The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-17
GENERAL WILLIAM F. SMITH

A bill is pending in the House of Rep
General William F. Smith (familiarly
known as "Baldy') on the retired list OF
the army with the rank and pay of a
ajor, general. On the Goth of April
Mr.. Townshend of Illinois, from the
committee on military affairs (Which
was unanimous), submitted the follow.
ing report, and the bill will be acted
upon when it is reached:
The committee on military affairs, to whom WAS
referred the bill III, X. 1896 for the relief Of
| General William +. Smith, have carefully eN
amined the same and submit the following re.
port:
William F. Smith graduated at West
Point in July, 1871, and was assigned to
duty in the corps Of Typographical en-
gineers, with which he served continu-
ously till it was consolidated with the
corps of engineers, when he resigned
his commission of major in 1867, HIS
the northern lakes, at West Point as as
5istant professor of mathematics, in
Texas on explorations, as engineer of
the eleventh lighthouse district and as
engineer secretary Of the lighthouse
board.
At the outbreak OF the rebellion he
served as mastering officer in New York,
on the staff OF General Butler at Fortress
Monroe, and on that of General Nc.
Dowell. He was appointed colonel Of
the Third Vermont Volunteers in 1861,
and took the regiment to the field after
the battle of Bull Run and served in the
defense of Washington.
He was appointed brigadier general OF
volunteers in August, 1861, and as such
commanded a division of McClelan's
army from March to August, 1862 being
engaged in the siege of Yorktown, the
skirmish of Lees Mills, the battles of
Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, White Oak
Swamp, Savage Station, Glendale and
Malvern HILL
He was brevetted lieutenant colonel
United States army June 2S, 1862 for
gallant and meritorious services in the
battle of White Oak Swamp, Virginia.
He was appointed major general OF
volunteers July 4. 1862, and as such com.
manded division in the Antietam cam
paign, taking part in the battles of An
tietam and South Mountain, and was
brevetted colonel for gallantry and mer.
itorious services in the first-named bat
tie. He commanded the Sixth Corps in
the Rappahannock campaign and in the
fredericksburg campaign. He COM
manded division in the department of
the Susquehanna, taking an active part
in the pursuit of Lees army on its re.
treat from Getty sburg.
In October. 1868, he was transferred
to the West, where he in turn became
chief engineer of the department of the
Cumberland, on the staff of General
George H. Thomas, and of the military
division OF the Mississippi, on the staff
Of General Grant. AS such he devised
the plan Of operations by which the
army of the Cumberland was saved from
starvation and capture at Chattanooga,
and was duly credited with the same by
General Thomas. He also devised the
plan Of operations by which Bragg's
army was overthrown and driven back
from Missionary Ridge, for which ser
vices he was again appointed and this
time) confirmed as major-generai of
volunteers, also as brevet brigadier.gen-
eral United States army.
When General Grant was appointed
acknowledgement and assigned to the
command Of all the loyal armies, he
took General Smith east with him and
assigned him to the command of the
Eighteenth Army Corps, with which he
took part in the battles of Cold Harbor
and the siege of Petersburg.
He was assigned to special duty under
the Secretary of War In November,
1864, and continued therein till Deem
Der, 1865, and finally resigned from the
army in 1867, after twenty-five years.
continuous service. At that time he
held the rank of major of engineers and
brevet major general United States
army.
In civil life he was president of the
International Ocean Telegraph Com
pany, president of the Board of Police
Commissioners, New York, and now
holds the position of government agent
in charge OF district of internal i'm
provements in Delaware and Maryland,
of which (the former State he is a citi-
zen.
General Smith is now past the age OF
retirement and is fully entitled to that
favor at the hands of the government
for lifetime of hard and conspicuous
service, in which he has displayed the
most incorruptible honesty, the most
outspoken patriotism and devotion, and
the highest ability.
1t has been the good fortune of but
few men in any age or in any country
to save an army and direct 1t to victory
from a subordinate position. Such a
service in Europe would secure honor
and riches; in ours it should certainly
result in assignment to place on the
retired list of the army, with the rank
Of major general and the appropriate
pay for the remaining years of his life.
The committee therefore unanimously
recommend the passage of the bill.