Tillman Smith

Full Name: James Tillman Smith
Date of birth: September 8, 1843
Date of death: January 30, 1908

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	16	Apr 18, 1876 - Nov 19, 1876	15th ⁽²⁾	Democrat	Navasota / Grimes		Grimes, Madison, Trinity, Walker
H	15	Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876	14th	Democrat	Navasota / Grimes		Grimes, Madison, San Jacinto, Walker

(1) James R. Burnett, sworn in 16th Legislature, succeeded Tillman Smith, resigned 11/19/1876. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) 15th Legislature - All Senators except District 7 listed in roll call as Senators elect, oath of office administered, 4/18/1876, p. 1; Drawing of Senatorial Terms, 4/27/1876, p. 98, drew "short term" (two years). Senate Journal. April 18, 1876 April 27, 1876

Terms of Service top

Senate District 16
Apr 18, 1876 - Nov 19, 1876
Legislatures: 15th ⁽²⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Navasota / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Madison, Trinity, Walker

House District 15
Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876
Legislatures: 14th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Navasota / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Madison, San Jacinto, Walker

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

Obituary, "Tillman Smith Funeral Held . . . Born in North Carolina, He Was Confederate Soldier and State Senator," 1/31/1908, p. 8. Born 9/8/1844 in Lilesville, Anson County, North Carolina. Memorial resolution of the Fort Worth Bar Association, "Bar Honors Tillman Smith: Resolutions Pay High Tribute to Fine Character," 2/3/1908, p. 3. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Biographical sketch in "State Senators Elect: Personal Sketches Completed - Seventeen Lawyers, Seven Grangers, Two Doctors, One Editor and Four Colored Politicians - the Political Structure of the New Senate of Texas," 3/3/1876, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
Biographical sketch, pp. 27-29. Sketches of Legislators and State Officers, Fifteenth Legislature, 1876-1878, 1876.
Biographical sketch, Judge James Tillman Smith, Volume II, pp. 176-177. Native of Anson County, North Carolina, moved to Hill County, Texas, then Navasota, Grimes County, "in 1874 was elected to represent his district in the state legislature, and in 1876 was chosen to the senate from the fifteenth senatorial district, composed of the counties of Grimes, Madison, Walker and Trinity." Moved to Fort Worth in 1891. A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas, 1906.

Military Service Notes

Confederate States Army, Company C, 14th Regiment North Carolina Volunteers, per widow's application and affidavits. James Tillman Smith, marriage date 6/17/1874 in Grimes County, death date 1/30/1908 in Tarrant County, widow Mrs. Emma De Maret Smith. Includes Confederate war service of James Tillman Smith, dec'd, as shown by books of R.E. Camp No. 158, Fort Worth, Texas; affidavits of Mrs. M.E. Harlee of North Carolina and M.M. Crane of Dallas; and obituary in Confederate Veteran. Pension File No. 51922, Alabama, Texas and Virginia, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958. Ancestry.com.
Confederate States Army, Company C, 14th North Carolina Infantry, Ransom's Brigade, G.H. Hill's Division, Jackson's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, enlisted 7/26/1861 at Suffolk, Virginia. Obituary, Judge Tillman Smith, Vol. XVI, No. 8, August 1908, p. 413. Confederate Veteran.

Other Resources

Listed in "Men who have represented Grimes County in the House of Representatives/State Senate, 1846-1931," pp. 205-209. Includes Date, Legislatures, District, and Source of Data. Early History of Grimes County, 1930.
Census of 1880 - Tilman Smith, Cleburne, Johnson County, age 36, born circa 1844 in North Carolina, lawyer, living in household with Emma Smith (age 30).
Census of 1900 - Tillman Smith, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, age 55, born September 1845 in North Carolina, lawyer, wife Emma D. FamilySearch. 1880 1900
Tillman Smith, birth date 9/8/1843, death date 1/30/1908, portrait, burial in Cleburne Memorial Cemetery, Cleburne, Johnson County. Find a Grave.
Tillman Smith. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Photographs

Photograph. T. Smith, 15th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Tillman Smith, 14th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Portrait courtesy of Mervin D. Peters., Donated Material

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

15th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate Sergeant-at-arms office, west wall. 2E.10A). State Preservation Board.
14th session composite photo of Senate and House members (Ground floor elevator vestibule, east wall. GW.V3). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

15th R.S. - 1876 Agricultural and Mechanical College, Visit Constitutional Amendments (Chair) Counties and County Boundaries Federal Relations Finance Judiciary No. 2 Public Debt Revision of Senate Rules of Order and Joint Committee on Rules of Joint Session State Penitentiaries
14th R.S. - 1874 Constitutional Amendments Finance Judiciary No. 2 Mexican Border Troubles Penitentiary Public Buildings Removal of Judge L.M. Cooper, 3rd Judicial District

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.