Introduction

Biography

Smith was the son of Alm­er Smith and Eli­za­beth N. Smith, and hus­band of Eli­za­beth Ed­wards.

He joined the Bap­tist church in El­bridge, New York, at age 16. He gra­du­at­ed from the Uni­ver­si­ty of Ro­ches­ter in 1852, and Ro­ches­ter Theo­lo­gic­al Sem­in­ary in 1854.

He was or­dained in Dun­kirk, No­vem­ber 23, 1854, and served there a few months.

The next year, he ac­cept­ed the pas­tor­ate of the Bap­tist church in Fay­ette­ville, New York. In 1860, he be­came pas­tor of the Bap­tist church in Far­mers­ville, New York.

From 1865–69, he was chap­lain of the state pris­on at Sing Sing, New York. While there, he com­piled a Pri­son Hymn Book (New York: N. Tib­bals, 1867), which in­clud­ed some of his own hymns.

He then ac­cept­ed a call to a Bap­tist church in Ge­ne­va, New York, and spent sev­en years there.

He spent the year af­ter his res­ig­na­tion in Eur­ope. Up­on re­turn, he be­came pas­tor of the Bap­tist church in Peeks­kill, New York. As of 1888, he was liv­ing in Sar­a­to­ga, New York.