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William E. Smith
Corsioana City Guiae
Ammer Resident.
.:;riters, Project
District itb,
kalestine, Texas
LIFE STORY UF J. F. SKIM CORSICANA, TEXAS.
To begin with my name is John Franklin Smith, known to old settlers as Frank
Smith. I woe born September 19, 1852, in Bates county, Missouri, in the tam of kleasant Gap.
My father was Joe Smith, he moved from Kentuok7 to northeastern Missouri, *long with his father
and other relatives, but did not like this part of the country so after years of residence
here he moved to southwestern Missouri where I was born. There was thirteen children in our
family, seven boys and six girls. There was three younger than I, and the youngest two were
twin boys.
The first can remember of my Missouri home, was the hauling of lumber and brick
from Sedalia, Missouri to build our house and barn. At that time we lived in a four room log
house with stick and dirt chimney and board shingles. The two frost rooms had a large hallway
between them with a dirt chimney at each end of the room. My father wa like all other
southern farmers,- having a number of slaves, including children and all, they numbered over a
hundred, some of them cost him #1500. he never sold a mother from her children, nor sold any
children from their parents. he once bought a family for #5000. he sent some of the negro
men to Sedalia with wagons and teams of mules to haul the finish lumber and brick back to
rleasant Gap to build our }missend barn. The chimneys and touhdatian of the barn and house
were of brick, the frame work of the house and barn was of Wave lumber coming from my rather's
sawmill located on his plantation on the Merrizene River. My rather built a large twelve room
house, southern colonial style home, about aperter ef a mile from the town e ileasant Gap,
facing the town at the end of Main street. The front yard was largo, covering about two or
three acres with large post oak trees scattered about for shade. be also nad a plank fence in
front with a platform next to the road and steps on the side to the house. Bitch posts were
on the side to the road. flatform at one side was lew enough for visitors to drive up in
coach or buggy and step out on platform, still at another place ladies could ride up hersebaok
to this part and step off and cone down the stops into the yard. All ladies in those days
William E. Smith
Corsicana City Guide
Pioneer Resident.
7h-terst rre-ledt
str4et
Palestine, Texas
Page 2
rode in side saddles when riding a horse, and they could ride as fast and as far as the man.
The house which we lived in until the mar, was a two-story house with a large
front porch, with large round columns that reached to the roof of the second story. There were
two bedrooms downstairs, the other being upstairs. Our livingroom was a large room covering
about one-fourth of the first floor. At ode end of it was a large brick fireplace large enough
to burn cord wood. it would take two slaves to put an a back log, and it sure did those out
the heat. The dining room and kitchen was back of this. We had a large long table in the dining
room, and i have seen as many as thirty people eating at this table at one time. 14r father
never turned any traveler away from his hens, he would always give them lodging and feed for
their stock without charge.
Behind the house was the cook and servant house, and the smokehouse where ve_kept
all the meat. This meat and lard was issued to the slaves once a week. I have seen the slaves
kill as many as fifty hogs at one time, all the killing, cleaning and dressing was done in
one day- the next day lard was made and the meat packed. The meat box was built in the meat
house, which was large enough for a man to get in and walk around. Behind this the barn was
off quite a distance. It was large enough to held ever a thousand bushels of corn and plenty
of hay to feed over two hundred head of stock, with stalls for twenty-two teams of mules and
sheds for the balance and plenty of sheds for the milk oows. Behind the barn was a plank lot
too where the hogs were called up and fed. We always fed them a little to keep them coming
up so we could mark the young pigs, as the hogs ran out the year round. My father had his entire
twenty-seven acres fenced off with plank which came from the sawmill. All of the posts were
sawed square at both ends and the same length, and were put in the ground at the same depth.
All the boards were spaced alike around the fields and pasture. About a hundred yards to the
west were the slave quarters, with two rows of houses facteach other with a wide street
between them. All of these houses were builtfi/om native lumber, with stock and dirt chimneys.
Awood pile was behind each house for them. Our wood was stacked in the northeast corner of
William E. amith
Corsioana City Guide
Pioneer Resident.
