Military officer; born in
Lancaster, Pa., July 27, 1752; went to
Baltimore with his father in 1760, and, receiving a common school education, entered his father's counting-room in 1771.
and soon afterwards visited
Europe in one of his father's vessels.
He joined a volunteer company, and became captain in
Smallwood's regiment in January, 1776; was in the
battle of Long Island; was distinguished on Harlem Plains; and was wounded at
White Plains.
Captain Smith was in the retreat of
Washington to the
Delaware late in 1776; was
lieutenant-colonel of a Maryland regiment in 1777; fought at
Brandywine; and immediately afterwards was placed in command of Fort Mifflin, which weak and exposed work he gallantly defended from Sept. 26 to Nov. 11 against a British naval and land force; and in that affray was severely wounded.
In the ensuing winter he suffered at
Valley Forge; took an active part in the battle of
Monmouth; and continued to do duty as a colonel of militia until the end of the war. Having lost his fortune during three years service, lie was compelled to resign his Continental commission late in 1778.
He served a short time as
Secretary of the Navy under
Jefferson, and as major-general of
Maryland troops did good service in the defence of
Baltimore in 1814.
General Smith was a member of Congress, either as Representative or
United States Senator, from 1793 to 1833.
When, in his eightythird year (1835), a mob took possession of
Baltimore,
General Smith, at the call
of the citizens, led a force that effectually suppressed the disturbances, and he was afterwards elected mayor of the city, where he died, April 22, 1839.
