A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname

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Notes for Smith Disbrow BARNUM

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Smith Disbrow Barnum enlisted August 22, 1862 in Company "B", 141st Pennsylvania Infantry. He fought in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and The Wilderness, among others. Seriously wounded at Gettysburg, he was sent to the hospital at Harrisburg. He was discharged on March 21, 1864 and was subsequently commissioned by President Lincoln as Captain, Company "C", 23rd United States Colored Troops (USCT). Veterans Administration record state that he was also a Captain with Company "F" of the same unit. He received a pension as an Army Invalid. Captured at the Battle of Petersburg, Virginia (Crater/The Mine) on July 30, 1864, he was sent to Columbia Prison until March 7, 1865. Upon his release, he went to Brownsville, Texas, where he joined the "Army of Observation," on the Rio Grande, maintained by the US Government under General Philip H. Sheridan to observe and await the development of the operations of Emperor Maximilian and his French allies, then occupying Mexico. He mustered out of the Army on November 30, 1865, later receiving a Civil War Pension; Application No. 98.377; Certificate No. 76.141.

The name of Smith D. Barnum is engraved on the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC, on plaque number B-39.

The History of Sheshequin 1777-1902 contains the following entry: Company "B" , 141st P. V. Smith D. Barnum, private; enlisted Aug. 22, '62; wounded at Gettysburg; promoted to captain 23rd Regiment U. S. C. T., March 21, '64; mustered out Nov. 30, '65.

From http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/uncolinf1.htm (The Civil War Archive, Union Regimental Histories Colored Troops Infantry): The 23rd Regiment Infantry was organized at Camp Casey, Va., November 23, 1863, to June 30, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac, April to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, December, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, and Department of Texas, to November, 1865. Service.--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va., May and June, 1864. Guarding wagon trains Army of the Potomac through the Wilderness. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Fort Sedgwick September 28. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Bermuda Hundred December 13. Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front until March, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty in Department of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May-June. Duty at Brownsville and along the Rio Grande, Texas, until November. Mustered out November 30, 1865. The Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 82 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 165 Enlisted men by disease. Total 252.

The diary of Julia Ann Park of Litchfield, Bradford County, Pennsylvania for the year 1868 [http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/diaries/1868park.htm] includes several references to the Smith Barnum family.

In the 1870 US Census for Litchfield Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania the family of Smith Barnum was enumerated as follows:
Household #240, Family #235
Barnum, Smith; 30; M; Farmer; Real property $5,000; Personal property $2,487; b. New York; eligible to vote
Barnum, Sophia; 23; F; Housekeeper; b. Pennsylvania
Horton, Mary; 18; F; Domestic servant; b. Pennsylvania

In the 1880 US Census for Litchfield Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania the family of Smith Barnum was enumerated as follows:
Family #236
Smith D. Barnum, 40, M, Husband, Farmer, b. New York, Both parents b. New York
Sophia J. Barnum, 32, F, Wife, Housekeeper, b. Pennsylvania, Both parents b. Pennsylvania
Lillian N. Barnum, 9, F, Daughter, Aattends school, b. Pennsylvania, Father b. New York, Mother b. Pennsylvania
George Barnum, 7, M, Adopted son, Attends school, b. Pennsylvania

The widowed mother of Smith Barnum was enumerated in the same census, as follows:
Family #23
Sylvia Barnum, 65, F, Widow, Housekeeper, b. New York, Father b. Ireland, Mother b. CT

Note: In the 1880 US Census for Jefferson, Schoharie County, New York the family of Smith Disbrow (b. 1793) was living next door to the family of James Barnum, who was a cousin of Smith Disbrow Barnum and a nephew of his father Burgess. Ira Barnum, the father of James and brother of Burgess, was living nearby. It seems likely, therefore, that the naming of Smith Disbrow Barnum derived from the close relationship between the Barnum and Disbrow families while living in Jefferson.

In the 1900 US Census for South Waverly Borough, Bradford County, Pennsylvania the family of Smith Barnum was enumerated as follows:
Dwelling #228, Family #244
Smith D. Barnum, Head, W, M, b. Apr 1840, 60 yrs., Married 34 yrs., b. New York, Father b. New York, Mother b. New York, Grist mill proprietor, Worked full census year, Can read, write and speak English, Owns non-farm home with mortgage
Sophy Barnum, Wife, W, F, b. Jan 1847, 53 yrs., Married 34 yrs., Mother of one child, One child living, b. Pennsylvania, Father b. New York, Mother b. Pennsylvania, Can read, write and speak English
Lillian N. Barnum, Daughter, W, F, b. Jan 1871, 29 yrs., Single, b. Pennsylvania, Father b. New York, Mother b. Pennsylvania, Bookkeeper, Can read, write and speak English
Sylvia Barnum, Mother, W, F, b. May 1815, 85 yrs., Widow, Mother of 3 children, 3 children living, b. New York, Father b. New York, Mother b. New York, Can read, write and speak English

In the 1910 US Census for District 0141, Barton, Tioga County, New York Smith Barnum and his daughter Lillian were enumerated as follows:
Dwelling #278; Family #303 (403 Chemung Street)
Albertson, Chas. L.; Head; Male; White; 54; Widowed; b. New York; Both parents b. New York; Able to speak English; Police Inspector; Retired; Able to read and write; Owns non-farm home free of mortgage
Barnum, Smith; Boarder; Male; White; 69; Widowed; b. New York; Both parents b. New York; Able to speak English; Miller; Flour; Wage earner; Not out of work on April 15, 1910 ; Able to read and write
Barnum, Lillian; Housekeeper; Female; White; 39; Single; b. Pennsylvania; Father b. New York; Mother b. Pennsylvania; Able to speak English; Housekeeper; Private family; Wage earner; Not out of work on April 15, 1910; Able to read and write

