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.Burlington Free Press, Chittenden County Agricultural Society, January 19, 1844, via Library of Congress Chronicling America Collection
Smith joined the National Republican Party, and later became a Whig, He was active in local government, including terms as a Justice of the Peace and member of the Vermont House of Representatives.Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the House of the State of Vermont, 1841, page 4Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont House of Representatives, 1828, page 38
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.Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, 1830, page 151Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont General Assembly, 1842, page 50 From 1843 to 1846 he commanded the 1st Division as a major general.Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont General Assembly, 1843, page 37Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont General Assembly, 1846, page 43
In 1852 Smith was appointed Vermont's Adjutant General, and he served until 1853.Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Vermont General Assembly, 1852, page 300Vermont Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1955, page 4 He became a Republican when the party was founded, and was a delegate to the party's Chittenden County convention in 1860.
In 1861 he was considered for appointment as U.S. Marshal for Vermont, but the selection went to Charles C. P. Baldwin.
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.Abby Maria Hemenway, editor, The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Volume 1, 1867, page 795
Death and burial Smith died in Hinesburg on September 1, 1861. He was buried at Hinesburg Village Cemetery.
Family In 1822, Smith married Harriet Leonard (1799–1881) of Hinesburg. 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.
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