The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-15
MUNFORDVILLE.
Address of Maj E. T. Sykes at IN
yelling of Memorial Stone, Sep
tember II, 1884.

the distance to be Travelled from b
home by the noble-hearted and generoI
+ gentleman who presides as onr host; ii
I honor to be conferred upon my Stat
. and the events of twenty-five years az
to be recalled-events in which some
you rs survivors and those who fell hel
acted so noble part, and which hay
conferred upon the soldiery OF Mississil
pi heritage of renown--l could NJ
hesitate as to my duty. Therefore
was that /. readily yielded my assent
the invitation extended to me a fe
weeks ago by letter from Mr.. jaime
Smith, written from Glasgow, Scotland
to be present at this time and "perfor1
the ceremony of unveiliug the mont
ment" erected by him in memory G
:, the sacrifice of the Tenth MississipE
Regiment, commanded by Col. Robel
A. Smith" and Ito deliver an address
commemorative of the life aad characte
of his deceased ehivalric brother, and 0
the deeds of his heroic comrades nov
sought to be perpetuated. attribut
the partiality of my selection for tn
trust my friend from Scotland has con
fided to me to the fact that he knew nj
to have been not only an officer unde
his brother, but q constant friend o
that brother, aud present in the engage
ment here September IA, 1862, whel
that gallant soldier fell. 1t is at thi
time meet that we take retrospec
limited by the proprieties of the occa
sion, of what transpired here twenty
two years ago, and the prominent figure
to whom our thoughts now revert.
Col. Robert Alexander Smith was
born on the 5th day of April, 1886, in
Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the
youngest of five sons and five daughters
of James and Annie Smith, of that city
The father, Paisley manufacturer in
early life, and later a wholesale drug.
gist, still lives in his hale and hearty
old age of ninety-three, at Spencer villa,
66 Brixton road, London, Southwest.
At the age of fourteen Robert came to
this country and settled in Jackson,
Miss, where his eldest brother, our host,
and widowed sister had preceded him.
Entering the business house of his broth
er, the youth soon won the elders conf
dence, and by habits of sobriety, integ-
rity and industry, together with the
highest order of intelligent adaptability
to the interests of the firm, he was at a
comparatively early age placed in sole
charge of the prosperous business. That
brother writes from Glasgow: In 1855,
young as he then was, parted with my
business in Jackson to him, while re-
moved thence to live here. visited
Jackson again in 1859, and did not see
h h,rk khn 1olx NC
good, unselfsh devotion to duty and
unfinching attachment to his command
and the care of it."
The breaking out of the civil war-the
war between the States-found him at
the head of this business house-a law
abiding, industrious, firm and intelligent
citizen of his adopted State, by princi-
pie a Southerner and by inheritance a
Christian. Born in a land of heroes,
his was nature suited for the stirring
events which were to follow. With a
fondness for military life, and long be-
fore he could have expected to be called
to the battlefield, he exhibited evidences
of the coming soldier. Entering the
ranks of the Mississippi Rifles in the
days of peace, he soon made himself ia
miliar with military tactics. Though it
may not have been remarked by the
casual acquaintance, yet those who best
knew the quiet young citizen of jackson
felt that behind the reserved and self
possessed exterior of Robert A. Smith
dwelt the qualities of the true soldier.
Thus it was that on the first mutterings
of the coming storm he was elected
captain of the Mississippi Rifles, COM
pany organized in and composed of his
fellow-citizens of Jackson, whose servi-
ces were rendered to the State as soon
as she cast her fortunes with the Con-
federacy, and whose first duty was to
escort the newly elected President to
the seat of Government at Montgomery,
Ala. At the first call Of the Confeder-
acy on Mississippi for troops in March,
1861, he was ordered with his company
to Pensacola navy yard, where Gen.
Bragg was organizing his heroic little
army, that was subsequently to become
so Justly famous in the annals of war.
This call resulted in the assembling of
twenty companies from Mississippi at
Pensacola, which were organized into
two regiments and named the Ninth
and Tenth. The Mississippi Rifles, as
Company D, formed part of this latter
regiment commanded by Col. Moses
Philips. Before the expiration of two
months service Col. Philips sickened
and died, Immediately after which Capt.
Smith was elected to the vacant colonel
cy. From that time to the date of our
removal in the spring Of 1862 to Corintb,
where Albert Sidney Johnston was as
sembling his army to give battle to the
enemy under Grant and Buell., Col.
Smith was industrious in his study of
the science and art of war and giving
the needed instruction to his regiment.
So proficient had he become in all the
accomplishments of regimental COM
mander that on reaching Corinth and
being placed with the other Mississippi
troops which formed the brigade of Gen.
James r. Chalmers he was soon recog-
nized as the best drill officer and the
best disciplinarian of his grade. He
needed only the opportunity to prove
that these necessary accomplishments OF
an officer were but secondary to his
ability to successfully command troops
on the battlefield. This opportunity was
soon given him in the sanguinary battle
of Shiloh. Then, aseyer after when under
FIRE, be proved himself the knightly sol
dier and skilled commander. What in
the quiet Of the camp he had studied as
q theory, now, in the activities of the
battlefield, he readily and scientifically
reduced to practice, and with the eye
and intelligence OF the born soldier,
disciplined by limited yet the closest
study, the system of successfully hand
ling troops IN action was thoroughly
mastered BY him.
It was in action that he shone to best
His bearing, which when
in repose was essentially military and
difnihed rather than graceful, assumed
q heroic type when in the heat of battle.
he looked and felt q different man. The
roar Of artillery and the rattle Of mus
kerry sounded as thrilling music to his
ears. imparting to him new life. Then,
with face agloW with the inspiration Of
his soul, he was ready for any Adeed of
high empris6.p
Throughout the two days battle Of
Shiloh-on the 9Th and 7th Of April,
1862 Col. Smith was conspicuous for
his ealIantry and the splendid handling
of BIS troops No regiment on that
bloody field did better service or aehiev-
ed vreater triumphs. and this was due
a much IL the sterling qualities Of its
commander. his co0lness, intrepid bra
very and influence over his men when
In action. as to the excellence Of his
troops. His gallantry and rnhinehing
courage. HIS high sense of honor, and
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