Johann Conrad Schmid was born in Heimerdingen on September 28, 1819, which is today situated in Ludwigsburger Landkreis, Baden-Württemburg, Germany. He was christened there on September 29, 1819. He came to the United States on July 9, 1831, with his parents while still a boy (the family sailed from Villa De Harve to Philadelphia). They lived in what was known as Nicetown on the Germantown Pike, until at least 1836 when he father was killed by thugs. Shortly after his 21st birthday, John took the oath of citizenship in Salem County, New Jersey. Why he took the oath in New Jersey is not currently known. He resided at Philadelphia, where he probably married Sophia (maiden name currently unknown) about 1841. Their first son, William H., was born about 1842 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sometime in 1846 or 1847 John enlisted (probably in Philadelphia} in the U.S. Navy and served during the War with Mexico until its conclusion in July 1848. After the war, he went to work as an employee of a steamship company and by September of 1850 had settled with his family in San Francisco. In 1850 his son William was living with his mother, Margaret Kusterer Smith Hess, in Reading, Pennsylvania, By 1860, William was found living in Philadelphia with his sister, Karolina Smith Wieland's family since his mother had died in 1858.

On the 1860 census in San Francisco, John is listed as a hairdresser, aka a barber.

John was elected to the California State Assembly as a representative for San Francisco in November 1860 (Bancroft, vii:253n3). After the coming of the Civil War, he accepted a captain's commission September 5, 1861, and was mustered in as commander of Company B, 2nd California Infantry, at the Presidio of San Francisco. Captain Schmidt was posted to Fort Humboldt, Humboldt County, in 1862, and took his family with him. He was promoted to major December 4, 1864, and transferred to Field & Staff, 2nd California Infantry. Major Schmidt was mustered out at the Presidio of San Francisco April 19, 1866 (Orton, 431, 440). He soon accepted a commission in the Mexican Army and briefly served in the American Legion of Honor fighting alongside other Union veterans against the French and Maximilian.

After Maximilian's defeat in 1867, John returned to his ranch in Humboldt County. He continued his military service as an officer in the California National Guard, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier General and in 1874 was commander of the 6th Brigade, headquartered at Eureka (1874 Alta California Almanack, pg 69). John was for many years a member of Eureka's Col. Whipple Post, No. 49, Grand Army of the Republic, the Society of California Volunteers, and the Freemasons. By June 1880, John and Sophia were living with their adopted married daughter Sarah and her husband Frank Edeline at Iaqua, Humboldt County (1880 US Census). John filed for a Civil War veteran's disability pension in California on October 21, 1882, and received application No. 463,128. A certificate number for this pension was not found.

Military Service---Mexican War: U.S. Navy; Civil War: Co. B and Staff, 2nd California Infantry; Franco-Mexican War: Staff, American Legion of Honor; Indian Wars: Syaff, 628th Brigade, California National Guard
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Some of the above info was graciously provided by Steve-47394147, me-Military Mom-and some was recorded in the Minutes of Col. Whipple Post, No. 49, dated Dec. 25, 1885, as quoted in The Times Standard, Eureka, California, Sat. May 31, 1969; 5:1)
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Daily Times-Telephone-Wednesday December 9, 1885
Another Pioneer at Rest
Major John C. Schmidt, a well-known resident of the county for many years, and who has been gradually declining in health for several months, bade his farewell to earth at midnight on Monday. The last weeks of his life were passed at the home of his adopted daughter in the Eddy Additon to this city. Until within the last two or three years deceased at been engaged in business in this city and elsewhere in the county, and few citizens had a larger circle of intimate and warm friends, and he was a respected member of several benevolent organizations here. So far as we are informed he leaves no relatives on this coast aside from the daughter mentioned above.
Major John Conrad Schmidt was born in Wertemberg, Germany, on the 26th of September, 1819, (sic) and had consequently passed the age of 66 years at the time of his death. He came to the United States with his parents while yet a youth, and lived in Philadelphia until his removal to California in 1850. He arrived in September of that year, and during it made his first visit to Humboldt Bay as an attache of a steamer plying between San Francisco and this port. He was in the Naval service during the Mexican war; was commissioned as Captain of Company B, 2d Infantry, California Volunteers, by Governor J. G. Downey, on the 5th of September, 1861, and served as Captain of that Company until his promotion to the position of Major in the same regiment by Governor F. F. Low, November 1, 1864. After the close of the rebellion he was for a time in the Mexican army, engaged in the overthrow of the Imperial Government of Maximilian. During that term of service he held a Brigadier General's commission.
Wm. H. Schmidt (sic-Smith), only son of the deceased, served gallantly thorough the Peninsular campaign of the Army of the Potomac as a member of Company H, 23d Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (Sedgwick's Corps), dying at last from wounds received in the battle of Cold Harbor in 1864. The record says "he was as brave and patriotic a young soldier as ever lived or died in the service of his country."
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Daily Times-Telephone-Thursday, December 10, 1885-The Last Tribute
The funeral obsequies of the late Major John C. Schmidt, yesterday, were very impressive, and were participated in by a large number of citizens of both sexes, in spite of the disagreeable weather. The remains, which had been lying in state at Masonic Hall since Tuesday evening, were removed to the M. E. Church at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, escorted by the Eureka Cornet Band, a delegation from Col., Whipple Post, G. A. F. and the Humboldt County Pioneers, fifty members of Humboldt Lodge of Odd Fellows, and over seventy members of Humboldt Lodge, F. & A. M. Of the six pall bearers, J. A. Cottrell and Geo. H. Shaw represented the Masonic Order, Thos. Johnston and Chris. Luther, the Odd Fellows, D. R. Jones, the Pioneers, and J. H. G. Weaver, the Grand Army. At the church, which was completely filled, the reading of the burial service and the funeral address of Rev. E. A. Wible, of Arcaia, were impressively performed and the music rendered by the choir was very appropriate to the occasion. The reverend gentleman made fitting reference to the deceased, and to the closing weeks and days of his life. At the close of the funeral services, the procession was re-formed, and, in addition to the Orders named, a large number of citizens in carriages followed the remains to Myrtle Grove Cemetery, where, the burial service was conducted by Humboldt Lodge, F. &. A. M. It is only justice to say that the dirges played by the Cornet Band during the march were admirably rendered. Another veteran soldier and pioneer has been laid to rest. Upon whom of the latter may the next summons fall within the limits of our county.