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Patriot Summary
Ithamar Smith (1756-1844) served in the Massachusetts militia as a private in Captain Josiah Smith's Company, Colonel Whitney's Regiment, Captain Richard Faxon's Company, and Colonel David Mason's Regiment. He served as a quartermaster under Colonel William Smith. Ithamar Smith was born in Longmeadow, Hampton County, Massachusetts on January 13, 1756. He was married to Lucy Nevers and they had thirteen children. A blacksmith by trade he moved to Pontiac, Michigan in 1835. Ithamar Smith died September 1, 1844, and is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery located in Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan. SAR Patriot Number P-292077 DAR Patriot Number Not Available Find-A-Grave Number 71606805From the History of Oakland County, Michigan by Thaddeus D. Seeley (1912)
Ithamar Eleazer (5), John (4), John (3), Philip (2), Lieut. Samuel (1) Smith, was born at Longmeadow, Massachusetts, January 13, 1756. He married January 26, 1780, Lucy Nevers of Springfield, and had by her thirteen children, seven of whom he buried in New England. She died September 25, 1843.
Mr. Smith in June, 1776, enlisted for six months as a private in Captain Josiah Smith’s company, Col. Whitney’s regiment; also in April or May, 1777, as artificer for two years in Capt. Richard Faxon’s company, Col. David Mason’s regiment; again, in 1779, he was in charge of the quartermaster’s shop at Springfield, Massachusetts, under Col. William Smith. At the time of his enlistment he was a resident of Wilbraham, Hampshire county, Massachusetts. About the year 1806 he removed to Marcellus, Onondaga county, New York. September 14, 1832 he applied for and received a pension while resident of this place. From there his wife and children and grandchildren, except his youngest son, Dr. George Smith and family of Syracuse, numbering twenty persons, came to Pontiac in the fall of 1835.
When they left Marcellus they came to a place called Jordan on the Erie canal, where they chartered a boat for Buffalo. Some of the neighbors followed them to the canal to bid them farewell, for Michigan was then considered near the “jumping off place” and the good old minister preached a sermon before they started, from the text “They seek a country.” Arriving at Buffalo they took a steamboat for Detroit, and thence over a rough road to Pontiac. They all moved into the house known as the Benjamin Phelps house (now the Presbyterian parsonage) and remained there until they could look around and select a permanent home.
Mr. Smith bought the farm of Mr. Griffin, afterwards known as the George Wisner farm, which was managed by his son-in-law, Deacon Frost. He and his family were very regular in their attendance at church, going quite often with oxen for the first year or two. He was quite deaf and used to stand in the pulpit with the minister when he was over eighty years of age, no matter how long the sermon. In 1843 he sold his farm to George Wisner, taking in part payment a farm in West Bloomfield. About this time his wife was taken sick and died, aged eighty-four years. They had lived together sixty-three years. On the 1st of September, 1844, while getting ready to go to meeting Mr. Smith fell and died in a few minutes.
Ithamar Smith was a blacksmith by trade and in 1874 there was still existing an account book he used from 1800 to 1812. While in the Revolutionary service he had the pleasure of seeing and shaking by the hand his great commander, George Washington. On the 4th of July, 1838, at a celebration given by the citizens of Pontiac, Mr. Smith and Mr. Beach, another Revolutionary soldier living here, were given the posts of honor. He is buried in Oak Hill cemetery.