USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial and revolutionary families of Pennsylvania; genealogical and personal memoirs, Volume II > Part 17
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The names of both Samuel and Benjamin frequently appear on the records at Morristown in connection with both purchase and sale of land in Hanover town- ship, though apparently but relatively few of the considerable number of docu- ments evidencing the transactions in which they were concerned were recorded (Smith MSS.).
The tradition is, that by assisting his brother, Samuel, who became in straighten- ed circumstances, Benjamin largely impaired his own resources, which had been relatively considerable. Tradition also records that he was a devoutly religious man, though in this doubtless not differing from other members of the community in Hanover township at this time. Unfortunately the records of the Parsippany church for this period have not been preserved, and we are denied such light as these may have cast upon this phase of his life. The Rev. Hezekiah Smith, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and one of the celebrated preachers of his day, later one of the chaplains in Washington's army, and a former resident of Morris county, though not a known relative of this line, records in his diary for 1764, that he "stopped with Samuel and Benjamin Smith of Porcipening" and held religious services at their homes. ("Rev. Hezekiah Smith's Diary," Philadelphia, 1885, p. 140).
Benjamin married, December 1I, 1752, Hannah Dod, who was born in Bloom- field, New Jersey, December 18, 1734, and died at Troy, October 18, 1771, daugh- ter of Lieutenant Samuel Dod, of Orange, and Mary Pierson. Samuel was born about 1695, and died April 16, 1773, and was son of Samuel Dod, born at Bran- ford, Connecticut, May 2, 1657, and died in Newark, New Jersey, 1714 (will dated February 3, 1712-13), son of Daniel Dod, who was of Branford as early as 1664-5. See "Dod Genealogy," Newark, New Jersey, 1864, also Littell's "Early Settlers of the Passaic Valley," Feltville, New Jersey, 1851 ; although while both agree
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with the Smith record as to her date of birth and marriage, the former incorrectly states that Hannah married "Samuel Smith," and the latter incompletely records that she married " -- Smith."
There can be no reasonable doubt as to either the need for or accuracy of these corrections since (among other evidence furnished by Smith MSS., Troy Hills, New Jersey) Lieutenant-Colonel Hiram Smith, the son of Benjamin and Hannah, has left us his Bible record as to his mother's name and dates of birth and mar- riage to this effect, and also living until his death in 1833 in the family of his son, Hiram, Jr., has left with them this record concerning his mother which has been reduced to writing by Mary Allen (Osborn) Smith, whose aptitude and interest for genealogical records was marked. Furthermore, as below noted, one of Ben- jamin Smith's executors was his wife's brother Aaron, who lived until 1821 (Dod Genealogy), and was intimately associated with his nephews in many ways. The connection existing between the family of Benjamin and Hannah, with Orange, the home of Samuel Dod is further shown by the marriage of one daughter into the Williams family of that place, and by the church membership which Lieuten- ant-Colonel Hiram took out there at a time when his sisters and younger brothers are traditionally reported to have made their home in early youth with their mother's family after the latter's death in 1771.
Benjamin Smith's will dated "Hanover in the County of Morris," June 3, 1767, is recorded December 9, 1767, Liber i, p. 188 of Wills, Trenton, New Jersey ; executors, Samuel Smith and Aaron Dod; witnesses, Ebenezer Cobb, Isaac Ser- geant and John Cobb; mentions his wife, Hannah, "Sons Caleb, Hyram, Benja- min and Richard." Hannah (Dod) Smith's will, dated October 5, 1771, is record- ed March II, 1774, Liber K, p. 495 of Wills, Trenton, New Jersey ; executor, John Cob; witnesses, Isaac Sergeant and Caleb Crane; mentions daughters, Elizabeth and Mary.
