hundred families with him into Texas. He must have succeeded in arousing interest inWilliam Smith for in 1826, before the birth of his third child, he resigned his posi ons and made

plans to go to Texas. His wife, Harriet, adamantly refused to make the move. She was aided and

abe ed in her decision by her brothers, Samuel and Theophilus, who con nually warned her of

the dangers and hardships to be found in Texas and urged her to seek a divorce on grounds of

abandonment. [Dolly M. Stone, Samuel Stone and his wife, Mary Ann Chunn (San Antonio: Naylor

Company, 1955), p. 11]

Harriet, subsequently, remarried and was rather ironically convinced by her second husband,

William Smith--Soldier, Messenger, Patriot h p://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewi /smithjohnwi

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James Boyce, to move with him to Texas with ve other families from Hannibal. Smith, however,

in spite of such overwhelming family opposi on, remained rm in his resolve and he and his

older brother, Francis, joined the DeWi party. Carrying with him a le er of recommenda on

that was given to him by the ci zens of Ralls County, he set out for Texas. This le er meant a

great deal to him, coming at a me of change and upheaval in both his personal and business

life. He must have cherished it for the original was found among his papers and reads as follows:

Le er of recommenda on. New London April 1826. We, the undersigned ci zens of

the County of Ralls in the State of Missouri, do hereby cer fy that for three years

lost past we have been personally acquainted with the bearer of this, William J.

Smith, during that me and now a resident of this country and state aforesaid, who

is about to visit the Province of Texas. And we do further cer fy that we have always

considered him a man of correct habits and principals and of a good moral

character. And, as such, we cheerfully recommend him to the favorable no ce and

a en on of the authori es and ci zens of that Province in the Mexican United

States. 10 April, 1826. James C. Barne ; Pleasant Hudson; Volney Bruer; Oney

Carstcrchen; John Markle; Amos Gridley; Joseph Wright; Wm. Jameson; Chapel

Carstarphen; Josiah Fugate; John Thrasher. WITNESSED BY STEPHEN GLASCOCK.

The DeWi party arrived in Gonzales in December of 1826, and immediately became an integral

part of the community. On December 14, 1826, Green DeWi issued the following direc ons:

DeWi Colony. Green DeWi Empresario. 1826 December 14, 1826. La Bahia

sta on put under direc on of William Smith. signed Green DeWi . [Mrs. Frank M.

Gillespie, Sr, Collec on, p. 2]

Later that following year, he moved to San Antonio de Bexar, where he changed his name to

John William Smith. Supposedly because William (GuiIlermo) is dicult to pronounce in the

Spanish language. He was considered a handsome man. He stood six feet one inch tall, andweighed between one hundred and eighty and two hundred pounds. His good looks were

accentuated by his long red-brown hair, large blue eyes and a rm well-shaped mouth and

nose. [Lucy Josephine Newton, "Life of John William Smith", San Antonio Newspaper]

He became known throughout the city as "El Colorado" or "redhead". On December 15, 1827,

he was appointed military storekeeper and served in this capacity un l March 6, 1835. [Le er

from Harriet Smither, June 5, 1934]

He also worked as a civil engineer and surveyor during this me. On

May 20, 1828, he and his brother, Francis, were bap zed into the

Catholic faith at San Fernando Cathedral. Two and a half years later,he once again entered San Fernando Cathedral, this me to be

married to Maria Jesusita Curbelo, who was then just a girl of een,

while he was a mature man of thirty eight. [Lucy Josephine Newton,

"Incidents in the Life of John W. Smith", A report taken from her

scrapbook, personal papers of Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr., p. 1] Maria

Jesusita was the great-great-granddaughter of Juan Curbelo, a Canary

Islander of great wealth and dis nc on. He had been ordered by royal

decree, May 10, 1723, along with four hundred other families to leave


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the Canary Islands and establish a colony in the new world in the

name of the King of Spain. They chose to se le on land that is the present city of San Antonio.

There are many descendants of the original Curbelos s ll in San Antonio today.

