Andrew & Jane (Grass) Smith
How we are related to this family:
Andrew & Jane GRASS SMITH's son, Jordan Smith, married Mary Lingle. Their son, "Albert" Ross Smith, married Kathryn TOPE. Their son, Albert "Ross" Smith, married Emma Caroline PIRTLE. They had three children.
There is a Smith family thgat is of Irish ancestry that migrated to Illinois from North Carolina before Jordan Smith is known to have moved to Illinois.
Andrew
SMITH, born in Tennessee, and Jane GRASS,
born in Indiana, are likely the parents of Jordan Smith.
The 1850 Census for Crawford County, IN lists Andrew
& Jane Smith with children, including a boy named Jordan. This
boy was born in Kentucky in 1836, the same state and approximate year
as our Jordan Smith.
Additionally,
"Albert" Ross Smith's death certificate indicates that his parents were
born in Indiana, which is where Andrew & Jane Smith lived most of
their life and where most of their children were born, but not Albert's
father Jordan.
Finally, a Family DNA test indicates that our Smith family is related to Henry Grass, the grandfather of Jane Grass.
Jordan
"Jerdan" SMITH was born in Aug 1837
in Kentucky. He died on 22 Nov 1893 in Union County, IL from dropsy.
His attending physician at death was Dr. Jesse Glasco of Alto Pass, IL.
"Jerdan" was probably his nickname. He was a farmer. He could not write his name (he signed his name with an "x" on his 21 Oct 1867 Civil War pension declaration, see below).
Jordan
served as a Corporal in Company B of the 109th Illinois
Infantry during the Civil War
before being transferred to Company G of the 11th Illinois Infantry. He
enlisted on 15 Aug 1862 at Thebes, IL and mustered in on 11 Sep 1862.
The officers of the 109th Illinois Infantry were court marshaled for desertion on 12 Mar 1863 in Memphis, TN. Most of the enlisted men transferred to the 11th Illinois Infantry, including Jordan. Jordan mustered out of the Union Army on 22 May 1865 as a private in the 11th Illinois Infantry.
Jordan participated in the battles at Fort Donaldson, TN and Vicksburg, MS. He had an eye injury on 21 Feb 1864 during a skirmish in Yazoo City, MS, for which he was honorably discharged about one year later in Memphis, TN. He received an "invalid" pension later in life due to his military service and injury (Dexter 1997, page 159).
Jordan
married Mary LINGLE before 1856. Mary was
born in Illinois. She died about 1860, probably in Arkansas.
Jordan & Mary had the following child.
"Albert" Ross SMITH. Click on his name for more information.
Jordan and Mary lived in Arkansas where Albert was born and where Mary probably died. It is likely that Jordan and his young son came back to Union County, IL in order to allow Mary's family in Illinois help him raise his son Albert.
Mary's Lingle's family lived in Union County, IL since the early 1800's. The Lingle family appears to have migrated to Illinois from North Carolina along with many other German, English, & Irish families during the period between 1800 & 1840. Their son Albert indicated that his "race" was Irish on his marriage certificate.
Most
if not all of these German, English, & Irish families came from Rowan
County, North Carolina (the county shown in red on the map). The familiar family
names that migrated from North Carolina to Union County, IL include Cauble, Dillow, Emery,
Fite, Hagler, Hartline, Hess, Lentz, Lindsey, Lyerla (or Lyerle / Lyerly), Pirtle,
Rendleman, & Smith. The Smith family from North Carolina may be related to Jordan, but
there is no proof of this.
Jordan
also married Abby A. (her last name is unknown). Abby was born about 1841
in Illinois and died after 1880.
According to the 1880 Census, she was a housekeeper and her parents were born in Illinois. The 1880 Census indicates that a boy named John Gregory (born in 1868 in Illinois) lived with Jordan & Abby Smith. This may have been a brother, nephew, or cousin of Abby's.
It is possible that Abby A. is actually Avia A. EMERY, daughter of Joel EMERY & Eve FITE. Although no documentation has been found to support this theory. Avia Emery's four brothers enlisted in the 109th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War, the same Regiment that Jordan enlisted in, which may be how he knew Abby/Avia if they are indeed the same person.
Jordan & Abby A. probably had the following child.
James SMITH was born about 1863 in Illinois. He appears in the 1870 Census in Jordan & Abby's household, but not in the 1880 Census. Nothing more is known about him.
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Jordan
also married Amanda Ann COPHER on 4 May 1884 in
Williamson County, IL. Amanda was born about 1852 in Williamson Co, IL to Henry
COPHER and Lucinda BOLES. She was previously married to Marshall L. JACK with
whom she had 3 children (James, William & John JACK). No record of her death has been found.
Jordan & Amanda had the following children.
Audie Jordan SMITH was born on 1 Oct 1884 in Williamson Co, IL and died 19 Aug 1939 in West Frankfort, Franklin Co, IL. He married Lizzie GRANDSTAFF on 1 Oct 1903 in Williamson Co, IL. Lizzie was born about 1884 in Illinois. Nothing more is known about them.
Walter "Austin" SMITH. Click on his name for more information.
George SMITH was born in Feb 1892 in Williamson Co, IL. Nothing more is known about him.
