Individual Details
William "Captain Billy" SMITH
(1786 - 3 Aug 1847)
William Smith referred to as "Captain Billy Smith" born about 1785 in either Georgia or North Carolina, records will prove that the Moore County, North Carolina families of SMITH, KEES, CAGLE and FURR were all tracking together and can be traced from Lawrence County Mississippi back through Georgia to Moore County North Carolina. They joined company with the families of ALLGOOD and MAXWELL after reaching Georgia.
Settlement in Lawrence County, Mississippi -
Captain Billy Smith and his wife Delilah KEES migrated from Franklin County Georgia in December of 1810, in the company of her parents and also families of the names, ALLGOOD, CAGLES, MAXWELL and SMITH. They settled on Fair River in what is now known as Lincoln County Mississippi. In addition to Delilah, Jacob fathered the following children, Perry KEES, he married Nancy SMITH, Polly KEES married Wyatt ALLGOOD. Priscilla KEES married Jesse MAXWELL, Elizabeth KEES married W. Isham SMITH.
Captain Smith moved from Fair River to "Bogue Chitto" Settlement now known as Brookhaven, Mississippi before 1820, and settled on the West fork of the Bogue Chitto River. (Granted land where 550 Opry House now stands).
Source: Descendants of "Captain Billy Smith" The "Four Pennies"
by Gregory Smith
**
TRIBUTE: "To Lincoln County's only known veteran of the War of 1812, Captain Billy Smith, was paid last week in a simple ceremony held in the old Sarion Cemetery about two and a half miles southwest of Brookhaven.
J.M. (Melton) Allgood, himself well over 71, a grandson of "Capt. Billy," supervised the erection of a simple grave marker in memory of the old soldier who died at his residence in Lawrence County, Aug. 3, 1847. The Rev. James Allgood, a grandson of Melton Allgood, conducted the dedication and was assisted by the Rev. Bob Case. Music was furnished by Paul Whitehead with his accordion. A history read by Mrs. W.A. Coleman told the simple story of the life of the veteran. Capt. Smith excerpts follows:
On Oct. 12, 1807, William Smith was married to Miss Delilah Kees in Franklin County, Ga. It was in this year of 1807, that the road from Milledgeville, Ga to Natchez by way of Monticello was widened into a wagon road, and became the thoroughfare for immigration coming from Georgia to eastern and central parts of the Mississippi Territory. This road was called the "Three Chopped Way" from the method of blazing the trees from Natchez to Georgia. The U.S. mail passed over it every three weeks.
Sometime between 1807 and 1813 Wm. Smith and his wife came to the Mississippi territory. David Holmes was then Governor of the Mississippi Territory. He issued a call for volunteers, which was promptly answered. Among these Mississippians, Wm. Smith volunteered for service on May 2, 1813. His post office address on that date was Bogue Chitto or Fair River.
Later he served as Captain of a company known as Capt. Wm. Smith's Company in the Thirteenth Regiment in Mississippi militia under the command of Col. George H. Nilson of Marion County, which then extended over the present area of Lincoln County. All companies under Nilson's command were ordered to Ft. Stoddard in Oct. 1813. Then marched to the Tombigbee River and were ordered to the eastern frontier to cooperate with regiments already stationed in that vicinity in case the British should attempt to land on the eastern frontier. The Southerners reached Mt. Vernon, Nov 25, 1813. Having been stirred by the British and Spanish, the Creek Indians fell upon Mt. Mimms, Ala. on Aug. 30 and murdered 500 settlers in horrible cruelty. During the Creek War, Col. Nilson's command was ordered back to Alabama, part of the Mississippi Territory. In this command was Capt. Smit's and other companies. They secured the swamps on the Perdido and other streams and frequently killed and captured indians.
In July 18, 1814, Col. Nilson's command marched from the Alabama River to hunt out the refugee Creeks on the Escambie River. Later they were stationed at Pierce's Stockade.
Finally these Mississippi troops were ordered to New Orleans, where in January 1815, they played a prominent part in reconniotering the enemy in this last battle of the war which was a decided victory for the United States. Capt. Smith was honorably discharged from the 13th Regiment of Mississippi Militia on Feb. 15, 1815.
