The National tribune., 1906-09-20
4 Young Drummer.
GEN. 4. J. SMITH.
A Grand Old Fighter Who Gave Nearly
60 Ycnrs' Service to His Country.

Editor National Tribune: Would you
kindly give us a short sketch of the
life and service of Gen. A. j. Smith, who
commanded the Sixteenth Corps the lat.
ter part of the war? We of that COM
mand always thought him invincible as
a corps commander. and such Il thing
as defeat with him in command never
for one moment entered our heads, no
matter what the odds against u.s. Not
withstandfng all this, / have rarely ever
seen his name mentioned in history or
otherwise. in reference to the gallant
part he played in the great struggle
from 81 to '65.-Lawrence Sheehan Co.
B. 95th Ohio, and Co. E, I'D Ohio,
Pierce City, Mo.
Gen. A. j. Smith was born in Penn
sylvania and appointed from that State
to the Military Academy. from which
he graduated in 1888, the seth in the
class, of which Gems. Barry. Mcdowell
and r. S. Granger. of the Union. and
p. G. T. Beauregard, w. J. Hardee, H.
II. Sibley and Edward Johnson, of the
Confederate army, We're members. He
was commissioned Second Lieutenant
in the 1st L. S. Dragons and served in
the West, fighting the Indians from
Oregon to the Rio Grande and in Cali
fornia until the beginning of the war.
He attained the rank of Captain in 1S47
q,
1861. He was Immediately commission
ed Colonel of the I'd Cal. Cav. and
shortly afterward promoted to Briga-
dier-General and ordered East, where
he was appointed Chief of Cavalry of
the Department of Missouri. He COM
manded the Cavalry of the Department
of the Mississippi in the siege of CO.
rinth, and then was assigned to a divi-
sion in Kentucky, but took part in the
assault on Chickasaw Bluffs Dec. 27-29,
1852, and was in command of troops at
the capture of Arkansas Post. His divi-
sion was made part of the Thirteenth
Corps, with which he took part in the
siege of Vicksburg and capture of Jack
son. He was then assigned to the COM
mand of division in the Sixteenth
Corps and the District of Colum bus Ky
On the Red River campaign he COM
manded detachments of the Sixteenth
and Seventeenth Corps, and distinguish
ed himself at Pleasant Hill, Cane River
and in covering the retreat of Gen.
Banks's army. During the Summer Of
1864 he commanded the right wing of
the Sixteenth Corps, and fought the bat
ties OF Lake Village and Tupelo. He
was sent with his troops to Missouri To
protect st. Louis from Prices raid, and
after that service was brought back to
Tennessee with his men, and assisted
in the battle of Nashville and the pur-
suit of the enemy to Pulaski. Next he
was sent with his troops via Cairo 10
New Orleans, and commanded the Six
teenth Corps in the Mobile campaign.
He was made a Major General Nav 12
1864: brevet Brigadier-General, U. s.
A, for Tupelo and Major-General for
Nashville. After the capture of Mobile
he moved on Montgomery, which he oc-
cupied. and took possession of a large
part of the State of Alabama. He was
mustered out of the volunteer service
Jan. Is, 1866, served on a board for
recommending officers for brevets was
in command of the District of Upper
Arkansas, and was commissioned Col
onel of the eth u. S. Cav. July 20, 1866.
He also received brcvet of Colonel for
Pleasant Hill. He resigned May 6, 1869,
but returned to the Army and was re-
tired as Colonel of Cavalry Jan. %,
1889, and died at st. Louis. Jan. 80.
1897, at the age of S2.-Editor National
Tribune