Smith, William Stephens (1755-1816) to Henry Knox
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.02402 Author/Creator: Smith, William Stephens (1755-1816) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 August 1783 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket ; 22.4 x 18.7 cm. Order a Copy
Written by Colonel Smith to Major General Knox. Writes to introduce Knox to a Dr. Bailey who was "a very clever fellow." Bailey was on his way to Poughkeepsie and wanted to pay his respects to Knox.
William Stephens Smith was a United States Representative from New York and a son-in-law of President John Adams, a brother-in-law of President John Quincy Adams and an uncle of Charles Francis Adams. Born on Long Island, he graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1774, studied law for a short time, and served in the Revolutionary Army as aide-de-camp to General John Sullivan in 1776. He was on the staff of General Lafayette in 1780 and 1781, and then transferred to the staff of General Washington. He was secretary of the Legation at London in 1784 and returned to America in 1788; he was appointed by President Washington to be United States Marshal for the district of New York in 1789, and later supervisor of revenue. He was one of the originators of the Society of the Cincinnati, and served as its president from 1795 to 1797. He was appointed by President John Adams surveyor of the port of New York in 1800 and in 1807 moved to Lebanon, New York. Smith was elected as a Federalist to the Thirteenth Congress, holding office from March 4, 1813 to March 3, 1815. He presented credentials of his election to the Fourteenth Congress, but he did not qualify, and on December 13, 1815, Westel Willoughby, Jr. successfully contested his election. Smith died in Smith Valley in the town of Lebanon in 1816.
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