Capt. Smith and his wife reared a family of ten children, three sons and seven daughters. the sons, Plez married Mary Dean, Perry married Nancy Smith and Jesse married Elizabeth Furr. the daughters were Marie who married Jimmie Cagle, Matilda married Anderson Furr, Sallie married Cyrus Lofton, Pearl married William Chandler, Nancy married Aaron Lofton, Malissie married John Tarver and Jane married William Allgood. By 1850, all of Capt Wm. Smith and Delilah Kees Smith children were married and living in Lawrence and adjoining counties in Mississippi.
Capt. Smith's widow was allowed bounty land on her application executed June 4, 1853, at which time her age was 67 years. The bounty land warrant No. 101337 for 40 acres of land under an Act of 1850 was issued to her as the widow of Capt. Wm. Smith for his service in the War of 1812. It was never located on any lands. This warrant was issued Nov. 15, 1854. Records from the General Land Office, Washington, DC, shows that Delilah Smith returned this warrant in order to make application for warrant of 100 acres of land under an Act of March 3, 1855. The file of the General Land Office, Washington DC, does not show that the warrant was reissued.
Capt. Smith came to Mississippi and settled near the cemetery in which he and his wife are buried. As was the custom in those days, the slaves were also buried in the family cemetery. Capt. Smith marked his burial place and told his wife that he wanted to be buried there. At his death his request was carried out."
Thanks to Leslie Pierce Royce for providing the above Tribute that was published in the Brookhaven newspaper in 1939.
**
There are a few other families that are also married into this group who were also from Moore, Cumberland County and removed to Georgia and then onto Mississippi about at the same time. The families are the Carpenter, and Jackson families from Moore, Cumberland County and the Minyard family from The "Nathan Smith Settlement" in Georgia.
It should be noted that Moore County, North Carolina was not created until after the Revolutionary War.
Information courtesy of: John Andrew Meyer
Settlement in Lawrence County, Mississippi -
Captain Billy Smith and his wife Delilah KEES migrated from Franklin County Georgia in December of 1810, in the company of her parents and also families of the names, ALLGOOD, CAGLES, MAXWELL and SMITH. They settled on Fair River in what is now known as Lincoln County Mississippi. In addition to Delilah, Jacob fathered the following children, Perry KEES, he married Nancy SMITH, Polly KEES married Wyatt ALLGOOD. Priscilla KEES married Jesse MAXWELL, Elizabeth KEES married W. Isham SMITH.
Captain Smith moved from Fair River to "Bogue Chitto" Settlement now known as Brookhaven, Mississippi before 1820, and settled on the West fork of the Bogue Chitto River. (Granted land where 550 Opry House now stands).
Source: Descendants of "Captain Billy Smith" The "Four Pennies"
by Gregory Smith
**
TRIBUTE: "To Lincoln County's only known veteran of the War of 1812, Captain Billy Smith, was paid last week in a simple ceremony held in the old Sarion Cemetery about two and a half miles southwest of Brookhaven.
J.M. (Melton) Allgood, himself well over 71, a grandson of "Capt. Billy," supervised the erection of a simple grave marker in memory of the old soldier who died at his residence in Lawrence County, Aug. 3, 1847. The Rev. James Allgood, a grandson of Melton Allgood, conducted the dedication and was assisted by the Rev. Bob Case. Music was furnished by Paul Whitehead with his accordion. A history read by Mrs. W.A. Coleman told the simple story of the life of the veteran. Capt. Smith excerpts follows:
On Oct. 12, 1807, William Smith was married to Miss Delilah Kees in Franklin County, Ga. It was in this year of 1807, that the road from Milledgeville, Ga to Natchez by way of Monticello was widened into a wagon road, and became the thoroughfare for immigration coming from Georgia to eastern and central parts of the Mississippi Territory. This road was called the "Three Chopped Way" from the method of blazing the trees from Natchez to Georgia. The U.S. mail passed over it every three weeks.
