Samuel S. Smith
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Samuel S. Smith member of the Woll and Somvervell expeditions, 1842 born in Boston, Mass. September 19, 1810 died August 18, 1882 his wife Sarah Brckett Smith born in New York February 28, 1836 died March 20, 1901.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Boston-born Samuel S. Smith rode with the Woll and Somervell expeditions of 1842, the volatile border campaigns that followed Mexican incursions into the young Republic of Texas. He lived until 1882 and is remembered here alongside his wife Sarah.
Why it matters
The 1842 expeditions capture the unsettled, contested years after San Jacinto, when the Republic's frontier with Mexico remained a live battleground.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
In 1842 the Republic of Texas was only six years past its victory at San Jacinto, and its independence was still not secure. Mexico had never recognized Texas, and the land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande was disputed and dangerous. For Texans that year, the war with Mexico could flare up again at any time.
It did. Twice in 1842 Mexican forces moved into Texas and occupied San Antonio. The second incursion, in September, was led by General Adrián Woll, who held the town for a short time before withdrawing south. Texan volunteers rushed to answer both threats.
The Republic was short of money and badly divided over how to respond. Some leaders favored caution. Many volunteers wanted to strike back across the border. That tension shaped the expeditions of 1842 and set the tone for the years that led to annexation by the United States.
People & events
Samuel S. Smith was born in Boston in 1810. That makes him one of many Americans from the East who came to Texas in the years of the Republic, drawn by land, opportunity, or adventure. The marker records that he served in two of the defining campaigns of 1842.
The first was the response to Woll's invasion. After Mexican troops seized San Antonio, Texan volunteers gathered to confront them, and fighting followed near the town before Woll pulled back toward the Rio Grande. Smith was among the Texans pulled into that crisis.
The second was the Somervell Expedition, a retaliatory march toward the Rio Grande late in 1842 under General Alexander Somervell. It was plagued by poor supplies and poor discipline, and Somervell eventually ordered his men home. Some refused and went on to the disastrous Mier Expedition. The marker says nothing about what Smith did at that point, so it's best not to guess. It records only that he survived the era and lived until 1882. His wife Sarah, born in New York in 1836, lived until 1901, and she is remembered here with him.
Its place in the American story
The border conflicts of 1842 are an often-overlooked link between the Texas Revolution and the U.S.-Mexican War. The repeated raids and counter-raids showed how weak the Republic's hold on its frontier really was. That helped build support for annexation, which followed in 1845 and led directly to war between the United States and Mexico.
Smith's own path, from Boston to the Texas frontier, reflects a larger movement in the 1830s and 1840s. Americans went west and south into territory that was not yet part of the United States, and their presence helped push the national borders outward.
Memorials like this one keep ordinary participants in the record. The famous commanders are well known, but the Republic's defense depended on men like Smith who answered the call when San Antonio was threatened.
If you visit
This is a quiet place for remembering, not a battlefield or a museum. Treat it with that respect. Stop to note the dates: Samuel was born in 1810 and Sarah in 1836, a large age gap that hints at a life story the marker leaves untold.
You're in San Antonio, where the events of 1842 took place. The city that Woll's troops occupied is the same one around you, and its historic core, the old missions, and the Alamo give you plenty of context for what the Republic of Texas era was like.
A good way to use this stop is as the personal side of a San Antonio history day. After seeing the big landmarks, visiting the memorial of one man who answered the Republic's call helps make that history feel human.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- San Antonio Fire Museum1.1 mi away · 801 East Houston Street
- Instituto Cultural de Mexico1.2 mi away
- Ralston Family Collections Center1.2 mi away
- Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium1.3 mi away
- Alamo Vistor Center and Museum (coming 2027)1.3 mi away
- Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks1.3 mi away
Attractions
- Tower of the Americas1.0 mi away · 739 East César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX
- River boat boarding1.1 mi away
- Sea Life Aquarium1.2 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Yanaguana Garden1.2 mi away
- River boat boarding1.3 mi away
- La Villita1.3 mi away
Food & drink
- Taco Bell1.1 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Margaritaville1.1 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Bonham Exchange1.1 mi away · 411 Bonham
- Colonial Room1.2 mi away · 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- Which Wich?1.2 mi away
- Mengerita Tacos1.2 mi away · 216 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
Places to stay
- Red Roof PLUS+ San Antonio Downtown - Riverwalk0.9 mi away
- Comfort Suites Alamo/River Walk1.0 mi away · 505 Live Oak Street, San Antonio, TX
- La Quinta Inn1.0 mi away · 303 Blum Street, San Antonio, TX
- Days Inn1.0 mi away · 902 East Houston Street, San Antonio, TX
- Tru by Hilton San Antonio Downtown Riverwalk1.0 mi away · 901 East Houston Street, San Antonio, TX
- Grand Hyatt San Antonio1.0 mi away · 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Samuel S. Smith
- · Sarah Brackett Smith
Themes & tags
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