HistoricSiteMarkers
Reconstruction & Gilded Age

Jefferson Davis Smith

San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(1862-1940) Jefferson (Jeff) Davis Smith, son of Henry M. and Fanny (Short) Smith, was born in Kendall County, Texas. Jeff, age 9, and his brother Clint, age 11, were kidnapped by Lipan and Comanche Indians while herding sheep near their home in 1871. Jeff was reportedly bought by Apache Chief Geronimo and made to join his tribe. Mexican bandits captured him to return him to his family for a $1,000 reward about 1878. He married Julia Harriett Reed in 1894 and moved to San Antonio. Recorded - 1993

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

In 1871, nine-year-old Jeff Davis Smith and his eleven-year-old brother Clint were seized by Lipan and Comanche raiders while herding sheep near their Kendall County home—a fate that befell many settler children on the Texas frontier. By tradition Jeff was bought by the Apache leader Geronimo and made to live among the tribe until Mexican bandits captured him around 1878 to claim a $1,000 reward for his return. He later married and settled in San Antonio, living until 1940.

Why it matters

Smith's captivity narrative reflects the violent, tangled frontier of 1870s Texas, where settler families, Comanche and Apache peoples, and cross-border raiders collided.

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Related people

  • · Jefferson Davis Smith
  • · Clint Smith
  • · Geronimo

Themes & tags

Native American HistoryWestward ExpansionFrontier HistoryMemorial

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