Sometime between 1807 and 1813 Wm. Smith and his wife came to the Mississippi territory. David Holmes was then Governor of the Mississippi Territory. He issued a call for volunteers, which was promptly answered. Among these Mississippians, Wm. Smith volunteered for service on May 2, 1813. His post office address on that date was Bogue Chitto or Fair River.
Later he served as Captain of a company known as Capt. Wm. Smith's Company in the Thirteenth Regiment in Mississippi militia under the command of Col. George H. Nilson of Marion County, which then extended over the present area of Lincoln County. All companies under Nilson's command were ordered to Ft. Stoddard in Oct. 1813. Then marched to the Tombigbee River and were ordered to the eastern frontier to cooperate with regiments already stationed in that vicinity in case the British should attempt to land on the eastern frontier. The Southerners reached Mt. Vernon, Nov 25, 1813. Having been stirred by the British and Spanish, the Creek Indians fell upon Mt. Mimms, Ala. on Aug. 30 and murdered 500 settlers in horrible cruelty. During the Creek War, Col. Nilson's command was ordered back to Alabama, part of the Mississippi Territory. In this command was Capt. Smit's and other companies. They secured the swamps on the Perdido and other streams and frequently killed and captured indians.
In July 18, 1814, Col. Nilson's command marched from the Alabama River to hunt out the refugee Creeks on the Escambie River. Later they were stationed at Pierce's Stockade.
Finally these Mississippi troops were ordered to New Orleans, where in January 1815, they played a prominent part in reconniotering the enemy in this last battle of the war which was a decided victory for the United States. Capt. Smith was honorably discharged from the 13th Regiment of Mississippi Militia on Feb. 15, 1815.
Capt. Smith and his wife reared a family of ten children, three sons and seven daughters. the sons, Plez married Mary Dean, Perry married Nancy Smith and Jesse married Elizabeth Furr. the daughters were Marie who married Jimmie Cagle, Matilda married Anderson Furr, Sallie married Cyrus Lofton, Pearl married William Chandler, Nancy married Aaron Lofton, Malissie married John Tarver and Jane married William Allgood. By 1850, all of Capt Wm. Smith and Delilah Kees Smith children were married and living in Lawrence and adjoining counties in Mississippi.
Capt. Smith's widow was allowed bounty land on her application executed June 4, 1853, at which time her age was 67 years. The bounty land warrant No. 101337 for 40 acres of land under an Act of 1850 was issued to her as the widow of Capt. Wm. Smith for his service in the War of 1812. It was never located on any lands. This warrant was issued Nov. 15, 1854. Records from the General Land Office, Washington, DC, shows that Delilah Smith returned this warrant in order to make application for warrant of 100 acres of land under an Act of March 3, 1855. The file of the General Land Office, Washington DC, does not show that the warrant was reissued.
Capt. Smith came to Mississippi and settled near the cemetery in which he and his wife are buried. As was the custom in those days, the slaves were also buried in the family cemetery. Capt. Smith marked his burial place and told his wife that he wanted to be buried there. At his death his request was carried out."
Thanks to Leslie Pierce Royce for providing the above Tribute that was published in the Brookhaven newspaper in 1939.
**
There are a few other families that are also married into this group who were also from Moore, Cumberland County and removed to Georgia and then onto Mississippi about at the same time. The families are the Carpenter, and Jackson families from Moore, Cumberland County and the Minyard family from The "Nathan Smith Settlement" in Georgia.
It should be noted that Moore County, North Carolina was not created until after the Revolutionary War.
Information courtesy of: John Andrew Meyer
Events
| Birth | 1786 | Moore County, NC | |||
| Death | 3 Aug 1847 | Lincoln County, MS | |||
| Marriage | Delilah KEES | ||||
| Burial | Saron-Allgood Cemetery, Lincoln County, MS |  |
Families
| Spouse | Delilah KEES (1789 - 1865) |
| Child | Matilda Amanda SMITH (1814 - 1883) |
| Child | Jesse Marion SMITH (1818 - 1892) |
Endnotes
1. findagrave.com.