Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 405-406; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Col. Augustus B. Smith, Sheriff of Fulton County, is one of the
ablest and most popular men who have ever held this responsible
position in this county, and the interests of law and order have never
been better observed than by him. As one of the bravest officers
commanding the Illinois regiments during the late Civil War, his
valuable services won him a distinguished military record.
Col. Smith was born in the town of Greenfield, Saratoga County,
N. Y., June 2, 1833. His father, John Smith, was born and reared in
Connecticut. When a young man he went to New York and there married. He
had been reared to the life of a farmer, and he bought a farm in
Greenfield, and there spent the remainder of his days. The maiden name
of his wife was Cynthia Hewitt and she was a native and a life-long
resident of New York. Our subject passed his early years on a farm,
remaining with his father until he was eighteen years old. He then
started out in the world for himself, and coming to Illinois first
stopped at Vermont, where he engaged himself to clerk in the store of
Judge Turnicliff, and was with him two years. He was then stricken with
cholera and came near dying. After his recovery he returned to his
native county and clerked with his brother, J. G. Two years he was thus
engaged, and at the expiration of that time came back to Illinois and
acted as clerk for a few months for his brother, Amos, at Canton. He
next resided at Copperas Creek Landing, where his attention was given
to the commission business, which he conducted with good financial
success for two or three years, and was then burned out and lost all
his property. After that calamity he returned to Canton, and with the
assistance of his brother Amos, started in the hardware business, which
he carried on until 1862. His patriotism was aroused by the great civil
war then raging, and he determined as soon as he could arrange his
affairs to offer his services to defend the Stars and Stripes. He
enlisted in the month of August, 1862, in Company K, One Hundred and
Third Illinois Infantry, and served throughout the remainder of the
war. He was in the battles of Vicksburg, Black River, Jackson (Miss.)
and Missionary Ridge. He had been mustered into the army as First
Lieutenant, and in July, 1863, was promoted to the captaincy of his
company, and was in command from the fall of 1862 until his promotion
to the position of Inspector General, which took place while he was
with Sherman on his Atlanta campaign. He was in the heat of the most
important battles of that campaign, and was at the head of his company
in the siege and capture of that city. He went with the First Division
of the Fifteenth Army Corps, of which he was Inspector General, from
Atlanta to the sea and thence to the Carolinas and Richmond, and on to
Washington, where he took part in the Grand Review. He was honorably
discharged with his regiment at Louisville, in 1865.
At the close of his military life Col. Smith resumed the
hardware business in Canton, and conducted it until 1886, when he came
to Lewistown to assume the duties of Sheriff. His life as an officer in
the army was good preparation for this position. He possesses in a full
degree the necessary resolution, dignity and self-possession, and the
high courage that faces every danger unflinchingly, while he is at the
same time just and humane in the discharge of his duties. Politically,
he is a Republican and gives a stanch support to his party. In 1885 he
was appointed a member of Gov. Oglesby's staff with the rank of Colonel
and in 1889 Gov. Fifer called him to the same position on his staff,
which he still holds.
Col. Smith has been married three times. He was wedded to his
present wife in 1882. She was formerly Miss Addie Payne. She was born
in Iowa and was reared in Illinois. Our subject has one child by his
first marriage, Gussie E.; and three children by his second marriage
- Charles, Albert and Jerry.