PATRIOT

In the fall of 1835, San Antonio was occupied and controlled by the Mexican forces under the

command of Colonel Domingo Ugartachea, and was being harassed by a small band of Texans

who were determined to oust them. Colonel Ugartachea sent for reinforcements and by the

winter of 1835 General Cos and his army arrived, and the Mexicans held an even rmer grip on

the city. [Colonel Mar n Lalor Crimmins, Texas State Historical Quarterly, Vol. LIV, John W. Smith,

the Last Messenger from the Alamo and the First Mayor of San Antonio (Aus n: Texas State

Historical Associa on, 1951), p. 344]

In the early days of the unrest John W. Smith sided with the group of men who were content

with the status quo, but me and events changed his views and he gave himself up "hand and

heart" to the cause of Independence. [Lucy Josephine Newton, "Incidents in the Life of John W.

Smith", A report taken from her scrapbook, personal papers of Mrs. Frank i0. Gillespie, Sr., p. 5]

[See Ba le & Siege of Bexar]

Smith, Samuel Maverick and P. B. Cooke were arrested by Ugartachea on suspicion of

communica ng with the enemy. Smith was conned to his home, but managed to keep up

communica on with General Burleson, who commanded the Texas Army. [Address by Dr. Geo.

Cupples, 1870, in front of the Alamo, personal papers of Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr., p. 3]

One night as Smith and his follow-cap ves were playing cards, they were startled by the report

of a gun red close by them. Immediately following the shot, a Mexican ocer rushed in andcommanded that the man who had red the shot rise or he would kill them all. Unable to

understand the language, the Texans stared at each other in wonder, and the ocer leveled his

gun to carry out his threat when Smith's beau ful Cas lian wife rushed in, kneeling at the feet

of the ocer, she implored him in eloquent Spanish to search the house before he condemned

her husband, assuring him that if any arms or ammuni on were found he could do his duty.

Moved, by her entrea es, he turned to do as she requested, when the door wasung open by a

faithful servitor, Graviel, of Smith's who claimed to have red the shot at some passing

American. Thus Smith's life was spared due to the eorts of his young, beau ful wife. [Lucy

Josephine Newton, "Incidents in the Life of John W. Smith", A report taken from her scrapbook

personal papers of Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr., p. 5]

Smith and Maverick managed to escape and got out of the city to join Ben Milam's forces which

were camped on San Pedro Creek, and ocially joined the Texas Army on December 3, 1835.

The morale of Milam's li le band of men was at a very low ebb for they were receiving

inadequate food, clothing and pay and they were about to give up the siege. However, when

Smith arrived he managed to give the li le army a new hope, he reported the Mexicans

starving, dispirited and low on ammuni on. He also drew a most accurate plan of the town "in

which almost every object of sucient magnitude to a ract the vision was delineated with


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great minuteness and exactness." [Obituary of John William Smith, Texas Na onal Register,

January 18, 1845, p. 55]

He was very familiar with the city and its for ca ons and he was the only Anglo-American in

San Antonio with enough mechanical skill and training to draw such an accurate map. [Colonel

Mar n Lalor Crimmins, Texas State Historical Quarterly, Vol. LIV, John W. Smith, the last

Messenger from the Alamo and the First Mayor of San Antonio (Aus n: Texas State Historical

Associa on, 1951 , p. 344]

A er discussing the situa on with Ben Milam and urging him to make on immediate a ack,

John Smith was assigned the posi on of chief guide for the rst division for the ba le of San

Antonio and Erastus "Deaf" Smith was assigned as guide to the second division. "Smith knew

every inch of San Antonio and it was in the light of this knowledge that this well-conceived plan

of a ack was decided upon." [Louis J. Worthham, LL. D., A History of Texas, Vol, III Fort Worth:

Worthham-Molyneaux Company, 1924)]

With the aid of the knowledge and leadership thus obtained, on the night of the h of

December, 1835, a small and devoted band of less than 300 men assaulted the strong town of

San Antonio, which was defended by 1700 troops and 20 pieces of ar llery. The ensuing ba le

lasted for ve days and nights. "In the annals of our military achievements, it stands

unparalleled, as well for the boldness of the enterprise, as for the exhibi on of an inexible

obs nacy of resolu on and determined valor, which no danger could appall-nor con nuance of

the deadly grapple, however prolonged, could exhaust." Smith, with his characteris c calmness

and delibera on, was among the leaders of "the party which succeeded in penetra ng to the

square (Military Plaza), when the capitula on was proposed. [Obituary of John William Smith,

