DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passing it along. Now, up on this hill in Henderson, there's a park named for a man, and the man is buried right in it — right where he asked to be, in sight of the courthouse. That was General James Smith's wish, and it was honored.
James Smith was born September 10, 1792, in South Carolina. He fought for the United States in the War of 1812 — so by the time Texas entered his story, he already knew what it meant to stand on a line and hold it. He moved to Texas in 1835, and when the trouble with Mexico turned into something bigger, he turned around and went back to the United States — not to stay, but to raise troops for the Texas War of Independence.
The man recruited fighters for a fight he then came back to join. And he wasn't done after independence, not by a long stretch. He fought in the Republic's Indian Wars.
Then came the Regulator-Moderator uprising in the 1840s in East Texas — one of the ugliest, most tangled feuds this state ever produced — and James Smith was in the middle of that too. Then the Mexican War. The man had a gift for showing up wherever things got serious.
Between campaigns, he served as the first Judge of the East Texas District. He was a legislator. He was co-founder of Henderson, the very town whose courthouse he asked to see from his grave.
And nearby Smith County carries his name as its own kind of monument. He died on December 25, 1855. Buried right beside him in this park is his wife, Hannah Parker Smith.
They had ten children together. So here on this hill, the two of them rest — a co-founder of the town, a soldier across three wars, a judge, a legislator — and his wife, beside him just as she was in life. He picked the spot himself, courthouse in view.
Seems like even at the end, General James Smith wanted to keep an eye on things.
What the marker says
Park named for General James Smith (Sept. 10, 1792-Dec. 25, 1855) On this hill, as he wished for burial in sight of courthouse is grave of General James Smith, co-founder of Henderson. A south Carolina native, he fought for the U.S. in War of 1812. Moved to Texas 1835. Returned to U.S. to raise troops for Texas War of Independence. Later he fought in Republic's Indian Wars; regulator-moderator uprising in 1840s in East Texas; and in Mexican War. He was first Judge, East Texas District; a legislator; honored in naming of nearby Smith County. His wife, Hannah Parker Smith, is buried beside him in this park. They had ten children.