Finley Smith
96th Illinois Infantry
Company "H"
Finley Smith was born about 1826 in Coshocton County, Ohio. He married Elizabeth Hawk and they had one child, Mary Josephine Smith born between 1854 and 1858. Elizabeth Hawk Smith died in Coshocton County before 1859 and Finley removed to Carroll County, Illinois. He married Francis Elizabeth Aduddell on 21 July 1859 in Carroll County.
On 13 Aug 1862 Finley joined the 96th Illinois Infantry, Co.
"H". On his military
records he is described as being 5'9” tall, brown hair and blue eyes and a
light complexion. On 22 September
1862 The 96th Illinois Infantry participated in the Battle of Chattanooga,
Tennessee. In December 1862 Finley
was admitted to the hospital. He
was in and out of the hospital until he was discharged due to disability on 30
July 1863, with sub-acute rheumatism and Hydrarthrosis.
“Patient on crutches and with slight prospect of ever being worth
anything in the Army Corps. He is
not fit for the Invalid Corps in any capacity whatever. He has been sick since November last.” (Army of the United
States Certificate of Disability for Discharge for Finley Smith, 30 July 1863).
Finley and Francis Aduddell Smith had eight children, three girls born in
Illinois, two girls and the youngest three boys born in Iowa.
Around the year 1866 Finley and his family moved to Cedar County, Iowa
Francis Elizabeth died in August 1874 at Jones County, Iowa, leaving
Finley and eight children who were all under the age of 10 years. After her
death Finley removed to Ida County and married Mary Preston on 16 Aug 1877.
Tragedy struck the Smith family in the summer of 1897.
Finley's three young sons, the children of Francis Elizabeth became very
ill with scarlet fever and died.
Finley and Mary had four children, John Frances, Jennie Bertha, James
Finley and Anna Jeannette. Finley
is listed in the 1884 Ida County Directory in Maple Township.
He
was one of the pioneers of Ida County. Mr.
Smith was a member of the G.A.R., and by them was tenderly cared for in his last
hours and lovingly laid to rest by his comrades with the stars and stripes on
his breast and over his coffin. He
was a quiet and respected citizen. In
early life he became a Christian and died strong in the faith. He died at his
home in Shelby, Iowa, October 4, 1899, 79 years old.
He
was born in Ohio, later lived in Illinois, from there he moved to Jones County,
Iowa. In 1874, he cast his lot in
Ida County. In 1876 he was married
to Mary Preston, the oldest sister of the Preston family residing near Battle
Creek. In 1886, he moved with his
family to Nebraska, returning to Battle Creek in 1892.
In 1898 he sold out his interests there and moved the Shelby, Iowa, where
he died Wednesday. He lives a wife and 4 children to mourn his loss."
Judy
Weaver Great-granddaughter of Richard McCoy
Personal Genealogy Web
Page