Writers' iroject
District 0,
ialestine, Texas
Page 3
our back yard. I pile was kept there in the winter time larger than an ordinary house for our
use. Our wood pile lay north, east and west from our house, with most of the farming land to
the north and east, running back down in the bottom. Tnis land was planted in corn, cotton,
hay, watermelons, garden vegetables and a large field of beans, peas and potatoes. The corn
was check rowed and planted by hand, by doing this it could be plowed in each direction, this
would keep down hoeing. Cotton was planted like it always is, to be chopped and hoed and hoed
again. The garden was very large and worked by the slaves, also for -the use of us all but not
to be wasted. Any slave caught wasting any thing had to do without his next issue of the
particular thing he was caught wasting.
All slaves were allowed to carry watermelons from the patch to the house any
time but were not allowed to burst one in the patch as the birds would take to them and ruin
the patch. I have seen the little "Negroes with melon juice all over their face and the front
of their clothes many times and still eating melons.
The peas and beans were planted in large patches or in a sufficient amount so as
to be picked when ripe and piled in a large roam in the barn on a nlank floor and then thrashed
out of the hulls with a brushy limb from a small tree or let the slaves tramp tnem out. Then
they were taken outside and poured from a tub or bucket to another, holding the basket high
while pouring, letting the wind blow the chart an broken hulls out of the beans and peas, then
they were ready to be cooked. This was done each month or meek as they were needed. However
the entire field was picked and stored away, peas and beans being separated. The potatoes,
cabbage, and turnips were harvested and put in long ricks or piles and logs split and laid
against a ridge poll at the top like a. house top and corn stalks placed over the cracks and
then dirt piled over this fairly deep, just deep enongh to shed water and te keep the vegetables
from freezing in the winter, this dirt had to be built up after each rain so the vegetables
would not get wet, this would keep them all winter. We had to raise what we eat and eat what
we raised, as we could not get fresh vegetables from south texas and other places the year
around like we can now, especially when one man had to look out for over one hundred people.
William S. Smith
Corsioana City Guide
Pioneer Resident.
Writers' Project
District 0,
falestine, Texas
Page 4
We always had fresh meat or some kind, wild turkeys were plentiful. We had lots
of deer meat and plenty of mall game. Fish was plentiful, we didn't eat small fish like we
do no* and call them nice fish.
We raised lots of cotton that was planted, plowed, picked and ginned on the same
plantation. The cotton was picked in small baskets and emptied into larger baskets and
weighed. The slaves could pick as much cotton in those baskets as they can in sacks now.
We had an old negro named Remus that always led the slaves to work. Eis job was
to ring the bell every morning at four o'clock for all the slaves to get up, the men to feed,
while the women got breakfast. e all got up at the sane time, the men would go on to work
after breakfast and the women that did not have nursing babies were to cone as soon as their
house was cleaned and dinner cooked. The slave women that had nursing babies were to spin,
weave and make the cloth for their clothes and were to make most of their clothes, or if they
had plenty of clothes or cloth made, they would go to the field still later than the other
women, but my father mostly found plenty of work at the house or close by for them so they
could be near their babies. My father always had plenty of food for his slaves as a well
fed negro could do plenty of work and one that could do lots of work would always bring a
good price when sold. It WRS also Remus's job to issue rations each Saturday ensuing, to
every family, enough to run them a week, tnis was done according to toe size of the family,
and size of children in the family. Father wanted them to have plenty to eat but nothing to
l'iraste•
We never worked on Saturday evenings, or Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of
July, but always done a good days work of Yew Years Bay, and T have followed my father's
ruling to the present time, do something on New Years Bay and you will be busy all the year.
For all this extra work father give hems shoes from the store and factory made tobacco, a
hat for dress wear, and pants and shirts from the store. The others wore clothes made on
the plantation, except servants that waited pm us and special visitors. Then they wore clothes
that came from the store or made from cloth that came from the store, The store was in town
William E. Smith
Corsioena City Guide
fieneer Resident.