Texas Na onal Register, January 18, 1845, p. 55]

Because of the tremendous amount of aid rendered by Smith he was presented 640 acres of

Dona on Land, which was situated on the Leon, a branch of the Medina, and about sixteenmiles northwest of San Antonio, thus making him one of the largest landowners in the city. He

was already the third wealthiest man in San Antonio, with a valua on of $24,000.00. [Lucy

Josephine Newton, "Life of John William Smith", San Antonio Newspaper]

January, 1836, found San Antonio under the protec on of one of the armies of the Provisional

Government of Texas. The troops were commanded by James Bowie, who had been sent by Sam

Houston with orders to demolish the Alamo. The thought was that San Antonio was too isolated

and could not be successfully defended. However, when Bowie arrived, he could not bring

himself to destroy the garrison. He decided to stay, for fy and protect the Alamo for he

believed, "the salva on of Texas depended to a great measure on keeping San Antonio de Bexar

out of the enemy's hands". It served as the fron er guard, and if it were in the possession ofSanta Anna, there would be no stronghold from which to repel him on his march toward the

Sabine. Bowie became ill a few days a er he arrived in San Antonio, and at his request, Colonel

Travis accepted command of the troops. San Antonio de Bexar was under strong threat of a ack

by General Santa Anna for a er the Ba le of San Antonio, the seizure of the town was more

than just a strategic problem to the Mexicans, it was a "na onal outrage, a humilia on" and a

blow to their pride. Juan Guillermo Smith was in San Antonio at this me with his wife and

children, when asked when he thought Santa Anna would strike, he is reported to have said,

they would wait un l March for he knew Santa Anna to be a shrewd and careful man who


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would wait for the spring grass to grow before he would bring his cavalry north. Smith's

assump on proved to be incorrect, for a sentry claimed he saw the Mexican force on the 23rd of

February. Dr. John Sutherland told Colonel William B. Travis he would ride out and check the

lookout's story. However, he needed someone who knew the country to come along and be his

guide. Smith immediately volunteered 30 and told Travis that if he saw them coming back at a

gallop that that would mean they had seen the enemy. Upon reaching the top of a slope about

one and a half miles from Bexar, they saw within 150 yards, some 1500 Mexican cavalry, their

polished armor glistening in the rays of the sun with the commander riding along the line,

waving his sword as though giving orders. Quickly comprehending what was amassed in front of

them, they wheeled their horses and started for town at a full gallop. Sutherland's horse slipped

on the wet mud, for there had been heavy rains the night before, and fell on him, breaking his

leg. Smith immediately raced back for him and helped him onto his horse !Sutherland's). As

they neared the Alamo, the sentry who had rst seen the Mexican army saw them and for the

second me that day began clanging the church bell. By the me they arrived, Travis had

already moved his men into the Alamo. Travis immediately addressed a note to Judge Andrew

Ponton asking for assistance and started to hand it to Sutherland for him to take to Gonzales,

but impulsively he crossed the Judge's name out and wrote "To all of the inhabitants of Texas".

[Walter Lord, A Time to Stand (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1963), p. 53]

In the mean me, Smith raced home to close his house and pick up some important papers. No

record says exactly where his wife and son were at this me, but it is believed and is probable

that they had been sent to New Orleans for their safety. This statement seems to be jus ed by

the fact that my great-great-grandmother, Maria Josepha Augus na Smith, was born to Maria in

New Orleans in October of that same year. [Interview with Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr., April 15,

1963]

[For the following, Gillespie cites: Walter Lord, A Time to Stand (New York: Harper and

Brothers, 1963); Dr. John Sutherland, The Fall of the Alamo (San Antonio: Naylor

Company, 1936); Lon Tinkle, Thirteen Days to Glory (New York: McGraw Hill BookCompany, Inc.); Boyce House, City of Flaming Adventure, The Chronicle of San Antonio

(San Antonio: Naylor Company); W. P. Zuber, Texas State Historical Quarterly, Vol. V.,

The Escape of Rose from the Alamo (Aus n: Texas State Historical Associa on,

1902)---WLM]

Then he le heading for Gonzales, a 70 mile ride, to gather some reinforcements. Smith and