Children of Benjamin Smith and Hannah (Dod) Smith (Smith Family Bible Record, Troy Hills) were :
Caleb, b. July 9, 1753; drowned Sept. 13, 1771;
Mary, b. May 17, 1755; d. Oct. 3, 1756;
HIRAM, b. Dec. 22, 1756 (of whom later) ;
Elizabeth, b. April 26, 1759; m. Matthias Williams, of Orange, N. J .; d. Sept. 17, 1786; Benjamin, b. March 24, 1761 ; d. Oct. 1, 1829; m. Rebecca Farrand, April 2, 1786. Their son, Ebenezer F., who m. Elizabeth Farrand, had Andrew Jackson Smith, of Troy, who m. Caroline E. Bramin, and had George B., Emma L., Elizabeth, and Caroline. Elizabeth, dan. of Ebenezer F. and Elizabeth above, n1. John O. Condit, of Troy, and had Stephen Hobart, Benjamin Smith, Susan Margaret, and John Howell Condit, all of Troy; all m. and all the sons left descendants (see also "Condit Genealogy") ; Richard, b. June 4, 1763; d. Dec. 6, 1764;
Richard (2d), b. Aug. 7, 1765; d. July 25, 1844; m., Jan. 14, 1788, Susanna Howell, who was b. Dec. 15, 1771. They had:
Mary, b. July 31, 1791; m. Samuel Farrand, whose only child, Dr. Richard Smith Farrand, m. Harriet Stevens, and had one child, William, who d. s. p .;
Abraham, b. Dec. 18, 1793, and d. April 20, 1797;
Abraham (2d) b. Dec. 31, 1797; m. Harriet E. Howell, May 29, 1832; he d. Dec. I, 1858. Their only dau., Susan, b. Sept. 23, 1834, m. Hiram Colwell, and d. s. p., July 1, 1859. Issue in this line is extinct. ( Record in Richard (b. 1765) Smith's Bible, now in possession of Mrs. John Mitchell, Troy Hills, N. J.).
Mary (2d) ("Polly"), b. Sept. 24, 1767; d. April 25, 1792; was the first wife of Colonel Lemuel B. Cobb, of Parsippany, N. J .; their only dau., Elizabeth, b. Sept. 26, 1790, m., Nov. 19, 1809, Benjamin Howell, of Troy, and d. April 18, 1869, leaving many descend- ants through their sons, Monroe Howell, of Troy, and B. F. Howell, of Morristown, N. J.
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LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HIRAM SMITH, of Troy (now Troy Hill) (often re- ferred to as "Col. Hiram" or "Senior"), born December 22, 1756, the eldest sur- viving child of his parents ; married, October 14, 1778, Eleanor Parritt, of Troy, and died there, April 27, II p. m., 1833, and was buried at Parsippany. (Hiram Smith Bible record, also Parsippany gravestone record). He was left without father or mother on the latter's death in 1771, himself then only fifteen years of age and the eldest of a surviving family of five. At the age of twenty he entered the service of the United States as sergeant in the Third Regiment of Jersey Line, Continental Army (see Stryker's "Official List of Officers and Men of N. J. in Rev. War," pp. 93 and 457). A statement of his military services may best be given in his own words as taken from a contemporary record he prepared shortly before his death in connection with an application to obtain the benefits of an Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832, whereby Revolutionary War services rendered between fifty and sixty years prior thereto, entitled the participant to recognition and recompense by the nation. (See Pension Office Record, Washington, D. C., for the originals from which the following documents bearing upon the military service of Hiram Smith are copied ) :
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
State of New Jersey
County of Morris ss.
On this thirtieth day of July, A. D. 1832, personally appeared, in open court, before the Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of said County now sitting, Col. Hiram Smith a resident of Hanover Township in the County of Morris and State of New Jersey, aged seventy-five years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.
That he enlisted the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated: that he enlisted as a Sergeant in the month of February or March A. D. $776 in the Company of State troops commanded by William Ejune Emily, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Elias Dayton, that Walter White was the Lieut. Col. and Francis Bar- ber, Major-that-Lloyd was the first Lieutenant of the Company, Daniel Pierson, Second Lieutenant and * * * Gallaudet the Ensign-That at the time he enlisted he resided in the Township of Hanover aforesaid where he now lives, that immediately after he enlisted he was engaged a short time in recruiting, and after having recruited thirty-seven troops he marched with the regiment, first to Albany-from thence against a division of British troops composed of Indians and Scotch under Sir John Johnson at Johnstown-that on their arrival Johnson and his troops retreated and thereupon Col. Dayton entered and occupied Johnstown about two months-that from thence marched to Fort Stanwix, then built a fort called Fort Schuyler-remained there until late in the autumn, thence returned to Schenect- ady, and was thence ordered and marched to Ticonderoga, where the regiment in which he served was united with other Jersey regiments, Pennsylvania and Easton (?) troops com- manded by Genl. Gates. He says he was well acquainted with General Wines, Major Will- iam DeHart and also Genl. Gates the commander-That while at Ticonderoga the British army came down in sight, that one or two pieces of Jersey ordinance being fired upon them, the British retreated-that he remained in the service with the said division of the army during the winter, and returned home in the Spring of 1777, after the expiration of one full year from the time he enlisted.
