Piecing together information on Asa

Boat Building near Dinan, Brittany, Francis Danby, 1838.

In trying to dig deeper into the details on Asa Putnam Smith, my 4th-great-grandfather, I continue to run into a lack of available information. We have the widow's pension application submitted by his wife Lucinda McIntosh Smith in 1879, and we have a few census entries in Crawford County, Indiana. We also have a couple of US Land Office entries in Crawford County, and two earlier land patents in Wabash County, Illinois in 1825, showing that he was a resident of Edwards County, Illinois. And we also have statement by Lucinda's brother Daniel McIntosh that he was a witness to the marriage ceremony in Mount Carmel, Illinois.

Looking closer at these records, and census and death records for Asa's children, we have a bit more information to work with. In the 1850 US Census, Asa said he was from Massachusetts. He listed his occupation as carpenter, and he could not read or write. Asa and family lived in Leavenworth, Jennings Township in Crawford County, Indiana, a river town on the Ohio. Lucinda's widow's pension application said Asa was from Nova Scotia. This is backed up by the 1910 US Census entry by children James and Amanda Smith, Amanda's 1920 US Census entry, and James' death record in 1914. Asa's son Elam noted on his 1910 US Census entry that his father was from Massachusetts. My 3rd-great-grandmother Permelia Smith Lamon also said Asa was from Massachusetts in her 1880 US Census entry. So what's accurate here?

In the widow's pension application, Lucinda noted Asa Putnam Smith had served in Colonel Dudley's regiment in the New Jersey Militia during the War of 1812. She said he volunteered in Jersey City, New Jersey and served for two and half years. The War Department rejected the pension because they could not find reference to a Colonel Dudley in New Jersey. But what if she had heard the story wrong, and Colonel Dudley was Lt. Col. Dudley of the Massachusetts Militia?

Source: Fold3. War of 1812 Service Records.

To learn more about the Asa Smith who served in the 1st Regiment, Massachusetts Militia, I need to visit the US National Archives in Washington DC and pull a copy of the service record. It will be a couple of weeks before I can find time to do that. In the meantime, the research on Asa Putnam Smith will need to wait. As I take a break from following his story, I will return to the line of John Og McIntosh, my Scottish ancestor, and follow his incredible journey to America during the Revolutionary War.

Found Safe

Louisville Courier-Journal, 23 July 1891

Now for the rest of the story on missing Mary Smith. She was found safe late in the day on 22 July 1891, across the river from Louisville in neighboring New Albany, Indiana by the local police. Mary was in a boarding house.

It looks like she married someone named Baldwin before 1920. In the 1920 US Census she was living with her mother Delana Richardson Smith in Louisville, working as a seamstress in a tailor shop. By the 1940 US Census, she was working as a seamstress in a mens' clothing factory in Louisville.

Mary L. Smith Baldwin passed away on 14 July 1947 in Louisville at the age of 73.

The Disappearance of Mary

By James McNeill Whistler, Miss Lillian Woakes. 1890-1891.

In late July 1891, Elam W. Smith and family were in the Louisville Courier-Journal, in a story describing the sensational disappearance of not yet 17 year-old daughter Mary L. Smith. The article was published on Wednesday 22 July, referring to her disappearance the previous Sunday. According to the story, Elam and wife Delana had gone out for the evening, and when they returned, Mary was missing. Neighbors reported seeing her with "a handsome woman, dressed in black, with silk cords around her dress." Mary told one of them she was going to "Minnie's house" for a short time.

The next day, the parents frantically searched throughout the neighborhood. A saloon-keeper said he saw the woman come to the Smith house and thought she lived at 840 Grayson Street in Louisville. Elam called the police and they searched various "houses of ill-repute" in Louisville on Tuesday 21st but were unable to find her.

Louisville Courier-Journal. 22 Jul 1891.

What happens next will have to wait for the next post.
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The painting of Miss Lillian Woakes by James Abbott McNeill Whistler is featured at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. I took the kids there yesterday as they were off from school for the start of Spring Break. I am pairing the painting with this post as it was made around the same time period and featured a young woman who could have been about the same age as Mary. Whistler made the painting of a daughter of a wealthy patron in London, not in Louisville.

More Clues

Of the known children of Asa Putnam Smith and Lucinda McIntosh, I have been able to track my 3rd-great-grandmother Permelia Smith Lamon, her sister Amanda, her brother James M., and youngest brother Elam W. Smith. After the death of Lucinda, James and sister Amanda Smith moved to New Albany, Indiana. James worked as a laborer in various mills and factories in New Albany.

Amanda Smith was the informant on James' death record. This document provides a key clue showing the names of their parents Asa and Lucinda, as well as their states of birth. For Asa, this is a useful confirmation that he was originally from Nova Scotia.

After James died on 1 September 1914, it looks like Amanda moved to Cincinnati. In the 1920 US Census she appears in the household of William and Bertha Balser. Amanda lists her father as from Nova Scotia, mother from Illinois.

Elam W. Smith married Delana Richardson on 16 March 1873 in Crawford County, Indiana. They appear in the 1880 US Census in Crawford County with 6 year-old daughter Mary L Smith and two year-old son William Smith.