Sutherland met leaving town and decided to ride together. A er reaching a ford a small

distance from town, they glanced back and saw the advanced cavalry units of Santa Anna

pouring into Military Plaza. They then hurried on, taking the old unused Goliad Road, which

runs south for some distance, to avoid any chance of being spo ed by the Mexicans. A er riding

about one-half mile on this road, they "turned due east into mesquite and chaparral brush" and

followed the winding paths that led through it un l they reached the Gonzales Road about one

mile east of the Salado Creek. They, however, did not con nue on the Goliad Road for they saw

three men riding in the distance, about one and a half miles away, and fearing they were a

scou ng party of the enemy, they veered o the road to the le . The pain in Sutherland's leg

had become so acute that by the me they reached the Salado Smith had to persuade him to go

on for he was at the point of turning back. They managed to con nue on for another sixteen

miles then were forced to stop because of Sutherland's pain. By the next morning, Sutherland's

pain had subsided somewhat and they, a er riding hard, arrived in Gonzales about 4 P. M.


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Wednesday, the 24th. Upon entering the town, they spread no ce of their mission and sent

messages to all of the neighboring se lements.

By Saturday Smith and Sutherland had succeeded in ge ng 25 men, mostly from the town of

Gonzales. Sutherland was compelled to stay in Gonzales because of his leg and Smith started

back to San Antonio with the men. When they reached the Cibolo Creek, Smith had gathered

enough new men to increase his band to 32. As they entered the suburbs of Bexar, they were

approached by a man on horseback, "Who asked them in English: 'Do you wish to go into the

fort, Gentlemen?' 'Yes,' was the reply. 'Then follow me,' said he, at the same me turning his

horse into the lead of the company. Smith remarked: 'Boys, it's me to be a er shoo ng that

fellow, at this, the man put spurs to his horse, sprung into the thicket, and was out of sight in a

moment, before a gun could be brought to bear on him. Some supposed from his uency in the

English language that this was General Wall, who was an Englishman in the Mexican service."

Smith, cau ous as always, sent a messenger to the Alamo but there seemed to have been a

misunderstanding as to the direc on from which they would approach. The sen nel, thinking

they were part of the Mexican army, red on them without giving warning. The shot hit one of

the men in the foot. The sen nel soon realized his mistake and permi ed the men to enterwithout any other hindrance. With the addi on of the force brought by Smith the total number

of men protec ng the garrison were 203. These men from Gonzales carried with them the rst

ag ever made by the Texans for use in a ba le. It was made of white silk taken from the

wedding dress of Naomi DeWi , the daughter of Green DeWi , whom Smith had accompanied

to Texas.

The siege con nued. At about noon on the 23rd as Smith was at his post, he heard an uproar

arising from the town. The cry was "Santa Anna, Santa Anna". This, of course, a racted his

a en on and because the buildings in the city were low, he was able to see a large body of the

enemy entering the city. Smith, related later to Sutherland, that before this me he had not

believed that the main body of Santa Anna's army was at San Antonio.

On March 3, when the situa on was looking its worst for the men in the Alamo, Smith was

summoned again by Travis. He asked him if he would deliver a last supplica on to the

Conven on at Washington-on-the-Brazos, a mission which was to preserve his life. Near

midnight, Travis approached and handed him a bundle of le ers also his message to President

Houston. He grasped his hand and added "Tell the reinforcements to bring ten day's ra ons with

them". He said, "He would re the eighteen-pounder three mes a day-morning, noon and

night-as long as the Alamo stood, when they heard that they would know he was s ll gh ng".

The gate at the northern end of the Alamo swung open and Smith whipped through, "Turned

east, and vanished into the dark riding one of the "best horses in the Alamo" which wasperhaps the same horse he had bought from a soldier on November 27th for $46.00. [Rena

Maverick Green (ed.), Samuel Maverick, Texan: 1803-1870, A Collec on of Le ers, Journals and

Memoirs (San Antonio: Rena Maverick Green, 1952)]

It is believed by many that he changed horses several mes before reaching Washington-on-the-

Brazos but a more reasonable explana on is that he rode moderately all the way to his

des na on for he had no me to change mounts. [W. P. Zuber, Texas State Historical Quarterly,

Vol. V., The Escape of Rose from the Alamo (Aus n: Texas State Historical Associa on, 1902), p. 4]


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Whether he changed mounts or not does not alter the fact that he completed a daring ride

through enemy lines over 200 miles in less than 57 hours carrying Travis' last dispatch and the

last words of the men of the Alamo who died gh ng for their beliefs. When Smith, weary and

travel-stained, reached Washington-on-the-Brazos Sunday morning much of the conven on

quickly assembled to hear the reading of Travis' eloquent last le er. Their hearts sank with

despair as Houston read the le er to them but they clung to one last hope, that Travis'

determina on to defend the Alamo would enable him to hold out un l relief could be sent.

