Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-04-08
General W. F. Smith.

Gen. William Farrar Smith, recently
promoted to the rank of Major General
in the regular army, is a native OF 81
Adams, Vermont, and is now about 40
years of age. The late Hon. John
Smith of St. Adams, father Of the Coy
ernor, was his uncle, we believe, and it
was through his inAufnce that ODD
Badly as Gen. Smith is now popularity
known among army officers, received his
appointment to the Military Academy at
West Point, where he graduated in
1915, ranking fourth in his class, He
was assigned to the corps of topographic-
al engineers, in which he became 81
Lieutenant in 1919, 1st Lieutenant in
1858, and Captain in 1859. lie was
Actiug Assistant Professor of Malhe-
mates at West Point from 1916 to 1913,
and Assistant Professor in 1850, and was
at various times employed on the sur
veys Of the Lake Superior region, OF the
RIO Grande, Texas, Of the Military road
to California, aud was on the Mexican
Boundary Commission When the re
belion broke out he was Secretary OF the
! Light House Board at Washington. and
rendered his services to the Governor Of
his native State in any capacity he might
be made useful. By permission OF the
War Department he was allowed to ac.
crpt the Culonelcy Of the Sd Vermont
Volunteers, offered him by the Governor
of this State in 1851. On the 18Th OF
August, in the same year, he was com
mi,sioued Brgader GrneraI. AT ;he
,i1ge OF Yorktown Gen Smith COM
manded "A division of Gen. K-yes corps,
which division included the lst Vermont
Brigade. II was here that the attempt
was made by the Vermont boys to cro,,
the Warwick river, and storm the Con
fei+rate works, and bere the story that
Gen. Smith was intoxicated originated
from bis being thrown from spirit,d
horse while leaping fence into IA plough
I'd field, in the heat Of the fight; story
which gained considerable currency at
the time, but only to be tuIly contradct>
ed and retracted as soon as the facts were
inquired into. Gen Smith was among
the foremost in the battle of Williams
burg, and throughout the Peuinsular
campaign earned great credit for courage
and for skill and ability as a division
He was also engaged in
the battles of South Mountain and An
telam, the opportune arrival Of his di
vision during the latter battle, it is said
saving the day on the right of our line.
Afterwards, "a commander of the Sixth
Army Corps, he participated in the bat
tie of Fredericksburg, under Burnside
and subsequently commanded for a short
time Burn>ide's old army corps, the
Ninth. The Senate not confirming his
nomination as Major General of Volun-
teers, he next came into general notice
as Chief of the Engineer Corps of the
Army of the Cumberland, and to him is
attributed the plan successfully executed
by Gen. Hooker, whereby the bIockad
Of the Tennessee river near Chattanooga
was raised and the army relieved from
critical embarrassment. Since then Gen.
Smith has served as Chief of Engineers
on Gen. Grants Staff aud it is doubtless
at the latter's request that he was recent
y nominated for promotion, preliminary,
as is conj-cturrd, to some important
communicable officers and soldiers who
know him best unite in their testimony
as to his personal bravery, his practical
judgment and his pre-eminent stratrgical
ability.
A native of Vermont, Vermonters
will watch his career with especial inter-
est