Heman R. Smith

{{Infobox officeholder | name = Heman R. Smith | image = | caption =

| office1 = Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia | term_start1 = 1852 | term_end1 = 1853 | predecessor1 = Frederic Williams Hopkins | successor1 = Lewis Samuel Partridge | office2 = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Hinesburg | term_start2 = 1841 | term_end2 = 1843 | predecessor2 = Jedediah Boynton | successor2 = John S. Patrick | birth_date = {{birth date text |1795}} | birth_place = Hinesburg, Vermont | death_date = {{Death date and age|1861|09|01|1795}} | death_place = Hinesburg, Vermont | resting_place = Hinesburg Village Cemetery, Hinesburg, Vermont | spouse = Harriet Leonard (m. 1822–1861, his death) | party = National Republican<br/>Whig<br/>Republican | occupation = Farmer<br/>Militia officer<br/>Politician }}

'''Heman R. Smith''' (1795 – September 1, 1861) was a Hinesburg farmer and military officer who served as Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia.

==Biography== Heman R. Smith was born in Hinesburg, Vermont in 1795, and was the son of Sagy Smith (1767–1851) and farmer Morris Smith (1769–1850), two of Hinesburg's earliest settlers. He was educated locally and became a farmer. He was also active in the Chittenden County Agricultural Society.<ref>Burlington Free Press, [http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84023127/1844-01-19/ed-1/seq-2/ Chittenden County Agricultural Society], January 19, 1844, via Library of Congress Chronicling America Collection</ref>

Smith joined the National Republican Party,<ref>{{cite news |date=July 12, 1833 |title=The State Convention of National Republicans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/366038745/ |work=Vermont Courier |location=Woodstock, VT |page=3 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and later became a Whig,<ref>{{cite news |date=July 8, 1842 |title=County Convention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/76470654/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=2 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref> He was active in local government, including terms as a Justice of the Peace and member of the Vermont House of Representatives.<ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lDkTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA4 Journal of the House of the State of Vermont], 1841, page 4</ref><ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=NzwzAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA38 Journal of the Vermont House of Representatives], 1828, page 38</ref>

Active in the Vermont Militia, Smith rose through the ranks to command 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division and 2nd Brigade, 1st Division with the rank of brigadier general.<ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=3TcFAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA151 Journal of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont], 1830, page 151</ref><ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=3SUbAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA50 Journal of the Vermont General Assembly], 1842, page 50</ref> From 1843 to 1846 he commanded the 1st Division as a major general.<ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8fsaAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA36 Journal of the Vermont General Assembly], 1843, page 37</ref><ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=tKUEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA183 Journal of the Vermont General Assembly], 1846, page 43</ref>

In 1852 Smith was appointed Vermont's Adjutant General, and he served until 1853.<ref>Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FzgtAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA300 Journal of the Vermont General Assembly], 1852, page 300</ref><ref>Vermont Adjutant General, [https://books.google.com/books?id=32oMAQAAIAAJ&q=%22herman+r+smith%22 Annual Report], 1955, page 4</ref> He became a Republican when the party was founded, and was a delegate to the party's Chittenden County convention in 1860.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 11, 1860 |title=The County Convention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/365405037/ |work=Burlington Times |location=Burlington, VT |page=4 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref>

In 1861 he was considered for appointment as U.S. Marshal for Vermont,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lincolnpapers2.dataformat.com/images/1861/01/267585.pdf |title=Letter: Heman R. Smith to Abraham Lincoln, requesting appointment as U.S. Marshal for Vermont |last1=Smith |first1=Heman R. |date=January 1, 1861 |website=Connecting Presidential Collections (CPC) |publisher= Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)}}</ref> but the selection went to Charles C. P. Baldwin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/vt/general/history.htm |title=List of U.S. Marshals for Vermont |website=District of Vermont History |publisher=United States Marshals Service |access-date=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182312/http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/vt/general/history.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lincoln |first1=Abraham |editor-last1=Basler |editor-first1=Roy P. |date=1953 |title=The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln |volume= IV |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LQjla5mLYdcC&q=%22c+c+p+baldwin%22+%22vermont%22+%22marshal%22&pg=PA299 |location=New Brunswick, NJ |publisher=Rutgers University Press |page=299|isbn=9781434476982 }}</ref>

At the start of the American Civil War Smith was active in recruiting soldiers for the Union Army, and assisted in forming two companies in Hinesburg.<ref>Abby Maria Hemenway, editor, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lNQbAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22heman+r+smith%22+hinesburgh&pg=PA795 The Vermont Historical Gazetteer], Volume 1, 1867, page 795</ref>

==Death and burial== Smith died in Hinesburg on September 1, 1861.<ref name=Ancestry>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com |title=Vermont Vital Records, 1720–1908 Death Record for Heman R. Smith, Copy dated October 28, 1919 |date=September 1, 1861 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |url-access=subscription }}</ref> He was buried at Hinesburg Village Cemetery.<ref name="Ancestry"/>

==Family== In 1822, Smith married Harriet Leonard (1799–1881) of Hinesburg.<ref name=Rann>{{cite book |last=Rann |first=William S. |date=1886 |title=History of Chittenden County, Vermont |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028837536 |location=Syracuse, NY |publisher=D. Mason & Co. |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028837536/page/n1032 853]}}</ref> They had no children, and after her husband's death Mrs. Smith continued to reside on and operate the family farm until well into her old age.<ref name="Rann"/>

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== {{Find a Grave|75655043}}

{{S-start}} {{S-mil}} {{Succession box|title=Vermont Adjutant General |before=Frederic Williams Hopkins |after=Lewis Samuel Partridge|years=1852–1853}} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Heman R.}} Category:1795 births Category:1861 deaths Category:People from Hinesburg, Vermont Category:Vermont National Republicans Category:Vermont Whigs Category:Vermont Republicans Category:Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Category:American militia generals Category:People of Vermont in the American Civil War Category:Union army civilians Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly Category:Farmers from Vermont