That during the summer of 1777 he was appointed Subaltern officer to command a guard at the Court House in Morris town in the County of Morris aforesaid, where he remained for one month. That afterwards in the Autumn of the same year, he was called out in the Militia with a Lieutenant's Commission in the Brigade commanded by General Wines, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Seely and in a Company commanded by Captain Daniel Brown-was marched westward to New Windsor in the State of New York for the pur- pose of protecting the towns on the Hudson River from conflagration by the British fleet, then lying off New Windsor, was there at least a month and until Gen'l. Burgoyne was taken.
That this deponent has no certificate or documentary evidence of his discharge. That his commission as Lieutenant was signed by Gov. Livingston then Governor of the State of New Jersey, but that the same is now lost, mislaid or destroyed, that he has recently searched for it but that it cannot now be found.
That he was afterward ordered to Elizabeth Town in New Jersey under Col. Seely where he served for two months, part of which time he was engaged in guarding a large
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Provision ship, named Asia, which had been taken from the British. That afterward on the alarm to resist the British at the battle and burning of Springfield, he repaired to the scene of action. At another alarm when the British made a sortie from New York to Elizabeth- town point, remained there two or three weeks. He was afterward in the service at another alarm and skirmish at Bellville and Hackensack and was out about one month.
That he was afterward called out and served about one month under Captain Jonas Ward in Somerset County as a guard to protect Lord Sterling from the British troops and other service. That besides the services before mentioned he was often called out on alarms being given, sometimes for a longer, sometimes for a shorter period, but cannot recollect particularly the occasions or the length of time. He feels safe, however, in declaring that besides the services herein-before particularly mentioned he was engaged in the service at least three months in alarms. That he never received any written discharge from the serv- ice. That he has resided ever since the Revolutionary War in the Township of Hanover where he now lives. That he was born the 22nd day of December A. D. 1756 and has a record of his age in the family Bible.
That he can prove by Mr. John Canfield a creditable witness of the County of Morris aforesaid that he served as Sergeant for one full year on the northern tour in the State troops as he has heretofore particularly stated. Can prove by Stephen Cook a creditable witness of the County of Morris that he served one month at the Court House in Morris town aforesaid as is hereinbefore stated. By William Ball and Jeremiah Howell creditable witnesses of the County of Morris, that he served one month at New Windsor when Genl. Burgoyne was taken. By John Esler a creditable witness of the said County of Morris, that he served at Elizabeth town, Bellville, Springfield and Hackensack, and by the above named John Canfield that he served one month in the County of Somerset under Captain Jonas Ward as is hereinbefore stated.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. HIRAM SMITH.
We Jesse Upson, Stephen Vail, and Lewis Condict residing in the County of Morris hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Hiram Smith, Esq. who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy-five years of age: that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Jesse Upson.
STEPHEN VAIL, LEWIS CONDICT.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after their investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he stated. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Stephen Vail who has signed the preceding cer- tificate is a resident of the Township of Morris in the County aforesaid, and that Lewis Condit who has also signed the same is a resident in the Township of Morris in the County aforesaid and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit. WILLIAM BRITTIN, STEPHEN VAIL, JESSE UPSON.
I David Day Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, do hereby certify that the fore- going contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matters of the application of Hiram Smith for a pension.
(Seal of Morris County)
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this thirty-first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two. DAVID DAY, CIK.
Hiram Smith, Esqr. the within Declarant is one of the most reputed citizens of Morris County-has been Sheriff thereof for two or three years and for several years a member of the State Legislature and a Judge of the Com. Pleas.
His statement of facts as set forth in his Declaration has my entire belief.
Morristown N Jersey Ang. 22 1832 Lewis Condict, one of the Representa- tives from N. Jersey
(Endorsed) Declaration etc. of Hiram Smith.
New Jersey] Morris Co. ss. Be it remembered that on the thirty-first day of July A. D. 1832 before the Inferior Cour, of Common Pleas in and for the County of Morris, personally appeared John Campfield of
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Hanover in the said County who being duly sworn according to law on his oath saith that he is acquainted with Col. Hiram Smith of the said township and county and has been acquainted with him since the commencement of the revolutionary war-Knows that he served in the Continental Service of the United States Army as Sergeant for one full year ending in the Spring of 1777-deponent served with him as messmate during that time dur- ing which time they marched to New York through Albany to Ticonderoga on Lake Cham- plain and returned back to Morristown in said County and were there discharged-deponent thinks he served with the said Col. Smith in the militia in the Service of the States during the revolutionary war at least two full months besides the service above stated in the conti- nental line-One month when they had a battle at a place Allentown (?) in the County of Essex above Suone (?) River-deponent thinks he was out in the service of the militia with the said Col. Smith another full month at a time when they went to protect Lord Stir- ling and further deponent saith not. Sworn and Subscribed in open Court the day and year above written.
