John Benjamin Smith was born in Randolph County, Georgia (far southwestern Georgia, almost on the border of Alabama) on April 8, 1843 to Benjamin Smith Jr. and Britanny Elizabeth Davis Smith. The earliest information in my records indicate that the Smith line goes back to Benjamin Smith Sr. (grandfather to John Benjamin Smith) who was also born in Georgia (Stewart County) in 1752 (Stewart County is directly north and contiguous to Randolph County, Georgia). John Benjamin was the second of eleven children and was born when Benjamin was 28 and Britanny Elizabeth (originally from South Carolina) was 21. I am unaware of who Britanny's parents were.Augusta Elizabeth Hornburg, on the other hand, was a first generation American, or rather , Texan. Her parents were Johann Christoph Hornburg, born 1795 in northern Germany or Prussia and Marie Dorothee Christine Harms Hornburg, born in 1806, in the same general area as her husband. Johann and Marie were married August 25, 1824 in Germany and had six children when they learned of the opportunities presented by the Stephen F. Austin land grants in Texas. The proposition was that any German family that moved to Texas would receive one section of land (660 Acres). Any family that did not have the money for passage could deed ½ of their property over to the steamship company in return for getting them to their new home. The prospect of 330 acres of land was just too much to pass up. They left Germany on the ship Eberhart on September 17, 1845 and arrived at the Texas port of Indianola in December of 1845. During the trip over the steamship company went bankrupt and sold the wagons they had in Texas to the United States to use in the Spanish American War. The immigrants built a tent city there on the coast and had a terrible time of it. Cholera and Dysentery took the lives of over 1,000 and it appeared the only way to survive was to move inland. The Hornburgs made the trip up to Victoria, a distance of 40 miles, and it was there that little Augusta Elizabeth was born, January 23, 1847. Her parents were 52 and 41 respectively when she was born. One other child was born later, Mary Melinda, who made a total of 8 children born to the family.
Benjamin Smith and Britanny moved from Randolph County, GA between 1855 to 1857 to Jackson, East Feliciana, Louisiana, a distance of 488 miles, where a set of twins, Lea and Tilman Paul were born (their last two children). Within three years or so (1860 census) the family is living in Lavaca County, Texas (about 425 miles from their home in Louisiana) and seems to have been a family of some wealth (over $1,500 in Real Estate and $12,000 in person property). Our Benjamin is shown on that census as a 16 year old.
The Hornburgs moved from Victoria, Texas to Lavaca County, Texas between Augusta's birth in 1847 and the 1850 census. Augusta is shown in that census as a 3 year old (1850 census) and by the 1860 census she was 13 years old. Note: I am unable to find the Hornburg's in the 1860 census (though they appear they in later ones). Possibly they were missed in the 1860 census.
John Benjamin and Augusta Elizabeth were married July 8, 1867 when he was 24 and she was 20. Three years later in the 1870 census, Mary Melinda Hornburg (Augusta's younger sister) is shown living with them. John Benjamin is listed as a farmer with a land value of $100 and a personal property value of $175.
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By the 1880 census John Benjamin is now 39 and Augusta is 33 living in Lavaca County and list 4 children: Benjamin 6; Roda 5; John W. 3; and Mary R. 2. Since Dad's (Bryan F. Johnson) mother, Sarah Elizabeth Smith Johnson was born October of 1880 it seems that Augusta was pregnant with her during the census. Sarah Elizabeth ended up being the 5th of 9 known children.
The 1890 census was largely destroyed and so the next record we have of the Smiths was the 1900 census where it is apparent all 9 children are still living at home ranging in age from Benjamin, who was 26, to Viola, who was 7. The census also informs us that by 1900 J.B., age 57, and Augusta, age 53, have been married for 33 years and that she had 13 children, 9 of which are still living. J.B. is still listed as a farmer and the school age children are listed as attending school. All in the family are listed as being able to read, write and speak English. Both sons Benjamin and Willie are shown with occupations as "Farm Laborer".
John Benjamin passed away October 17, 1909 at the age of 66. Augusta lived another 3 years and passed away December 19, 1912 at the age of 65.
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