[Sam Houston Dixon, Romance and Tragedy of Texas History (Houston: Texas Historical Publishing

Company), p. 212]

Smith, although he was weary past exhaus on, was not through. On his own authority, he

recruited almost 50 men and set out for the Alamo. They reached Cibolo Creek on March 10th

and halted while the horses drank. Smith pressed his ear to the ground and listened hoping to

hear the sound of guns but he heard nothing. Early the following morning, he sent eight scouts

towards Bexar, however, a er going only six miles they were spo ed by the Mexican advance

guard, who chased them, but none of them were injured. Now faced with the grim reality, he

had been praying was not true, Smith sadly turned his men eastward. [Boyce House, City ofFlaming Adventure, A Chronicle of San Antonio(San Antonio: Naylor Company)].

Smith's life as a patriot did not end with the tragic fall of the Alamo. He was present and

par cipated in the triumphant eighteen minute Ba le of San Jacinto which was the concluding

military event of the Texas Revolu on, and one of the "decisive ba les of the world. The

freedom of Texas from Mexico, won there, led to annexa on and to the Mexican War, resul ng

in the acquisi on by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada,

California, Utah and other parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Almost

one-third of the present area of the American na on, nearly a mill ion square miles of territory,

changed sovereignty".

Even though the Ba le of San Jacinto did bring an end to the Texas Revolu on, John W. Smith

had not yet come to the end of his career as a soldier. He was employed as a scout and sent on

many a harrowing mission. Many of his narrowest escapes came when he entered the city of

San Antonio to obtain informa on or to visit his family. When in the dead of night, he came

home to his house on Flores Street, his faithful peon, Graviel, would mue the horse's hoofs

with blankets and while his master was having a few moments of ease with his family, he would

hold its mouth so that it could not neigh and a ract the a en on of the sen nel just across the

ditch. "One night this same sen nel did see him as he stood taking leave of his family with a ny

child, my mother, in his arms. Seeing that if he red, the child would also be killed, the

kind-hearted Mexican spared his l ife." [Lucy Josephine Newton, "Incidents in the Life of John W.

Smith", A report taken from her scrapbook personal papers of Mrs. Frank M. Gillespie, Sr., p. 5]

Two years a er the Republic of Texas had been organized and the Municipality of San Antonio

created by an Act of the Texas Congress, an elec on was called to name San Antonio's rst city

administra on. "Through Smith's personality and the inuence of his wife's family, he was

elected San Antonio's rst mayor". He took oce on September 19, 1837, and served un l the

later part of 1838 a er receiving een votes to the two votes received by his two opponents.

["In Early San Antonio, San Antonio Express Magazine, October 5, 1947, Alamo Library]


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Just previous to star ng his rst term as mayor he signed the rst ocial marriage license in

Bexar County on August 5, 1837. The town of San Antonio over which Smith and his aldermen

ruled was es mated at about 2000 people, one-third of which were American and English,

another third German and the remaining third were a mixture of various races. Smith and his

aldermen ini ated various city ordinances, one of which follows: A public bathing ordinance

which "Prohibited it a er 5 A. M. and before 8 P. M. in the Son Antonio River and the San Pedro

Creek. Any bather caught exposing himself to the public gaze during those hours was subject to

a $2.00 to $5.00 ne and the 'Peeping Tom' who brought about the convic on received one-half

of the ne and the City got the rest." There were also ordinances which provided for the

maintenance of city cemeteries, the enforcement of chimney sweeping and the removal ofre

hazards. Business houses were forced to close at 9 P. M. on Sunday. The storing of hay and

combus bles within the city in a manner that might create a re was prohibited. There was

even an ordinance passed which said it was alright to have milk cows in the downtown area,

but that these cows must be milked and in the corral by 10 P. M. Violators of this ordinance

were subject to a ne of $2.00 to $5.00 and as in the bathing ordinance, the informer got half of

the ne. Smith and his aldermen proved to run an ecient city and even sought to enrich the

city treasury through the taxa on of dogs. All female dogs were taxed $2.00 and males $0.50. Inthe second city elec on he did not run for re-elec on and was succeeded by William H.