STEPHEN VAIL.
(Endorsed) Mr. John Campfield's affidavit.
JOHN CAMPFIELD.
New Jersey Morris Co. Iss.
Be it remembered that on the thirty-first day of July A. D. 1832 before the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of the County of Morris personally appeared John Estler of the township of Pequannack in the County of Morris who being duly sworn according to law on his oath saith that he is acquainted with Col. Hiram Smith of the township of Hanover in the said County and has been acquainted with him since the commencement of the revolutionary war-deponent was sergeant of the same Company of militia of which Col. Smith was lieutenant during the said war-deponent recollects that he served with the said Col. Smith and under him as a lieutenant for more than two months at Elizabethtown for one full month at Bellville, he thinks for two weeks at Springfield at the time of the battle, at or near Hackensack (sic) for one month-deponent served with him at other times on alarms and other occasions during the war-deponent thinks that he served with the said Col. Smith at least six months in all during the revolutionary war-the said Col. Smith he thinks served at other times during the said war when deponent was not with him and further deponent saith not.
Sworn and subscribed in open Court the day and year above written. STEPHEN VAIL.
JOHN ESLER.
(Endorsed) Mr. John Estler's affidavit.
New Jersey]
Morris Co. Iss.
Be it remembered that on the thirty-first day of July A. D. 1832 before the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, in and for the County of Morris personally appeared Stephen Cooke of the township of Hanover in the said County who being duly sworn according to law on his oath saith he has been acquainted with Col. Hiram Smith of said township since the year 1776, knows that he served as an officer of the militia for the States during the revolutionary war-deponent served one month with him at Morristown in said County- knows that the said Col. Smith held a commission and was an officer of the guard and had the command-and deponent was under him-deponent believes that he served as an officer during the said war at other times but he had no personal knowledge of any further service and further deponent saith not.
Sworn and Subscribed in Open Court the day and year above written. WILLIAM BRITTIN. STEPHEN COOKE.
(Endorsed) Stephen Cooke's affidavit for Col. Smith.
New Jersey
County of Morris|ss.
Personally appeared before me Eben F. Smith one of the Justices of the peace in and for the sd. County Jeremiah Howell of Hanover in the County of Morris who being duly sworn according to law on his oath saith-that he is acquainted with Col. Hiram Smith of the township of Hanover in Sd. County and has been acquainted with him since the com- mencement of the revolutionary war-In 1777 Colo. Hiram Smith as aforesaid served as a Lieutenant in Capt Dan Brown's Company in Colo. Seely Regt. Gen. Winds Brigade of New Jersey Militia at New Windsor in the State of New York-One month or thereabouts at the time Genl. Bugine (Sic) was taken and further this deponent saith not.
Sworn and Subscribed before me the Ist day of Aug. 1832. EBEN F. SMITH. (Endorsed) Jeremiah Howell's affidavit.
JEREMIAH HOWELL.
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Troy, N. J. Aug. 8, 1832 Secretary of War
Hon Sir
We the undersigned, ministers of the Gospel in the Parish in which Col. Hiram Smith of the County of Morris and State of New Jersey resides, and the Parish next immediately adjacent, hereby avail ourselves with great pleasure of this opportunity of writing our joint testimonial in his favor.
He has for a great length of time sustained a reputation equally elevated both in his private and public life; in his civil Military and Eccleseastical stations.
The oldest member of the Church in Parsippany and for a long time the leading officer in its ecclesiastical government he has stood as the prominent pillar of its interests; equally successful in the discharge of the executive duties imposed upon him by his Country and the legislative functions devolved upon him by the States-and arrayed on the field of battle he showed himself worthy of all the confidence reposed in him by his Country then in the day that tried mens souls.
He appears before you now, in this communication not to ask charity; but to give to his country an opportunity of making some small recognition and requital of the toils he endured in achieving that Independence for our country and for us which I trust as a ransomed nation we shall lack neither the gratitude nor justice to compensate.
AARON CONDIT, JOHN FORD.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of War that the aforesaid Aaron Condit and John Ford are Ministers of the Gospel in the Presbyterian Churches near to Col. Hiram Smith- that the first named has been settled over his congregation more than 35 years-that Mr. Ford has been settled over his Church for 10 or 12 years or more-and that the lives of both have always been highly exemplary and irreproachable and consistent with their pro- fession as I verily believe. Addressed
LEWIS CONDICT, One of the Repre- sentatives from N Jersey in the Congress of the U. S.
