Born in Dublin.
Enlisted at Dublin on the 5th of June 1847.
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 9th of October 1854 for "absence and habitual drunkenness". Awarded 50 lashes and stoppage of 1d. per day for 6 months.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 12th of February 1856 for "habitual drunkenness." Awarded 42 days imprisonment with hard labour and stoppage of 1d. per day for six months.
He was also tried by a District Court-martial on an unspecified date "for being drunk on duty under arms," and given 50 lashes.
Discharged as "Worthless" from Dublin on the 7th of November 1856.
Served 8 years 34 days.
Conduct and character: "very bad." Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
At the time of the Jubilee Celebrations in June of 1897 he was present at the Fleet Street offices of Mr. T.H Roberts, being brought from the Edmonton Workhouse, and having to return there. In a photograph taken at this time Smith has been identified as the second man from the right-hand side, front row. (See copy of this in the 17th Lancer file.)
The 1881 Census Returns show a man of this name as living at No. 18, Bangor Street (Common Lodging House) a General Labourer, unmarried, born in London, and aged 61.
He died in the St. Pancras Workhouse on the 28th of January 1899, and was buried in the Catholic portion of the St. Pancras Cemetery, East Finchley, London, (Grave No. 44 R.C. 190.) on the 3rd of February. He was buried by the "Robert's" Fund, and during his lifetime had received a total of £32/11/0 in financial help from it.
Extract from the "Daily Telegraph" for the 4th of February 1899:
"A Soldier's Funeral — With military honours the remains of John Smith, one of the sixty or seventy survivors of the memorable charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava were laid to rest yesterday (the 3rd.) in the Catholic portion of the St. Pancras Cemetery, East Finchley. The guard, which was furnished by the courtesy of Colonel Brown, C.B., from the 17th (North) Middlesex R.V., consisted of about twenty rank-and-file under Sgt, Major Lowe and Colour-Sergeant Lockwood. Three rounds of blank ammunition were fired over the grave following the simple service solemnised by Father Daniels. John Smith, known in his regiment (the 17th Lancers.) as "Fighting Smith" — took his part at the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol. During the Charge of the Light Brigade he found that the thick coat worn by the Russian soldiers was almost proof against his sword-cuts, so he used the point of his blade. Seeing a fellow-trooper slashing for all he was worth at the enemy, he called out, "Don't cut 'em, man, give 'em the point." Many a comrade acted on this good advice, thereby lessening the number of the foe:
"The old soldier was seventy-nine years old when he died. As he left the Army at the close of the Crimean War by buying himself out, [sic] he received no pension. He was allowed 10/- per week from the Balaclava Survivors Relief Fund, so kindly originated by Mr. T. Roberts. At his advanced age he required personal attention which this sum could not provide or cover and he was therefore obliged to seek the refuge of the St. Pancras Workhouse, where he died last Sunday, (29th of January.) Mr. Roberts, who had helped him in his life, did not forsake him in death, and it was owing to him that a grave was purchased — and the old man saved from the indignity of a pauper's funeral:
"The chief mourner was his daughter — and his only relative. At present some thirty men are receiving a pension from the Survivors Fund, which is however, almost exhausted, there being only enough money to last for about two months. Unless more funds are forthcoming many of these men will be compelled to follow the example of John Smith, and in the end, to be laid in a pauper's grave..."
(From the end of February 1898 his allowance of 10/- per week was given to him by a Mrs. Patrick Frazer.)
See photograph of his gravesite in the public section of St. Pancras Cemetery in the 17th Lancer file.
The memorial plaque erected in the chapel of St. Pancras Cemetery reads:
"Erected by the Officers of the 17th Lancers to the memory of Private John Smith, who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava with the Regiment. He died January 28th 1899, aged 79 years."
This plaque was by the mid nineteen-eighties in the Superintendent's office at the Cemetery, (See photograph of this in the 17th Lancer file.)
In an Account and Address Book formerly used by James W. Wightman when the Secretary of the Balaclava Society, his address was shown as "the Strand Union, Edmonton."
Seen in a copy of a book by D.H. Parry, "The Death or Glory Boys," that had originally belonged to a Mr. Robert H. Davies, of No, 58 Cheveny Road, Queen's Park, London, were several pencilled annotations relating to men of the Light Brigade. As a youth of 16, Mr. Davies had worked for Mr. T.H. Roberts, who had campaigned for the veterans over many years. Some of these notes were obviously written over a period of several years as although the year 1906 is on the fly-leaf, dates as late as 1911 are mentioned... "Smith, who had been taken from the Edmonton Workhouse in 1897, was our caretaker at "biz." (The Dean Engraving Company. Mr. Roberts, Prop.) He was a big hefty man, and feared naught even at his age. He often told me of his services during the charge and how he had been splashed with the blood of Captain Nolan when he was struck [sic]. He also spoke of a fight he had with a fellow trooper. They fought for over an hour with bare fists and the other man was so badly cut up that he had to be invalided home. He paid court to my grand-mother, a Mrs. Hairey (by my father's second marriage) but she did not accept. He was a real character, and his only living relative was a nurse in a London Hospital."
Davis also speaks of the story of Smith and his remark to the Colonel regarding the loss of his spur. Doubts arise as this nickname of "Blood Smith." According to D.H. Parry in his book (Page 221) when in India after the Crimea, Smith is supposed to have paraded wearing only one spur, and on being asked by the Colonel the reason is said to have replied, "Lost it, Sorr. Up to my knees in blood, fighting for my country." However, Smith, having been discharged from the Army in 1856 did not go to India with the regiment, so doubts must arise as to the authenticity of this story.
[EJB: Lummis and Wynn state that he was transferred to the 6th Dragoon Guards, but this was not so. He was attached to them as one of a Letter-party for Cavalry Divisional H.Q. in December of 1856. Morley in his "Memoirs" mentions him as being under his command at this time and also that he tried to ride a horse off the field at Balaclava attached to one of the Russian guns.]
Kinglake, in his "History of the Crimean War," Volume V. (Page 324) describes as "George" Smith, the man who told T.S.M. O'Hara where Captain Morris was lying, but in the index as "John" Smith. 1003 George Smith was more likely to have been the man in question as he rode with No, 4 Troop (see copy of T.S.M. O'Hara's troop muster roll in the 17th Lancer "Scrapbook," whilst according to 1004 Thomas Morley, 924 Smith was with him. (See copy of Thomas Morley's "The Reason for the Charge," in the "Memoirs" file.)