John William Smith | |
|---|---|
| Republic of TexasSenator fromBexar | |
| In office November 14, 1842 – January 12, 1845 | |
| Preceded by | Ludovic Colquhoun |
| Succeeded by | Samuel H. Luckie |
| 105th, 109th, and 112thMayor of San Antonio | |
| In office 1837–1838 | |
| Preceded by | José María Salinas |
| Succeeded by | William H. Daingerfield |
| In office 1840–1841 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Maverick |
| Succeeded by | Juan Seguín |
| In office 1842–1844 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Guilbeau |
| Succeeded by | Edward Dwyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William John Smith (1792-11-04)November 4, 1792 Virginia, United States |
| Died | January 12, 1845(1845-01-12) (aged 52) |
| Spouse | |
| Profession |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Republic of Texas |
| Branch/service | Texian Army |
| Battles/wars | |
John William Smith (November 4, 1792 – January 12, 1845) was an American andTexian politician and soldier who was the first mayor ofSan Antonio afterTexas independence and a senator of theRepublic of Texas. He participated in theTexas Revolution as a soldier and scout in theTexian Army.
BornWilliam John Smith inVirginia as the second son of John and Isabel Smith, he grew up inRalls County, Missouri, after moving from his birth state of Virginia, and received an expensive education. He married Harriet Stone inHannibal, Missouri, sometime between 1821 and 1822. They had three known children, Samuel, Mary Elizabeth and Lucinda.
His first elected position was in 1822 asSheriff of Ralls County and state and county tax collector. He resigned from the post in 1826, just before the birth of his third child, and planned to move to Texas.[1] His wife did not come to Texas, and eventually Smith extracted a promise from her for divorce,[2] or she was persuaded to file for divorce for reason of abandonment by her brothers. She ultimately came to Texas with her second husband, James Boyce.[1]
Smith moved toMexican Texas and settled first inGonzales, thenLa Bahía, and moved to San Antonio[2] in 1827. Smith and his brother Francis were baptized into theCatholic faith on May 20, 1828, at theCathedral of San Fernando. He switched his first and middle names while in Texas, supposedly because William was difficult to pronounce in theSpanish language. He was known throughout the town as "El Colorado" or "redhead". He served as in the city as military storekeeper until 1835 also working as asurveyor (like his Texas contemporaries;James Kerr,Byrd Lockhart, andArthur Swift) and a civil engineer. When he was a 38-year-old, he married a 15-year-old girl[1] named María de Jesús Delgado Curbelo.[2] María's great grandfather,Juan Curbelo, came from theCanary Islands.[citation needed]
Through time, Smith had become upset by the occupation of San Antonio by Mexican ColonelDomingo Ugartechea. He was arrested with A. C. Holmes andSamuel Maverick[3] and was saved by his wife's pleas,[citation needed] which enabled him to escape and guide the final assault in theSiege of Bexar.[3] He was also at theBattle of Concepción.[4]: 173
He served twice as a messenger during theSiege of the Alamo. On February 23, Smith and John Sutherland were sent by Travis as scouts to assess the Mexican Army's strength and position. Upon locating the Mexican Army in strength, he immediately returned to theAlamo. That evening he was dispatched toGonzales, Texas, with a message from Travis. He returned to the Alamo from Gonzales, Texas, on March 1. Before the finalBattle of the Alamo and its fall,William B. Travis sent Smith with a message forWashington-on-the-Brazos, allowing him to escape the fate that all Texas soldiers defending San Antonio ultimately succumbed to. After delivering the message, he returned with men to fight in the battle but heard no gunfire as their horses drank atCibolo Creek. He was informed that the Battle of the Alamo was over and headed eastward to fight atSan Jacinto, the final battle of the revolution.[5]
He was elected Mayor on September 19, 1837, and served until 1838. As mayor, he prohibited public bathing in theSan Antonio River andSan Pedro Creek between the hours of 5 a.m. and 8p.m. He established that businesses must close at 9 p.m. on Sunday, and allowed for milk cows in Downtown as long as they were milked and in the corral before 10 pm. Smith also regulated dog ownership, taxing citizens $2.00 for bitches and $0.50 for males. Although he did not run for re-election in 1838, he would run in 1840 and was elected. He served his second time as mayor until 1844. During this time, he constructed the city's first bridge across the San Antonio River onCommerce Street.
He was for a time postmaster of San Antonio. Other positions he held inBexar County were alderman, tax assessor, clerk of the County Court, clerk of the Board of Land Commissioners, clerk of the County Probate Court, county treasurer.[2]
During the Republic years, Smith served as an Indian commissioner. From 1842 to January 12, 1845, he served the Republic as a Texas Senator.[2]
He died on January 12, 1845, most likely frompneumonia. He was succeeded in the Republic of Texas Senate by Samuel H. Luckie.[4]: 39 He is regarded as a hero and was honored as such upon his death.[citation needed]
| Preceded by | Republic of TexasSenator fromBexar 1842–1845 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
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