4 ▁in ▁St . ▁August ine , ▁Florida , ▁as ▁the ▁young est ▁child ▁of ▁Joseph ▁Lee ▁Smith , ▁an ▁att orney , ▁and ▁Frances ▁Kir by ▁Smith . ▁Both ▁his ▁parents ▁were ▁n atives ▁of ▁L itch field , ▁Connecticut , ▁where ▁their ▁older ▁children ▁were ▁born . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Florida ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁Smith ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁a ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁judge ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁Florida ▁Territ ory , ▁acquired ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁from ▁Spain . ▁Old er ▁sib lings ▁included ▁E ph ra im , ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 7 ; ▁and ▁sister s ▁Frances , ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 , ▁and ▁Joseph ine , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 5 , ▁likely ▁of ▁t uber cul osis . ▁He ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁bot any ▁and ▁nature , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 6 , ▁Smith ' s ▁parents ▁sent ▁their ▁second ▁son ▁to ▁a ▁military ▁board ing ▁school ▁in ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁strongly ▁encourag ed ▁a ▁military ▁career . ▁He ▁later ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy ▁at ▁West ▁Point , ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁his ▁sister ▁Frances ▁married ▁Luci en ▁Bon ap arte ▁Web ster , ▁a ▁West ▁Point ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁Verm ont ▁and ▁career ▁Army ▁art illery ▁officer , ▁whom ▁she ▁met ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁station ed ▁at ▁Fort ▁Mar ion ▁in ▁St . ▁August ine . ▁His ▁command ing