Rawson Smith

DEATH OF GALLANT SOLDIER AND FORMER PUBLIC OFFICIAL
Rawson Smith Had Right Arm Crushed by Gun Carriage and Left Arm Shot Off—
Was Cousin of Hon. John Sherman—Member Mack's Battery.

Dawson [sic] Smith, a veteran of the Civil war, and an honored member of I. F. Quimby Post, No. 400, G.A.R., died yesterday morning at his home, No. 1450 South avenue, after a lingering illness of about a year, aged 84 years.

Mr. Smith was born at Corinth, N. Y., July 20, 1819. He moved to Rochester, and in 1840, like many others, went to California soon after gold was discovered. He started from Henrietta, going overland, and at St. Joseph, Mo., joined a military company, with which he made the journey across the plains. The trip took seven months, and was enlivened with several likely brushes with the Indians. He remained in-California about six years, and returned East by way of the Isthmus of Panama, being shipwrecked twice.
Soon after the war broke out, in September 1862, he enlisted as a private in Captain A. G. Mack's Thirteenth Independent Battery, N.Y.V. The command was in Sherman's division, Department of the Gulf, until May, 1863, when for three months it was transferred to the First Brigade, Second Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, Army of the Gulf, and then was engaged in the defense of New Orleans until the close of the war. This command participated in the following engagements: Comite River, Plains Store, Siege and Assault of Port Hudson, Bayou La Fourche, Liberty Creek and Clinton, La., Siege of Mobile, Ala., including the capture of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort, and a number of minor engagements.

Mr. Smith served gallantly until physically incapacitated from further duty. On the march to Alexandria he was run over by a gun carriage and his right hand and arm were crushed. In the next battle, May 3, 1864, his left arm was carried away by a cannon shot, and he was taken to a hospital in New Orleans, receiving an honorable discharge on the first of June on account of disability.
He returned to Rochester and, in April, 1865 married Miss Mary E. Hiserodt. For several years after his return he was tax collector at Rochester, and for fifteen years, from 1868 to 1882, filled the office of lighthouse keeper at Charlotte. Since that time he has retired from active life.

Besides his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Mrs. William F. Jordan, of White Plains, N. Y., and one son, Ernest R., of this city. He was a cousin of the Hon. John Sherman. The members of I. F. Quinby Post, No. 400, and the ladies of the I. F. Quinby Women's Relief Corps are requested to assemble at the corner of Stewart street and South avenue at 2:30 P. M. to-morrow, to attend the funeral in a body.

Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester NY, Fri. 18 Sep 1903