William Smith Cemetery

SMITH (Capt. Wm.) CEMETERY, Howell, LINCOLN COUNTY TENNESSEE

BUCHANAN, Alberd, (African American) Dec 12, 1819 - Apr 8, 1881.
SMITH, Capt William, Soldier of the Revolution, born in Lunenburg Co. Va. 17 Sep 1762 - died Aug 15, 1848, age: 86 yrs. & Wife (no name or dates for her) Their graves unmarked**
SMITH, Phebe Southworth, no dates known, wife of William Smith b. abt 1780 death unknown, but d. before 1832 when Wm. Capt. Smith requested his RW pension.)
SOUTHWORTH, Sylvester F., 3rd Son of Isaac & Ida Southworth born in Lincoln County, Tenn., Oct 16, 1826 died in Lincoln County, Tenn., Nov 18, 1841 from the accidental felling of a tree on himself on that day. Age: 15y, lm, 2d. (tombstone broken and on ground.)
SOUTHWORTH, Ida, consort of Isaac Southworth and Dau of William & Phebe Smith born in Davidson Co., Tenn., Jan 12, 1799 died-Lincoln Co., Tenn Mar 25, 1854 age: 55y, 2m, 13d. (stone broken and on ground)
SOUTHWORTH, Richard, Son of Isaac Southworth, died-Apr 7, 1853, age: abt 22, yrs. (No gravestone found for him even though he is believed buried here.)

Many unmarked graves. You will find only one stone standing stone according to the Cemetery book - that of Alberd Buchanan. Two others stones from the Southworth family are fallen and broken. The grave of Capt William Smith grave is unmarked.

**Condensed from William Smith - North Carolina Service - Pension File #S-1723. The writing is actually many pages and would make a good set of Rev war information source for someone studying this history. He was found to be a worthy writer in his narrative showing a keen memory in the full papers.

Pension application for William Smith is dated 16 October 1832. Now a resident of Lincoln County, Tennessee and is age 70 years; states he was born 17th of February 1762 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. He was living in Washington County, North Carolina in that part which later became Tennessee in a settlement on the Watauga River which was labeled later the Watauga settlement when he first volunteered as a lad of fourteen years of age in the year 1776 and at that time was living with his widowed mother. He describes several tours of duty and his experiences. His first officer was Captain (later Colonel) John Sevier he was promoted to "ensign" in March 1781 under Captain Valentine Sevier and was later "Lieutenant" and on an expedition in September 1782 was appointed "Captain" by Colonel John Sevier.
Smith relates how they rescued a white woman named Jane Ireland who had been taken captive on Roan's Creek, Washington County, North Carolina, and also a white man named Samuel Martin who had been captured by the Indians at Nashville. His residence at the time of the war was 300 to 400 miles from Carter County, Tennessee which was the part of Washington County, North Carolina in which he lived during the periods of his enlistments from Washington County, North Carolina. He removed to what is now Davidson County, Tennessee in 1789 and lived there and then just southeast of there in Rutherford County, Tennessee until the year 1807 and from there he removed to Lincoln County, Tennessee. No family data is known except mention is made of a son-in-law (and daughter) who received mail in Fayetteville, Tennessee in 1833 and whose name is Isaac Southworth. Of the several William Smith's this biography best matches his family and listing above.

Sourced mainly from the book by Tim & Helen Marsh on page 42 of the book Lincoln County County Cemeteries by Tim & Helen Marsh, abt 1978. Added here 12 Jan 2016. Sourced also from SOR records on Ancestry.com and other research done by Steve Carson of Chestnut Ridge Cousins. Some from the efforts by the Daughters of the American Revolution can also be found here. I have driven by this location and did not stop because of the Poison Ivy and Chigger bites that come from brush and tree lined thickets in the Summer Time . I am awaiting a winter visit and permission.