In the 1920 US Census for District 112, Orlando, Orange County, Florida Smith Barnum and his daughter Lillian were enumerated as follows:
Dwelling #47; Family #47 (Farm)
Barnum, Smith D.; Head; Owns farm home; Male; White; 80; Widowed; Able to read and write; b. Pennsylvania; Both parents b. New York; Able to speak English; No trade or profession; Farm schedule 26
Barnum, Lillian W.; Daughter; Female; White; 48; Single; Able to read and write; b. Pennsylvania; Both parents b. Pennsylvania; Able to speak English; Farmer; Orange
Albertson, Charles L.; Female [sic]; White; 63; Married [sic]; Able to read and write; b. New York; Both parents b. New York; Able to speak English; No trade or profession

From The Daily Review, Towanda, Pennsylvania, Tuesday Morning, February 12, 1924: Capt. Barnum Dies in Florida. Well Know Resident of Waverly Passes Away in 84th Year. The many friends of Captain Smith D. Barnum will be surprised and grieved to learn of his death at Orlando, Fla., on February 7, as the result of heart trouble with which he had been affected for a number of years.
Captain Barnum was the son of Burgess and Sylvia Queal Barnum and was b. April 20, 1840 in the town of Harpersfield, Schoharie County, New York. When three years of age, his parents with a number of others hearing of the fine farming lands in the Sheshequin Valley, removed to that vicinity, purchasing a farm in Ghent. At the age of 19 he had prepared himself for a teacher and taught school at Shores Hill, Ghent and Myersburg until the summer of 1842.
Under Lincoln's call for 300,000 men during the summer, he enlisted on August 18 at Towanda in Company "B" of the 141st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.
He took an active part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and at the latter place was severely wounded in the arm and left side. His regiment lay in the sunken road in front of the "Peach Orchard" and saw some of the hardest fighting of the battle, losing seventy per cent of its men.
He was sent to a hospital in Philadelphia where he remained during his recovery and when he was able attended General Taggert's Officers' Training School. Passing his examinations successfully, he obtained a commission as captain of Company "C", of the Twenty-Third Regiment, United States Colored Troops and went with this company all through the "Wilderness Campaign" reaching Petersburg in July.
At the blowing up of the "Crater" during the siege of Petersburg, he went in with his company, remaining there until 4:00 pm, being one of the last twelve who came out alive.
Here he was taken prisoner and sent to Columbia, S. C., where he was in rebel prisons seven months, suffering privation and hunger untold. At the close of the war he was sent with his regiment to the Mexican border to help in settling the Maximilian dispute, remaining until November 1865, when he returned to Washington and was mustered out of the service.
The following spring of 1866 he purchased the Spencer farm in Litchfield, Bradford county, and on July 2 was married to Sophia Horton of Ghent.
They remained on this farm until 1880, when they removed to Waverly, N. Y., purchasing a home on Bradford street.
About two years later he entered a partnership with Allen La Monte in the feed and grain business, this partnership continuing until the death of Mr. La Monte. He remained in the feed and milling business until the fall of 1913, when he retired after 30 years of active business life.
Captain Barnum was one of the pioneers in prohibition movements of the country, working in the Good Templar society, and later when the Prohibition Party was organized, uniting with it and steadfastly casting his ballots with it, until the adoption of the 18th Amendment.
In early manhood he united with the Methodist Church and was a superintendent of the Sunday School in Litchfield for a long term of years. Upon removing to Waverly he taught a bible class and was also class leader for many years. During the past ten years he was superintendent of a suburban Sunday School at Orlando, his winter home, where he was beloved by all who were privileged to listen to his splendid talks.
As a business man, Captain Barnum was scrupulously honest and gained the respect of all with whom he had dealings because of his strict integrity. As a husband and father he was one of the kindest, never becoming impatient under the most trying difficulties, but was always ready with his genial smile and calm helpful counsel, applying his Christian principles to every act of his life to the very best of his ability.
He had been a member of Walter C. Hull Grand Army Post of Waverly since coming to Waverly in 1880 and served as its commander a number of years.
He is survived by his nephew and namesake, Smith Barnum Van Sice of Sheshequin, a niece, Mrs. Dora Van Sice Pennell of Rush, Pa., a nephew, Warren Barnum, of Oregon City, Oregon, a niece, Mrs. Rose Barnum Smith of Minneapolis and his only daughter, Lillian N. Barnum, of Waverly, N. Y.
The body was embalmed and placed in the receiving vault in Hand's Undertaking Parlors at Orlando, Fla., and will be brought to Waverly in May, when funeral services will be conducted at his late home.
It has been said by the Psalmist: "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."
He was buried in Tioga Point Cemetery. The record states: Barnum, Smith D.; Pvt., Co. B, 141 Pa. Vol; Capt., Co. C, 23 Colored Troops; Discharged Nov. 30, 1865. Also served in 144 Regt. Pa. Vol. (1840 - Feb. 1924). Son of Burgess and Sylvia Quail Barnum. On July 2, 1866 married Sophia J. Horton of Sheshequein; d. Oct. 1905; Dau. Lillian married Charles L. Albertson on July 6, 1925.

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