Another bit of data: Elam W. Smith and James M. Smith appear on the Civil War draft registration record from 8 July 1863. I do not know yet which unit they served in during the war.

Source: Ancestry. Civil War draft registrations, Indiana.

Elam and family moved from Crawford County, Indiana across the Ohio River to neighboring Louisville, Kentucky. The family appears in the 1900 US Census. Elam was working as a carpenter, while son William had recently married. They also appear in the 1910 US Census in Louisville.

Elam W. Smith died on 26 March 1914 in Louisville. His wife Delana was the informant on the death certificate, and put that she did not know the names of his parents or their places of birth.

Before I leave this line of the family, there is one more story to share. Elam's daughter Mary appears in the Louisville newspapers in 1891, and I will bring that to the blog in the next post.

After following the family of Asa Putnam Smith and Lucinda McIntosh, I am going to step backward a generation to recap the story of John Og McIntosh. I also a have a new lead on Asa Putnam Smith's War of 1812 service.

Lucinda

Painting by James McNeill Whistler, The Kitchen, 1858.

My Frequent Traveling sister's current visit to Scotland has me revisiting the McIntosh side of the tree. At the end of March, I looked back at David Detrick Lamon, my 3rd-great-grandfather. He married Permelia Smith on 10 December 1841 in Crawford County, Indiana. Permelia was the oldest daughter of Asa Putnam Smith and Lucinda McIntosh. Lucinda is the subject of this post.

Depending on the source, Lucinda McIntosh was born about 1802 in Kentucky, although census records put her birth year anywhere from 1798 to 1803. In her widow's pension application for her husband's service during the War of 1812, she wrote that she was 77 years old as of 14 April 1879 (almost 138 years ago). Lucinda noted that she married Asa Putnam Smith in Mount Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois in February 1815, although I cannot verify this in Illinois marriage records. The year seems early, as she would have only been about 13 if she was born in 1802. 1818 would be much more likely as their marriage year.

Lucinda states she was married by Guy Smith, Justice of the Peace of Wabash County. I do not know if he was related to Asa Putnam Smith. Guy Smith appears in Edwards County, Illinois in the 1820 Census. So does Asa Smith, living next door to William Smith. Edwards County is located to the direct west of Wabash County. The household shows three people. Lucinda's father John Og McIntosh appears at the top of the same census page.

Ancestry. 1820 US Census, Edwards County, Illinois.

Asa Smith also appears in the 1830 US Census in Wabash County, Illinois. Lucinda wrote that they lived in Wabash County for five years before moving to Crawford County, Indiana.

Asa and family next appear in the 1840 US Census in Crawford County, Indiana, between 50-60 years old.

Ancestry. 1840 US Census, Crawford County, Indiana.

Lucinda appears for the first time in the 1850 US Census in Crawford County, Indiana with husband Asa and family. Asa lists his state as Massachusetts. In Lucinda's widow's pension application, she noted he was born in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Ancestry. 1850 US Census, Crawford County, Indiana.

Lucinda and Asa had at least the following children:
- Permelia Smith, 4 December 1821-17 November 1890, born in Wabash County, Illinois
- Sarah J. Smith, about 1831-, born in Wabash County, Illinois
- Amanda Smith, about 1834, born in Crawford County, Indiana
- James M. Smith, 6 December 1835-1 September 1914, born in Crawford County, Indiana
- Elam W. Smith, 17 June 1841-26 March 1914

I have so far been unable to find the Smith family in Crawford County during the 1860 Census, but according to Lucinda's widow's pension application, they should be there. Lucinda's application was witnessed by John Bahr and Dunbar Patrick, two residents of Crawford County that I was able to locate in 1860.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Pension Application File.

In the 1870 US Census, Lucinda was living in the household of her son James Smith, with younger son Elam and daughter Amanda also there. Three-year-old Eliza W. appears in the home, but I cannot tell whose child she is. Living next door to this household was Sarah J. Vernon, who I think could be Sarah J. Smith, older daughter of Lucinda and Asa.

Source: Ancestry. 1870 US Census. Crawford County, Indiana.

Lucinda next appears in the 1880 US Census, still living in Crawford County, with daughter Amanda and "Vernon Wakefield". I think this 14 year old was 3-year-old Eliza W. in the 1870 US Census. Note Lucinda lists her father as born in Scotland and mother in New Jersey, which matches up with the research on her parents John Og McIntosh and Sarah Bennett. Daughter Amanda lists her father as born in Massachusetts and mother (Lucinda) in Kentucky. In the same 1880 US Census, Lucinda's oldest daughter Permelia Smith Lamon listed her parents as born in Massachusetts and Scotland, which is a bit off but if she heard stories about Lucinda's father John then maybe it makes sense that she put that down.

Source: Ancestry. 1880 US Census. Crawford County, Indiana.

Lucinda McIntosh Smith died sometime after 12 April 1880, most likely in Crawford County, Indiana. There's a bit more to follow on Lucinda's children, and on her siblings.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Letter of E. R. Hawn.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Letter signed by Lucinda Smith.