Writers' Projeot
District te,
kelestine, Texas
fag. 5
en the nein street and my father hired three clerks besides himself and the older boys who
worked in there with him. Be handled groceries, clothes, medicines, and what farm tools that
was bought in these days, also buggies, surries and wagons. he bought us a fine stage while
he was in business there. We had a span of finis mares he brought from Kentuoky with him that
we worked to it when he first bought it and he finally hooked a span of young mares from these
old mares to it, and they sure oould carry you down the read holding their heads high like
they had plenty of pride, and they did for they were thorough bred. We had a young negro
slave maned Charley that cared for the stable stock and he knew his business about training
these thorough brecU. We had about thirty head of these Kentuoky thoroughbreds when tbe war
broke out.
About 2250 o'clook, one owning in 1861, my father saw the Jaybotikers eemimg
down the road on horses and he oeuld tell by the number and the way they were riding that
they were the Yankees, so he told the three olerks to hurry out and go he and he also told
my older brothers to go home and tell my mother that he mould oeme on, so he looked the store
and aught all his money home in a little sack, there was a little miler three thousand dollars
in that sack that he kept hid around in the store, and about the time he got hone the Jayhawkers
rode in on Main street and went to stealing and plundering at onee. They robbed all the stires
and loaded up what they wanted in these big Goveranont wagons and then set fire to the build-
ings. Then they started to plundering into every thing. About this time two of my 00Milina
Ben and Tommie Dyer who were twine and about 16 years old had heard about the Ayheekers
coming in and had started home, both were horseback sad had been to see °me of their cousins
and when they gate where they could see them, they split up and made a run for he as their
mother was a widow. Ben run his horse in the back way, put the horse in a stall and rem in
the back door of the house, but Tommie tried to go around our burning store and in from the
other side, but some of the Jayhawkers started ohasimg him en horses and when he get behind
our store his horse stumbled and fell, falling on one of his legs, he got his leg from under
the horse and get up and was beading over when they rode up and shot 14 balls late his body.
Malian S. Smith
Corsioama City Guide
Pioneer Resident.
**items' Projeet
Districe #6,
Palestine, Texas
Page 6
His nether saw him running tram the Jayhawkers, but she never had seen Bon and she though the
Jayhawkers had already killed Bea and was chasing Tommie to kill him, she ran eut of the house
screaming but she was toe late, they would have killed him anyway if she had gotten there firs',
they were just that dirty. When she got to where he lay she fell down over him crying and
telling then that they had killed her boys and they laughed in her face. The Captain oane up
and she asked him to have, sine of the son carry nor boy about ane block to her house, and he
told then to carry him home, so two of them grabbed hold of his pants legs and started -be
dragging him off like a hog, and Aunt Millie begged the Captain to MAIM them stop dragging
him, so he made mere men get argued him and pick him up and carry him hone. So four of them
got held of him and when they got to the house they dumped him in the front door on the floor,
*ad if that house still stands, that boy's blood is on the floor, it oeuldalt be washed up.
After the Jayhawkers left the house, Ben ram to the gunrack to get his father's gun, intending
to shoot into the Jayhawkers, when Aunt Mollie hoard Ben cress the room she looked up expect-
ing to see sone of them sneak up en her back te kill nor, and she said she was so overjoyed
to see him alive and ran to him and persuaded him met tcp shoot any of them. He later joined
the Souther* Army and went through the war without a scratch. he said before be went into
the army that he was going to kill a dozen Yankees for every ball shot into his brother's
body. When the war was over he said he got part of them.
These Jayhawkers called themselves Hone Guards, but they didn't know what home
guards were, we called them Jayhawkers. They cane on down to the house, redo up in iron:read
called. My father went out, my mothet following him, them all of um children followed her
and crowded around them. I can remember as well as if it happened yesterday, one of the men
spread his arms out and said stand bask men I'll kill the rascal and raised his gun to shoot
when we heard a shout and lepoked up the read to see what it was and saw Judge Myers conimg as
fast as his horse could run, shouting as loud as he could. The max dropped his gum to his
side, whoa Judge Nyers redo up he was shaking his head and his eyes were blazing fire. he
turned around in his saddle and pointed back toward town and said you mot get out from hero
William E. Smith
Corsicana City Guide
Eioneer Resident.