Daingerfeld. However, he did run for re-elec on in 1840 and, won and remained in oce un l

1844. It was during this term that he had the rst proper bridge in San Antonio built across the

San Antonio River on Commerce Street. . [Unknown newspaper clippings, Ms. Frank Gillespie

Collec on]

He was very popular with the Republic and at one me held eleven dierent commissions

under President Sam Houston and Ac ng President Mirabeau Lamar. The most noteworthy of

which was the responsibility of gathering all the Indians in the San Antonio area and take them

to Waco Village to exchange them for Texas prisoners . [Frederick Chabot, The Alamo, Altar of

Liberty (San Antonio, Carleton Prin ng Co., 1931)]

When Adrian Wall, on September 11, 1842, with a force of about 1400, captured San Antonio

for the second Mexican invasion of Texas in 1842, "El Colorado" served as a scout once more

and managed to secure informa on of the enemy's situa on and of their plans. With this

informa on the Texas forces were able to surprise the Mexican forces with an ambush thus

defea ng and preven ng them once again from taking possession of Bexar. [Obituary of John

William Smith, Texas Na onal Register, January 18, 1845, p. 55]

Recognizing Smith's ability, the people of Texas sent him to the Senate of the Republic of Texas

at Washington-on-the-Brazos in late 1842. Smith was kept well occupied with his job but he was

displeased with the weather and grew very homesick for his wife, family, and San Antonio.[Interview Dr. Everre , April 1963] He, however, remained at his job and fought with great

delibera on for that in which he believed, essen ally the annexa on of Texas. He did not live to

see the culmina on of his eorts, for in January, 1845, he was seized with pneumonia and died

and was buried in a small cemetery at Washington-on-the-Brazos. [Lucy Josephine Newton,

Incidents in the Life of John W. Smith, A report taken from her scrapbook, Personal Papers of Mrs.

Frank M. Gillespie, Sr, p. 5]

His sudden death was a great loss to his family, friends, San Antonio and undoubtedly to Texas,


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for with his great courage, unbounded energy and un ring devo on to duty, his eorts in behalf

of the people and the state of Texas would have been unceasing.

APPENDIX I

Travis' last message from the Alamo to Consulta on at Washington-on-the-Brazos out of the

Alamo carried by J. W. Smith.

APPENDIX II: JOHN W. SMITH OBITUARY

Texas Na onal Register, January 18. 1845, p. 55, Col. 1

Departed this li fe in the town of Washington, on Sunday the 12th instant, the Honorable John

W. Smith, Senator from the County of Bexar. The deceased emigrated from the United States to

San Antonio in the year 1826, and lived several years in the re rement of private life, engaged in

the pursuits of his avoca on with un ring industry. When, the Texan. forces encamped in the

vicinity of San Antonio in the fall of 1835, he, with one or two other Americans, was placedunder arrest by the Mexican authori es; but, notwithstanding their connement, they

contrived to communicate important informa on to the besieging troops. Having succeeded in

escaping, the deceased drew up a most accurate plan of the town in which almost every object

of sucient magnitude to a ract the vision was delineated with great minuteness and

exactness. With the benet of the informa on thus obtained, and with the deceased ac ng as

one of the guides, the strong Town of San Antonio, defended by seventeen hundred troops and

twenty pieces of ar llery, was on the night of the 5th of December, 1835, assaulted by a devoted

band of less than three hundred men. The history of the ensuing erce and desperate struggle

for ve days and nights is well known. In the annals of our military achievements, it stands

unparalleled, as well for the boldness of the enterprise, as for the exhibi on of an inexible

obs nacy of resolu on and determined valor, which no danger could appall-nor con nuance of

the deadly grapple, however prolonged, could exhaust. The deceased was ever found among

the foremost in the storm, and accompanied the party which had succeeded in penetra ng to

the square, when the capitula on was proposed.

