This very precious man was born near Columbia, Ky., December 23, 1828. Moved with his parents from the home of his childhood to Gibson County, Indiana, in 1836, where he spent his youth. He was brought up by his parents to adhere strictly to the teaching of the Bible. His life and ministerial work have demonstrated the fact that the labor and teaching of his parents were not in vain. In his sixteenth year he professed religion at Mt. Moriah Campground, Gibson County, Indiana, and ever after wore the badge of Christianity with becoming humility, and honored his profession, as a true child of God. He joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at the age of twenty.

April 5, 1851, he was received as a candidate for the ministry. In February, 1852 he entered Cumberland College, at Princeton, Ky., as a student and soon after joined Princeton Presbytery by letter. He was licensed to preach April 2, 1853, at Fredonia, Ky., and was ordained by the same Presbytery to the whole work of the gospel ministry, at Bethlehem Church, in Caldwell County, Kentucky, July 8, 1854. Princeton Presbytery has laid her hands on many men, but never on one who has reflected greater honor on the church. He has been an earnest student, a sound theologian and a devoted minister, one whose counsel has been sought by all classes of men.

After leaving college his first work was in Henderson County, Kentucky, his fields of labor being within the bounds of Anderson Presbytery. His next work was in Christian County, Kentucky, where he spent about ten years preaching to a number of churches.

In 1868 he moved to Warren County, Kentucky, near Bowling Green, where the remainder of his life has been spent, in connection with Mt. Olivet Church, of which he was pastor for thirty-five years. A record full of good works.

He has preached to many of the churches of Warren and surrounding counties, in which he accomplished a lasting work. He has held many and glorious meetings, in the churches of which he was pastor, hundreds have been converted--many of them have preceded him to the better land.

His wife was Miss Jeanette Reeves, of Elkton, Ky., who was indeed a true helpmate until her death, August 16, 1905. He has one daughter, Mrs. J. L. Miller, with whom he lives, at the homestead, near Mt. Olivet Church. She, with the true devotion of a daughter indeed, cares for him in his old age, and in his blind and almost helpless state.

Dr. Smith is one of the strong men of the church, one whom the enemies of the church feared and one that they could not buy or intimidate; one that was able to hold his own in debate, anywhere or at any time. And to show the confidence his brethren had in him as to his ability to discuss logically a question, at the Fresno Assembly he was one of the four chosen to represent the true Cumberlands in debate. In this, his friends were not disappointed. His arguments were simply unanswerable, and had the majority been disposed to be governed by reason instead of the mercenary spirit, the union craze would have been ended there.

As a presbyter he had but few equals. He was sound and logical, able and discreet; and when Presbytery was in doubt upon a question of parliamentary ruling he was always equal to the occasion.

His life was such as to merit the approbation of his fellowmen--even those who did not agree with him. As an illustration of this, in the early part of the late unpleasantness in our church, pending the merger question, some parties of Bowling Green were discussing the question and counting the parties that were for or against it. One lady said: "Yes, there is old Brother Smith, and he ought to have been dead and in heaven long ago." Although she counted him against them, this was the worst she could say of him.

When Brother Smith was a young man he was of ruddy complexion, and betrayed his Scotch-Irish origin. He tells this joke on himself. While living in Indiana some movers from old Erin passed by and stopped to buy some feed for the team. The man with a quizzical eye, looking at Smith, said: "And how long have you been from the Oild Country?"

Of the many good things he has written, his booklet entitled "A Variable Theology," published in 1905 was far-reaching in its effects. Its shows most forcibly and conclusively the inconsistencies of those who betrayed our church.

Brother Smith is a type of consecrated, dignified, Christian manhood that our church delights to honor.

[Source: Our Senior Soldiers: The Biographies and Autobiographies of Eighty Cumberland Presbyterian Preachers. Compiled by The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. The Assistance of Revs. J. L. Price and W. P. Kloster is Greatfully Acknowledged. Nashville, Tenn.: The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1915, pages 263-266]