Writers' Projeet
District #6,
Yalestime, Texas
Page 7
and do it dais quick. (Judge Myers was a nether* MAX but he was one of my fathers best friends)
a
All the JaytaWkers turned around mad sulked off like/whipped dog.
Whoa the men all left Judge Myers came un to my father an nut his hand ea his
shoulder and said "Joe you have got to get out of here before you are killed. Now 1 will escort
you to Clinton and you and your family can take the train there and ge farther south where you
will be safe." My father told him he was a slave owner and that a0 had already sent all but a
very row of his slaves south se they could be taken care of, tOat he could not desert the people
who had confidence in him at a tine like that, he would have to shoulder his gun and do his bit
to min the war. That it was lawful to buy slaves andt• sue them when he first began business
and in fact he had bought some of his from Northern speculators, that the Government tolerated
that, and now since the southern farmers had their money imvemted in slaves they wanted them
freed. Be also thanked Judge Myers for saving his life but under the existing circumstances
he would be forced to stay and fight or his rights. Judge Myers begged him still farther to
leave but he still refused. My fatther's parting words to the Judge was that he was glad te
have such a men as he for a friend and although they were separated in opinion and 'omit probably
fight in battle against each other if the war went that far, but he would always consider him
as his friend and have a friendly feeling for him.
After this my father, brother Will, Clem and Joe, two cousins and three brother
in -laws and three Uncles went to war, leaving us there with the few slaves to take care of the
plantation. That was the last time I over saw my father, brother Will, one of my cousins and
one of my brother -in-laws and *no uncle. My brother Will, brother -ix -law and cousiawas killed
in the battle at Lone Jack, Missouri. They were buried some time before we know they were
killed. My father, brother Joe and Clem, one brother-in-law and Uncle got separated from the
others and did not know of the tragedy for some time. Later that year my father was wounded
and an uncle killed at Mansfield, Missouri. That was the last raid General kriee made through
there. I lady living there by the nano of Lindsay that knew our family had him taken to
house. (bar husband was also fighting for the South and was in another part of the state at that
time.)
William E. Smith
Corsicana City Guide
Pioneer Resident.
Writers' Project
District 46,
Palestine, Texas
Page 8
She left father with her grown daughters and a good doctor and redo 68 miles hersebaok to
ileasant Gap to notify us of father being wounded. Mother left us smaller children to tbe
oars of the older children and what few slaves was left and she and Mrs. Lindsay took the
train back to Mansfield, leaving her horse with us. A few days after nether got there two
of father's sisters and nephews came and stayed until after he died. My father got better
after mother came and the dieter told her he thought he was out of danger, so father sent her
back home to get us children and return to Mansfield to stay until he got well enough to travel
then he would go to Texas until the war was over, but he died and was buried bolero nether
could come back and get us children and get back to him, some complication set up that the
doctor could not control after mother left. All of us children were very eager to get to our
father to see him again but when we got there and was greeted with the sad news there wasn't
anything there for us so we returned to rleasaat Gap.
The town of Pleasant Gap, Missouri, lay in a small nook of timber or a gap between
two large strips of timber and was named so.
After we returned home, mother searched for all the valuable papers and several
thousand dollars that my father had buried soon after the store was burned. She thought she
know about where she buried them but we never found them. She intended to ask him when she
went to him while he was wounded but he got better and was getting so much better she thought
she better let him get them himself, if she began digging around and moiler found them and was
seen, some one else might get them before we returned. One of my older sisters also buried
0500, that was never found,
la 1862, my brother-in-law who was a druggist at Pleasant Gap and also a Norther*
sympathizer but not a helper, persuided my mother to let him take all her yearlik mules to
the county seat and sell them for her before there was another raid through there and they
were taken. Well he took them up there and only brought back *400 to nether. Said he had put
that in his shoes and the balanoe in his coat and pants pockets and when be was coming hone
was robbed by some bushwaokers and all taken off of him except what he had in his Shoes. But
we never had any confidence in what he told us.
