This was on the Tippecanoe List and Adina gave permission to post it here as well.
-----Original Message-----
From: Adina Watkins Dyer <adyer(a)nfe.com>
To: INTIPPEC-L(a)rootsweb.com <INTIPPEC-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Date: Sunday, May 02, 1999 9:44 PM
Subject: [INTIPPEC-L] Peter B. Smith
Contributed by Charlene Saunders:
PETER B. SMITH, one of the old and honored pioneers of Tippecanoe
Township, with whose interests he has been identified for fifty years,
is a native of Indiana, born in Wayne County, May 16, 1816, the year in
which Indiana was admitted into the Union. He is a son of JOHN and
ABIGAL (COWAN) SMITH, his parents being natives of Maryland and Ohio
respectively. They removed with their respective parents to Wayne
County, Indiana, where they were married. JOHN SMITH, in his younger
days, belonged to a company known as the Mountain Rangers, and became
quite a noted Indian fighter, being often engaged in contests with the
Indians.
About the year 1810, he with a number of other men, built a block-house
near Milton, in Wayne County, which was erected as a protection for them
against the Indians, who in those days were frequently on the war path.
On one occasion, shortly after the erection of the block-house, the
occupants heard that Indians were approaching. They started out to meet
the savages, but not meeting them, they continued to advance until the
Indian village was reached, when they proceeded to burn the village. In
the meantime the Indians returned and a fight ensued, in which the
leading Indian warrior was killed by MR. SMITH. The whites then
retreated, followed by the Indians, but succeeded in reaching the
block-house in safety.
PETER B. SMITH, the subject of this sketch, was four or five years old
when his parents removed to Lewisville, Henry County, Indiana, and here
he was reared until sixteen years of age, when his mother died. After
her death the father removed with his family to Ohio. PETER B. made his
home in Ohio unti 1837, when he came to Tippecanoe County and settled
near Battle Ground, where he lived several years. He then spent a
number of years in Carroll County, and in September, 1859, he settled on
his present farm in Tippecanoe County, where he has 150 acres of
well-improved land, under a good state of cultivation.
MR. SMTIH was first married May 28, 1844, to MISS ELIZABETH GILLAM, of
Carroll County, Indiana, and a daughter of THOMAS GILLAM, who was one of
the prominent pioneers of that county. To this union five children were
born, of whom three are living--NELSON G., a physician, living in Henry
County, Indiana; JOHN THOMAS, also a physician, of Brookston, Indiana,
and MARY JANE, wife of JEROME SIMS, of Carroll County. MRS. ELIZABETH
SMITH died in 1855, and December 16, 1858, MR. SMITH was again married
to MISS SARAH S. RUSH, a native of Darke County, Ohio, and to them have
been born two children--EDWIN R., principal of the Chauncey school, and
ALLEN W., at home. MRS. SMITH is a daughter of MOSES and MARGARET
(AKER) RUSH, pioneers of Tippecanoe County, settling in Tippecanoe
Township, on the farm now occupied by our subject, in 1831. Here they
lived until their death, MRS. RUSH dying in 1849, and her husband in
1856. They were the parents of nine children, of whom but two are
living at the present time--MRS. SARAH S. SMTIH, and EDWIN B., of Battle
Ground.
In politics MOSES RUSH was a Democrat. He was a prominent man in his
township, and held the office of justice of the peace for many years.
He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and served as
class-leader a number of years. MR. SMTIH is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and in his political views he affiliates with the
Democratic party.
Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana
pp. 530-531