Morristown N. J. Aug. 10, 1832
The Hon Lewis Cass Secy of War Washington
(Endorsed) Hiram Smith No. 4625.
The following facts in regard to the military services referred to, and some of the more important witnesses where names appear, are worth noting.
A detailed account of the service and engagements of the Hanover township militia at Elizabethtown, Springfield, Belleville and Hackensack, in which Hiram Smith took part, may also be found in greater completeness set forth in the "Auto- biography of Ashbel Green, D. D., President of Princeton College," who had par- ticipated in them as a youth while residing with his father, Rev. Jacob Green, of Hanover, New Jersey.
Stephen Vail was the builder of the famous Speedwell Iron Works, and father of Alfred Vail, a co-inventor with Morse of the telegraph. (See Rev. Rufus S. Green, p. 160, "History Morris Co.," Munsell & Co., N. Y., 1882).
Lewis Condict was one of the most prominent men of the State-Speaker of the State Assembly 1808, and later of national prominence as Speaker of House of Representatives. (See E. D. Halsey, in "History Morris Co.," &c., p. 78).
Aaron Condict was pastor of the church at Hanover, N. J., 1796-1830. (Monroe Howell, in "History Morris Co.," &c., p. 225).
John Ford was pastor of the church at Parsippany, N. J., 1815-1857. (Monroe Howell, in "History Morris Co.," &c., p. 225).
Colonel Hiram Smith was a man of affairs in his time and community; justice of the peace, 1788-1793; member of Assembly, New Jersey State Legislature, 1791-1792 ; sheriff of Morris county, 1794-95-96; county judge, 1800-1805 ; major First Battalion of Fourth or Lower Regiment, New Jersey militia, 1793-1800; lieutenant-colonel of same, 1800 and 1801 ; and one of the incorporators, in 1806, of the Newark and Mt. Pleasant Turnpike Co. (see "History of Hanover Town- ship, Morris County," by Monroe Howell, in "History of Morris County, N. J.,"
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Munsell & Co., 1882. He was a member of the first board of trustees of the. Presbyterian Church at Parsippany, elected March 21, 1787, under the incorpora- tion act of Assembly of 1786, although its existence separate from the Hanover church dates from 1755 (records Presbyterian Church, Parsippany, New Jersey, by Parker). The subscription of himself and sons in May, 1828, toward the erection of a new (the present 1911) church edifice, heads the list and was the largest amount pledged. His first residence was on the bluff near the present sawmill, on the estate of George B. Smith, Troy Hills, New Jersey, but his later residence, and built by Dr. Joseph Parritt, was on the road between Troy and Whippany, and known in recent years as the Edgar Smith place. Colonel Smith possessed a commanding presence and great dignity of bearing up to the time of his death, and was revered and esteemed as a man of unusual prominence in his community and generation. Portraits of Colonel Hiram and Eleanor (Parritt) Smith are preserved in the family in the possession of Miss Mary L. Smith, Troy Hills, New Jersey.
Eleanor Parritt, first wife of Colonel Hiram Smith, was born June 1, 1760, died December 22, 9 p. m., 1810 (see obituary notice in Palladium of Liberty, Morris- town, New Jersey, November 27, 1810, which states her characteristics as "meek- ness, benevolence and humility ;" see also Parsippany gravestone records), and was the daughter of Samuel Parritt, of Troy (son of Samuel, of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, as early as 1704, his autographic record of births and deaths in his family, now in possession of Miss Mary L. Smith, Troy Hills, New Jersey, stat- ing that his eldest child was then born there), born Elizabethtown, New Jersey, October 8, 1716, died Troy, November 29, 1788, and Eleanor, daughter and only child of Joseph Allin, Alling or Allen (the first spelling is used in the mortgage cited below, but the second in many later records and particularly in the original partition deed of Parritt lands) of Troy, as early as 1737 (Hunterdon Mortgages 1737, Secretary of States office, Trenton), but traditionally earlier of Elizabeth- town, New Jersey. The Smith homestead at Troy (on the road between Troy and Whippany), came from the Allings through the Parritt's, and, as the inherit- ance of Hiram Smith's wife, Eleanor Parritt, the partition deed (recorded Morris- town), by which Samuel Parritt's lands were, on the death of Dr. Joseph Parritt, divided among the latter's heirs at law, mentioning this fact and spelling the name "Alling." The early Alling house stood on the high ground near the "Washington Spring" (so named from the tradition that Washington frequently drank from it while enroute between Morristown and "Beverwyck"). The Samuel Parritt house stood on the site of what is in recent years known as the Nelson Mitchell place, about one-quarter mile nearer Whippany.
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