David Smolk was born on March 14, 1825, in Canada. He eventually immigrated to America and settled in York, Ohio. He married Rebecca Kennedy on November 28, 1849, and they had at least three children: Isabella, born around 1850; Mary, born around 1854; and Charles, born around 1856. He worked as a farmer in York, and by 1860, he owned $1,100 of real estate and $800 of personal property.
In August 1862, he received a commission as a 1st lieutenant in Company K of the 103rd Ohio Infantry. He was discharged for disability on December 9, 1862.
He settled in Litchfield, Ohio, after leaving the army, and he resumed his work as a farmer. By 1870, he owned $3,200 of real estate and $1,500 of personal property. By the late 1880s, he was suffering from rheumatism. He applied for a federal pension in April 1889 and secured one the following year. He died of diabetes in York on January 17, 1895.