William Smith, Captain: Life and Death of A Soldier of the American Revolution
By Donald L. Hafner
In 1786, Abigail Adams wrote this about her brother, William Smith: "Let all remembrance of his connection with this family cease, by a total silence upon the subject. … My friends will do me a kindness by strictly adhering to this request."
The manner in which William Smith became Captain of a minute man company at the age of 28 and a participant in the most important day in American history, only to die in poverty, disgrace, and estrangement from his wife and family at the age of 40, is a tangled tale. The tale is told here in an engaging style, tracing the lives of William Smith, his wife and six children, his slave Cato, and their relationships with William's famous sister, Abigail Adams.
About The Author: Donald L. Hafner was Professor of Political Science at Boston College, now retired. He has twice served as Captain of the Lincoln Minute Men, of Lincoln, Massachusetts—the same position once held by Captain William Smith.
By Donald L. Hafner
In 1786, Abigail Adams wrote this about her brother, William Smith: "Let all remembrance of his connection with this family cease, by a total silence upon the subject. … My friends will do me a kindness by strictly adhering to this request."
The manner in which William Smith became Captain of a minute man company at the age of 28 and a participant in the most important day in American history, only to die in poverty, disgrace, and estrangement from his wife and family at the age of 40, is a tangled tale. The tale is told here in an engaging style, tracing the lives of William Smith, his wife and six children, his slave Cato, and their relationships with William's famous sister, Abigail Adams.
About The Author: Donald L. Hafner was Professor of Political Science at Boston College, now retired. He has twice served as Captain of the Lincoln Minute Men, of Lincoln, Massachusetts—the same position once held by Captain William Smith.
By Donald L. Hafner
In 1786, Abigail Adams wrote this about her brother, William Smith: "Let all remembrance of his connection with this family cease, by a total silence upon the subject. … My friends will do me a kindness by strictly adhering to this request."
The manner in which William Smith became Captain of a minute man company at the age of 28 and a participant in the most important day in American history, only to die in poverty, disgrace, and estrangement from his wife and family at the age of 40, is a tangled tale. The tale is told here in an engaging style, tracing the lives of William Smith, his wife and six children, his slave Cato, and their relationships with William's famous sister, Abigail Adams.
About The Author: Donald L. Hafner was Professor of Political Science at Boston College, now retired. He has twice served as Captain of the Lincoln Minute Men, of Lincoln, Massachusetts—the same position once held by Captain William Smith.