Captain William Smith

William Smith was born in the town of Amsterdam, Montgomery County, this state, August 28, 1824. In early life he learned the trade of carriage making, at which he worked quite a number of years, and in fact made that his life work, as long as he was able to do manual labor. September 12th, 1851, he married Miss Jane Lyon, when they at once made Broadalbin their home, where they have since resided.

In the summer of 1862, when Congressional regiments of Infantry were being organized for the wart of 1861-5, the patriotism of William Smith could no longer be restrained when he at once obtained an order from the Adjutant-general of our state to raise a company for the 115th N.Y. Vol. Inf., and in July of that year commenced enlisting men for service, and at the time of muster into service at Fonda, N.Y. August 26, 1862 had his full complement of men and officers and went with the regiment to the front, and had the honor of being the first officer of the regiment to receive a wound from the hands of the enemy, which occurred on the 13th day of September 1862, on Maryland Heights. He was wounded in the leg by a rifle ball and sent to hospital. At the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, Va., he was left in hands of the enemy, and subsequently paroled and exchanged, when he joined the regiment again at Yorktown, Va., in January, 1863, although still suffering from the effects of his wounds. AT the battle Olustee, Fla., February 20, 1864, his clothing was pierced several times by shot from the enemy, one bullet striking his blanket as it hung shoulder and near his breast, passing through fourteen thicknesses of blanket, making fourteen holes at one shot, reminding "Captain Billy" as he was familiarly known, that the enemy was in front and hard at work. He also received that day several bruises, yet escaped without serious injury. He was at the front in nearly every battle and skirmish in which the regiment was engaged, thirty-two in all,

serving his country faithfully and well, giving to it the best of his life and was mustered out of service on July 3, 1865. After leaving the service of the United States he returned to Broadalbin and to the trade he had left, although with health much impaired, which kept failing, till Friday night last, when he answered to a higher call and most peacefully and quietly passed over the dark river, where Capt. William Smith is now enrolled in the ranks of the grand army that has preceded him. He was loved by his men and comrades of the regiment for his manly and soldierly qualities, and in civil life was highly respected for the genial and social qualities he possessed, and will be greatly missed by that large circle of friends who have been accustomed to listen to recitals of war scenes from his wonderfully well stored and retentive memory. He will be missed too, by the officers and members of the Broadalbin M. E. church, of which he had for several years been an active and worthy member.

He leaves to mourn his loss, a widow, one daughter, two sons, James and Charles, all whom reside in Broadalbin. He also leaves two brothers, Arthur, of Broadalbin and David, somewhere in the western states.