Willie* E. Smith
Corsicana City Guide
Pioneer Resident
Writers' Project
District *6
Palestine, Texas
Page 9
Some of our work stock was stole from time to time but in the winter of 1862
the Jayhawkers came through again looking for any thing they could steal and any thing dirty
they could do. During this time an old man about sixty years old had gottne sick and mother
and us children had moved him to our hone as his house was cold and they vivre afraid he
might take pneumonia and his wife was old and could not get around very well to take oar, of
him as it was lots of trouble for us to go back and forth so we moved him to our place.
One day the Jayhawkers made another raid through there. About 60 came to our
house and ordered dinner for them all and told us to be sure there was nlenty of ham. Mothers
the girls and the old slaves began getting their dinner. Ithile they were getting their dinner
those =ewers plundering about the house stealing quilts and tieing them up behind their
horses. They were called in for dinner and sat down and ate all they could told, got up from
the table and began plundering again and spitting all over the house and started to leave
when my mother complained to the Captain that his men had stole all of her quilts. 84 magi
her if she *Quid identify any of them and she pointed out about thirty of then. MB looked at
her and thee tweed to an old negro slave woman and asked Dsr if my mother was telling the
truth. She said, "Yas Bahl" Be then told her to identify all Us quilts and she said, "I'se
she can, I'so been here too long and has helped to make every one of den, and she pointed
out thirty-eight of them, so the captain made them take them all off their saddles and pile
them on the front porch. This bunch drove off all of our cattle, horses and mules. One of our
old Kentucky mares and some milkoows get away and came back home.
Not long after this another raid was made, one of the men in this bunch was
named Sissin and helped build our house. They cane in and ordered a meal cooked for them,
after they had eats.* all they wanted they began plundering. One of them, a young man,walked
to the head of the old sick man's bed and said "I believe I will kill the old devil, done
lived toe long now". BO raised his gun and shot him in the head, his brains were scattered
all ever the head of the bed and wall. I witnessed this with my awn eyes. When he milked away
he reloaded his gun and made the remark, "I better load it, I might get to kill another dig
before cue down". And when they got ready to leave this man was on a young horse, one I guess
he had stole, and he had the stock of his gun on the toe of his shoo when his horse shied to
William E. Smith
Corsicana City Guido
Pioneer Resident
Writers' Projeot
District 0
Palestine, Texas
Page 10
one side, the gun slipped off his foot, discharged and blew his whole face away. I said I
guess that is the ether dog he is going to kill. A man yelled out at me that he would do me
the sane way if it didn't look so bad for a man to kill a brat. I didn't say any thing back
to him.
This band of robbers tore up every feather bed on the place and scattered the
feathers over the rooms, then poured several barrels of sorghum molasses over them and then
set fire. They burned the house but did not burn the slave houses or tte barn. Then they
loaded up about fifty of those large government wagons with corn and hauled that away and took
every chicken they could catch and all of the neat we had. They also burned the chorthouse
at the county seat.
We lived for a few days in some et the slave houses, then we hooked the old Kentucky
mare, old Julia, and two milk cows to two sleds, put our few belongings en them and left
Southeast Missouri for Northeast Missouri to my grandfathers in Henry county. This was a long
hard journey for a woman and children through territory where there was lots of bush:makers.
There were plenty of them in this part of the oountry and it had been raided and raided. There
wasn't much left to eat and we couldn't taje much with us. We traveled quite a bit by neenlight
and grazed the stook in the daytime, and gathered what we could to eat for ourselves. We
finally made the trip to ny grandfathers, but we were scared all the time we would get our
stock taken away from us. Mother took over f3000 in money through with her in a little square
tin box painted green. I never will forget what that little box looked like for we guarded it
very closely.
continued