Daniel Smith
Daniel Smith served as a captain in Lord Dunmore's War, colonel in the American Revolution, and Brigadier General of the militia in the Metro District. He was a member of the committee to frame the U.S. Bill of Rights, Territorial Secretary of State, and U.S. Senator. He also surveyed land boundaries in Middle Tennessee.
Daniel Smith was born in Stafford County, Virginia in 1748 as a twin. He was baptized in Elbo Warren Baptist Church October 24, which was five days before his twin sister, Sarah, died. Smith lived in Baltimore, Maryland before he moved into the home of Dr. Thomas Walker. At Walker’s, Smith studied medicine as well as surveying. Dr. Walker was famous for being the supposed teacher of Thomas Jefferson. There have been questions as to whether Jefferson and Smith actually knew each other. The answer is yes. Jefferson wrote
For intelligence, well-cultivated talents, integrity, and usefulness, in soundness of judgment in the practice of virtue and in shunning violence unequaled by few men, and in the purity of excelled by none.
Could they have known one-another before Smith moved west? It is impossible to tell at this point. However, evidence does conclude this to be true. Smith also studied at the world famous school of College of William and Mary. This is the conventional tradition of the man. However, there seems to be some contention to this particular idea. The College of William and Mary does not have his name listed as a student. However, his certificate of surveying for the State of Virginia was certified by the college, this apparently does not mean that he was a student there. He could have been taught by Dr. Walker, which has been prove, and then the college could have sanctioned it possibly by test and/or note by the good Doctor. The probability that the viewing of said certificate by descendants could have given the idea that Smith had actually attended such school.
Smith served in the Revolutionary War. He was a Captain and was appointed a Justice of the Peace by Patrick Henry. He was promoted to Major of the Washington County, Tennessee Militia. In 1778, Daniel Smith was appointed commissioner to locate roads. In 1779, along with Dr. Walker, he was appointed to extend the line between Virginia and North Carolina. This later became the divisional lines of Kentucky and Tennessee. Afterward, in April 1778, now Major Smith was recommended to become the Sheriff of Washington County. He was appointed Commissioner of Tax in the same year. Later that same year, Smith was appointed Examiner of the Bills of Credit. 1779 was a very busy year for Smith! President George Washington appointed Smith as Secretary of the Territory South of the Ohio, Southwest Territory in 1790.
Later Smith became Indian negotiator, where he negotiated most of the treaties with the Cherokee Indians in Tennessee. Smith, as mapmaker, created maps of Tennessee and Kentucky. He is the man that named the state “Tenasee” or pronounced Ten-ah-see, with pronunciation of the center syllable. This was named after a Cherokee village of the same name in the eastern part of the state. Smith drafted the State Constitution of Tennessee and was even one of the men that drafted one Constitution for the Continental Congress in 1796. While his was not chosen as the Federal Constitution, his was for the great State of Tennessee of which he named. Smith became of the earliest Senators for the State of Tennessee, of which he served two terms. Daniel Smith surveyed the area that would become Nashville, the Tennessee State Capital.
1773 the young Smith married Sarah. In 1783 Major Smith moved to the area that would become Tennessee with his wife and two young children to take up land that was given to him by the State of Virginia for his services in the Revolutionary War. He moved into a small log cabin. The Smith family lived in this for only a short time before the local burned it down in one of many-isolated raids.
Smith had other great men as friends. His best friend and neighbor was Andrew Jackson. Jackson’s original log cabin was in Hunter’s Hill, where the remains are still visible. This was a two-story structure down the river from where Smith’s home was. Perhaps this is how they came to know one-another. They also knew one-another from politics, as Smith was the man to fill the vacancy in the Senate that was left open by Jackson’s resignation. Smith was also an in-law of Jackson.
Read more about this topic: Rock Castle (Hendersonville, Tennessee)
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