A er the ba le of San Jacinto and the retreat of the Mexican troops from the Republic, the

deceased returned to San Antonio-where, as clerk of several courts, from his extraordinary

capacity for business, and his knowledge of farms, he rendered essen al services to the

community-discharging the du es of his various oces with the indefa gable perseverance,

and with a skill and correctness which elicited frequent expressions of approba on from high

judicial ocers. He narrowly escaped from the troops under the command of General Woll, in1842; and dis nguished himself at the Salado, as well by his bravery, as by entering the hos le

lines and procuring informa on of the enemy's situa on and movements. He was of a most

benevolent disposi on, a devoted patriot, and an aec onate husband and father. His

intelligence, correctness and promptness of judgment; his acquaintance with the laws of the

country, both ancient and modern; his business habits and talents, and the assiduity of his

applica on, rendered him a valuable member of the Senate and of the community.

A wife and ve children survive to grieve for this aic ng dispensa on of Providence. They have


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the sympathies of a numerous body of friends, who console themselves with the recollec on of

his virtues and merits, for which he was honored in life and will be remembered in death.

APPENDIX III: TRIBUTE OF THE SENATE TO SMITH

Monday, January 13, 1845, 10 A. M. Senate met; roll called; a quorum present; prayer by the

Chaplain; Journals of the preceding day read and adopted. Senator Wright presented the

pe on of Syreno Guest, which, on mo on, was referred to the commi ee on the Judiciary.Senator Kaufman announced the death of the Honorable John W. Smith, the Senator from the

District of Bexar, and oered the following resolu ons:

1. Resolved by the Senate, That they have heard with deep and sincere regret of the

death of their late colleague, the Honorable John W. Smith, Senator from Bexar

County, and that in his demise the country has lost a patriot and an honest man.

2. Resolved, That we sympathize with the family of the deceased in this irreparable

bereavement, and that the Secretary of the Senate furnish them with a copy of

these resolu ons.

3. Resolved, further, That as a mark of our deep regard for the memory of the late

Honorable John W. Smith, the members and ocers of this body will wear crape on

their le arm for the space of thirty days.

Resolu ons adopted. Senator Greer oered the following resolu ons, which were adopted:

Resolved by the Senate, that the House of Representa ves be, and they are hereby

respec ully requested to meet the Senate, in the Senate Chamber, to join in

procession to a end the interment of Senator John W. Smith, deceased, at half past

10 o'clock. Resolved by the Senate, That the President and heads of departments

be, and they are hereby respec ully invited to meet the Senate, in the SenateChamber, to join in the procession to a end the interment of Senator John W.

Smith, deceased, at half past 10 o'clock. On mo on of Senator Kaufman, a

commi ee was appointed to wait on the House of Representa ves, and inform

them of the resolu on adopted by the Senate. Senators Kaufman, Caldwell and

Pillsbury were appointed said commi ee. Commi ee re red. Senator Kaufman,

Chairman of the Commi ee, reported duty performed. Senator Kaufman moved

that Senator Kinney act as Marshal to regulate the funeral procession. A message

was received from the House of Representa ves, by James H. Raymond, Chief Clerk,

informing the Senate that the House had accepted their invita on to a end at the

Senate Chamber at half past ten o'clock and :join in the procession. Senator Kinney,as Marshal, announced the following order for the funeral procession and

interment: Pall bearers: Members of the House: W. G. Cook, D. C. Ogden, W. L.

Cazneau. Pall bearers: Members of the Senate: John Caldwell, Richard Roman, T.

Pillsbury, Vice-President of the Republic and Chaplain Senators; Ocers of the

Senate, President of the Republic; Heads of departments and ocers; Speaker of

the House of Representa ves & Chaplain; Members of the House of

Representa ves; Ocers of the House of Representa ves; Foreign Ministers; Chief

Jus ce of the Republic; Judges of the District Courts; Ocers of the Army and Navy;


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Ci zens. Prayer by the Chaplain at the Grave. Benedic on. On mo on of Senator

Greer, the Senate adjourned un l tomorrow at 10 o'clock A.M. (Source: Senate

Journal, 9th Congress, 135-137.)

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John William Smith: Soldier, Messenger, Patriot