My Genealogy Hound

J. F. Smith is a prominent merchant of the firm of Smith & Millwee, and was born in Madison County, Ark., in 1843, being the sixth of a family of seven children born to the marriage of Benjamin F. Smith and Lucretia Logue, native Tennesseans, who emigrated to Arkansas at an early day, being among the pioneer settlers of the northwest part of the State. They settled on a farm, and both parents died when the subject of this sketch was a small child. The most of his youth was passed with an elder sister, but the educational advantages he received were quite limited. At the opening of the Rebellion he enlisted in the company of Capt. Reef, of Gen. McCollough’s guard, in the Confederate army, and was in the engagements at Dug Springs and Oak Hill, after which his company was disbanded. He next enlisted with Capt. Brooks, after which he was at Elkhorn, and from there was transferred east of the Mississippi River and operated in the vicinity of Mississippi and Tennessee, until a short time prior to the siege of Vicksburg, when he went to that place, and was there during the engagements. He was paroled at that time, came west of the Mississippi, and after being exchanged was with Gen. Price on his celebrated raid through Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas. He participated in all the battles of that campaign, and was on active duty until the close of the war. He resided in Texas for a few months after the Rebellion, then started to return to his home in Washington County, but stopped at the Mineral Springs, in what is now Howard County, and being pleased with the country decided to make it his future home. After farming for two years, in the fall of 1867 he engaged in merchandising at Mineral Springs in partnership with B. May, an old citizen of that section, and has followed that occupation with success ever since, but has followed that calling in Nashville since the spring of 1884, the present partnership being formed the following spring. On his arrival in Nashville he erected his present large store building, 50x100 feet, with a warehouse attached, and carries a stock of goods valued at from $20,000 to $25,000, their annual business amounting to from $75,000 to $100,000. They keep a general stock of goods and deal quite extensively in farm products. Mr. Smith has a neat and comfortable dwelling, besides 1,500 acres of land in Sevier County, 600 acres of which are now under cultivation. He was married in 1866 to Miss Lizzie May (a native of Tennessee), but her death occurred in 1874, the issue of their union being three children: Mamye, Clarence (who died at the age of ten years and six months), and Jimmie Davis (who died when fourteen months old). In the summer of 1875 Mr. Smith took for his second wife Mrs. Mary Barker, nee Millwee, a daughter of Pinkney Millwee, an old pioneer of Sevier County. Mr. Smith is a member of Pleasant Valley Lodge No. 30, of the A. F. & A. M., and also belongs to Nashville Lodge No. 30, of the K. of P. Mr. Smith has always been a supporter of public schools, and in his political preferences is a Democrat. As a merchant he has been wonderfully successful, but fully deserves his good fortune, for he has been industrious, enterprising and honest.