William Joseph Smith told his children that he was in a shoot out with a Sheriff when he was about 21 years old and one version said the sheriff was killed while another was that Williams father was killed.
After this incident he left Strawberry Plains TN. and went to Missouri and there is where he took up the name William Joseph Smith.

He also said he left two sisters in TN. named Sarrah and Angeline.

He said his father was in the union army and was camped near Strawberry Plains and when he was 11 years old he would ride his pony out to see his father.

On his marriage license he lists his parents as Thomas and Minerva