A Proclamation by Rhode Island Governor

Full Title

A Proclamation by James Youngs Smith, Governor of the State of Rhode Island

Description

James Youngs Smith, the 29th Governor of Rhode Island, issued a proclamation on the day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination asking the clergy of Rhode Island to commemorate the President and pray for the country during the upcoming Sunday services. Born in Groton, Connecticut in 1809, Smith moved to Providence, Rhode Island at the age of 16 to work for a lumber business. Later in life he bought mills in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. He served three terms as Governor of Rhode Island as a Republican before declining to run for a fourth term. He served throughout the Civil War and was able to fill the state's troop quota through voluntary enlistment because the citizens of Rhode Island opposed drafting soldiers. Smith married Emily Brown, the daughter of a cotton manufacturer from Massachusetts and had three children.

Source

Library of Congress, Rare Book And Special Collections Division

Rights

Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.

Tags

• government: U.S.

• man

• Republican

• assassination details

• first news

• first reaction

• grief

• honoring

• memorial

• mourning

• religious

• untranscribed: printed

Cite this Item

James Y. Smith. "A Proclamation by James Youngs Smith, Governor of the State of Rhode Island". Rhode Island, Governor. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/1093

Item Type

Document

Creator

James Y. Smith

Publisher

Rhode Island, Governor

Date

April 15, 1865

Material

Printed on page [1] of a single-folded sheet.

Dimensions

21 cm.

Region

Union states