The Saline County journal., 1892-07-14

wAn nEcoRD or YAHnHB sml4R.
Hon. Abram w. Smith Of No.
Pherson county, Kansas, the repub-
lIcan nominee for governor. vas
born In Heram, Oxford couuty,
Maine, October IS, ls43. He was
raised on o farm and educated In
the common schools Of the state.
On the eth day Of October, 1851, he
enlisted as . private soldier In the
Nineteenth United States infantry
and was made Sergeant Of his com.
papy. HIS regiment was assigned
to duty In the army Of the Ohio.
joining General Buel, partici pating
In the Bowling Green campaign.
Thence to Shiloh TO the relief of
Grant, arriving on the field on the
evening Of the first day Of the fight.
History shows what part the Nine.
teenth took In the terrible battle Of
the next day. the 7th. in which
Grant, reinforced by Buei, drove the
enemy, with great slaughter, from
the field and won the battle Of
Shiloh.
Sergeant Smith took part In the
movement which eliminated in the
capture Of Corrinth, Miss. one of
the rebel stronyholds OF the south.
During the summer OF 1852 the Nine.
teenth WAS engaged In an arduous
campaign under General Buel, and
In September Of that year partici.
psted In the celebrated foot-race
bet ~een General Buel and General
Bragg, the objective point being
Louisville, Kentucky. The two
armies moved OH parallel lines, Of
ten In sight Of each other, and as q
natural result the skirmishes were
frequent and heavy. The Nine.
teenth being q splendid organization
commanded by that typical soldier
Of war, Stephen ID. Carpenter, who
graduated In the same class with
Albert Sidney Johnson, ably assist
ed by as brave a line OF officers as
ever drew swords, were almost con.
stsntly called into service on the
skirmish line during this memor-
able march.
General Rousseau, who command
ed the division Of which the Nine
teenth was a part, met, and In a
severe engagement drove Kirby
Smith from the field at Dogwalk,
Ky. This checked the advance of
Bragg, and being followed by the
battle Of Perryville, put Bragg In
full retreat and cleared Kentucky Of
rebel hordes. From that time on
Buel took up the pursuit Of the
enemy and continued IL until re-
lieved by General Rosecrans, who
Immediately organized what will be
known as long as history lasts, the
magnificent army Of the Cumber-
land.
Under his command Stone River
was fought and won. In this con-
test which lasted for four days, the
Nineteenth bore heroic part. On
the terrible Wednesday on q charge
which stayed the rebel advance, IL
was literally cut all to pieces. Not
only the gallant Carpenter fell but
a large per cent Of the officers COM
missioned aud non-commissioned.
OF his company Sergeant Smith was
the only officer commissioned or
non.commissiOned who had not fall
en- on the field, he being left In COM
msnd of but fifteen men out OF
company Of fifty.
In the following summer Sergeant
Smith was with his regiment In the
movement on Tullahoms, being en-
gagged In desperate fight at
Hoover's Gap, the key Of Bragg's
position. Sergeant Smith was act
ing orderly and led his company In
the assault upon the rebel position.
From Tullshoma Rosecrans con-
tinued to advance, and on the 18th
OF September Joined battle with
Bragg at Chicamauga. II is not ne
cesssry to recount the story OF this,
one Of the greatest battles Of the
war. The Nineteenth again lost its
commander, the brave Major Daw.
son, and suffered almost annihila-
tion, those not killed or wounded
being captured. In the last charge
which Longstreet made on the eve-
ming OF the 10Th Of September, Ser
geant Smith, with the remnant Of
the Nineteenth, was captured, taken
to the rear, and In due course of time
found himself In the rebel prisons
OF Richmond, Dsnville and Ander-
sonville, where he remained for
nineteen months, being paroled
near Vicksburg on the 18th day OF
April, 1885, and was mustered out of
the service June 2, 1855, at Detroit,
Michigan. OF the horrors Of his
prison life, and especially Of the ten
months spent In AndersonvilIe,
neither word nor pen can depict. IL
Is sufficient to say that entering the
rebel prison, Q strong and stslwart
man, he came out broken In health,
with disabilities which will cling to
him m lonu an life lasts