Friday, May 13, 2022

Military Service: Jeremiah Smith, War of 1812


 

Jeremiah Smith


23 Dec 1773 SC - 11 Dec 1840 Pike Co., MS

Son of Jeremiah Smith & Jemimah Hollis

Husband of Joanna Dillon


My 4th Great Grandfather

 

 


 

When the War of 1812 was being fought Sergeant Jeremiah Smith served as a mounted rifleman in Captain Bond’s Company of Lt. Colonel Nixon’s Regiment of the Mississippi Militia. He enrolled 15 October 1813 and served for 2 months and 17 days, until 31 December 1813. For that service he was later paid $11 per month, plus travel pay ($11.50 travel pay and $2.40 travelling subsistence) and forty cents a day for his horse, for a total of $73.13.[i][ii]  

 

Travelling allowance is here calculated at the rate of 300 miles, from Pierce’s Fort on the Alabama, to the counties of Pike and Marion, M. Terr. [Mississippi Territory], and 5 rations at 16 cents.[iii]

 

It looks like he was allowed, at times, to return to his home in Mississippi. Jeremiah served from 15 October 1813 to 31 December 1813. He served again from 8 January 1814 to 14 April 1814 under the same command. For that time period Jeremiah was paid $79.73 for his service and $38.13 for his horse.[iv]

Fold3 also shows Private Jeremiah Smith serving from January to February of 1815. Because it was the same unit, Nixon’s Regiment, it was likely the same man but it is interesting that his rank was private rather than sergeant.[v]

 



[i] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.

[ii] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers, 1812 – 1815; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed March 2019) Jeremiah Smith.

[iii] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.

[iv] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017 & April 2019). Sgt. Jeremiah Smith.

[v] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed May 2022). Pvt Jeremiah Smith.


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1 comment:

  1. Jeremiah Smith was the brother-in-law of my third great grandfather, Theophilus Dillon. I am so proud of our heritage.

    ReplyDelete

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