Joseph Smith Bryce (1808-1901)

He changed his name from Joseph Brice Smith to Joseph Smith Bryce by an act of Legislature. His mother was a grand-daughter of Chief Justice John and Sarah (Frisby) Brice, of Annapolis, Maryland, and the sister of Nicholas Brice, Chief Judge at the Baltimore City Court. He grew up in Georgetown, D.C. and in 1829 graduated third in his class from West Point Academy behind General Robert E. Lee who finished first. He came to New York and studied law in the offices of Albert Gallatin, practising until the outbreak of Civil War when he re-entered the army as Adjutant-General on the staff of General James Wadsworth. After a year he joined the staff of General Barnard and was engaged in preparing the defences for Washington. On retiring after the war he spent his time travelling in America & Europe. He died at the Fifth Avenue Hotel having woken up at 3.40am, he enquired of his nurse the time, day, and month before asking her to bring him a cigar. Five minutes later, she placed it in his hand and he sank back on his pillow and died. In 1843, he married Elizabeth, sister of John Lloyd Stephens, noted for his travels in South America, Yucatan and Palestine. He was survived by three children.