When A Milton Man Was Vice President Of Pennsylvania - For 12 Days

On  October 11 1779, Col Matthew Smith, of Milton, was elected vice president of Pennsylvania. He held the position for just 12 days.

Pennsylvania had a President, and Vice President, for just 12 years,  1788 to 1790.  In 1790, Thomas Mifflin,  President at the time, became the first governor of the state, under the 1790 constitution.  Today instead of our state having a president and vice president, the offices are known as Governor & Lieutenant Governor.

Benjamin Franklin was the 6th President of Pennsylvania.

Col. Matthew Smith was from Paxtang, Dauphin County PA, later settling on a farm a "short distance above the mouth of Limestone Run" in Milton.  In 1775, Smith served under Benedict Arnold, in the Canada Expedition.  He survived the disastrous assault on Quebec, and his brief time as a prisoner of war. 

"When intelligence of the fall of Fort Freeland reached Paxtang he marched to Sunbury with a volunteer company at the earliest possible moment, and commanded the five hundred militia who endeavored to overtake the retreating invaders. On the 4th of Feb, 1780, he was appointed prothonotary of Northumberland county, serving in that position until Sept 25, 1783, and resided in the county the remainder of his life"

On October  11 1779, George Bryan resigned from the position of Vice President of Pennsylvania.   Smith was sworn in that same day.  He served for 12 days, resigning on October 23rd.

No reason as given for the resignations, but even though Smith holds the record for the shortest term as Lieutenant Governor, short terms were not uncommon.  John Bell served for just 14 days in January of 1947, David Redick held the vice presidency of Pennsylvania for only 22 days in 1788.

Col Matthew Smith died in 1794, at the age of 60.  He's buried in an unmarked grave near the Warrior Run Church.  His obituary read:

"Died, the 22d instant, about sunset, at Milton, Colonel Matthew Smith, aged fifty four years, being one of the first patriots for liberty; went to Canada in the year 1775, and suffered extremities. He was once prothonotary of Northumberland county, was interred 23d instant, attended by a number of his friends and acquaintances, together with the volunteer company of light infantry from Milton; conducted by Major Piatt and commanded by Captain James Boyd, who, after marching about six miles to Warrior Run burying ground and shedding a tear over the old patriot's grave, deposited his remains with three well directed volleys and returned home in good order."

The Seven Presidents Of Pennsylvania:

• Thomas Wharton Jr. March 5, 1777 May 23, 1778 died in office
• George Bryan May 23, 1778 December 1, 1778 Acting President upon death of Wharton
• Joseph Reed December 1, 1778 November 15, 1781
• William Moore November 15, 1781 November 7, 1782
• John Dickinson November 7, 1782 October 18, 1785 previously President of Delaware; he did not formally relinquish that title until January 12, 1783
• Benjamin Franklin October 18, 1785 November 5, 1788
• Thomas Mifflin November 5, 1788 December 21, 1790 became first governor of Pennsylvania under 1790 Constitution

The Vice Presidents Of Pennsylvania:

• Vice-President Start of Term End of Term Notes
• George Bryan March 6, 1777 October 11, 1779 resigned
• Matthew Smith October 11, 1779 October 23, 1779 resigned
• William Moore November 11, 1779 November 14, 1781 became president of Council following his term as VP
• James Potter November 15, 1781 November 7, 1782
• James Ewing November 7, 1782 November 6, 1784
• James Irvine November 6, 1784 October 10, 1785 resigned
• Charles Biddle October 10, 1785 October 31, 1787
• Peter Muhlenberg October 31, 1787 October 14, 1788 resigned
• David Redick October 14, 1788 November 5, 1788
• George Ross November 5, 1788 December 21, 1790

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In 2025, a team from Susquehanna University used ground penetrating radar to locate unmarked graves in the cemetery.  Matthew Smith's grave is unmarked, and it's location is not known.

https://www.susqu.edu/uncovering-buried-history/

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Find More Local Stories & History Here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html
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Captain of Lancaster Co. militia with Col. Benedict Arnold on 1775 midwinter march to Quebec. 

On August 1 1779, "Col Matthew Smith arrived at Fort Augusta with 60 Paxtang boys"

Col Matthew Smith
BIRTH 1734
DEATH 22 Jul 1794 (aged 59–60)
Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA
BURIAL
Warrior Run Church Cemetery
Delaware Run, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA
PLOT NE Corner in an unmarked grave

Matthew Smith resided on his farm a short distance above the mouth of Limestone run at the time of his death, was the eldest son of Robert Smith, of Paxtang, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. 

He served in Bouquet's expedition, the final campaign of the French and Indian war; at the outbreak of the Revolution he organized a company of riflemen, which was assigned to Colonel Thompson's battalion and joined the Continental forces at Boston. 

On the 5th of Sept, 1775, his company was detached to Arnold's command for the expedition to Canada. Captain Smith survived the hardships of the march through the Maine woods, the disastrous assault at Quebec on the 31st of Dec, and the brief confinement as a prisoner of war which followed, and rejoined his regiment with the survivors of his company, but resigned his commission on the 5th of Dec, 1776, on account of the appointment of a junior captain to a majority.

 He was thereupon promoted to major in the Ninth Pennsylvania, to rank from Sept 27, 1776. In the spring of 1778 he was elected member of the Supreme Executive Council for Lancaster county and took his seat in that body on the 28th of May; he was elected vice- president of the State, Oct 11, 1779, but resigned shortly afterward. 

When intelligence of the fall of Fort Freeland reached Paxtang he marched to Sunbury with a volunteer company at the earliest possible moment, and commanded the five hundred militia who endeavored to overtake the retreating invaders.

 On the 4th of Feb, 1780, he was appointed prothonotary of Northumberland county, serving in that position until Sept 25, 1783, and resided in the county the remainder of his life.

 The following obituary appeared in Kennedy's Gazette, July 1794:
Died, the 22d instant, about sunset, at Milton, Colonel Matthew Smith, aged fifty four years, being one of the first patriots for liberty; went to Canada in the year 1775, and suffered extremities. He was once prothonotary of Northumberland county, was interred 23d instant, attended by a number of his friends and acquaintances, together with the volunteer company of light infantry from Milton; conducted by Major Piatt and commanded by Captain James Boyd, who, after marching about six miles to Warrior Run burying ground and shedding a tear over the old patriot's grave, deposited his remains with three well directed volleys and returned home in good order.

(Source: Bell's History Northumberland Co. 1891 - Pioneer History of Milton)

Historical Marker Placed by Masons, November 1929