The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1911-06-08
Opinion

AhHb@0a 0SA VIZ 0H9 ShNA N~~@-
of Comrade e. J. Smith, Wh'
Was Born in Jefferson County
Hiss July 76th, 1885, and DIee
at the Residence of His Sister
May 18th, 1911.
This genial, whole souled, patri'
otic citizen claims more than q
passing notice. His life was one
of public service. Prior to the
Presidential election of 1860, which
made Mr.. Abraham Lincoln the
twenty-first President of the U.
nited States, there had been a mil
itary ornaization, at Port Gibson,
known as THE Port Gibson Rifle
men,. This company was COM
manded by William McKeever. E.
|. Smith was its First Lieutenant
A call was made for 1000 men, by
the States and Confederate States,
as Mississippi's quota, to serve for
the period of twelve months.
The first company from Claiborne
County to-tender its service was
"The Port Gibson Riflemen". It
was mustered into State service
at Port Gibson, March %, 1861,
and forthwith ordered to Mobile.
At the last named place it,with ten
other companies, was organized into
the Tenth Mississippi Infantry,
and passed into the service of the
Confederate States.
Between April 10 and I2th, 1861,
It was marched to Pensacola, and
encamped near Fort Barancas, op.
posite Fort Pickens and Santa Rosa
Island, then held by Union troops.
The Ninth and Tenth Regiments
were the first regiments organized
and the first in the service of the
Confederate States. although other
regiments, subsequently bore mum
erical notation, indicating other
v Sc. "The Port Gibson Rifemen"
wer known as Company G in reg
mental formation. 1t made part of
the expedition, lead by General R.
H. Anderson, October 9th, 1861,
which burned the camp of the
New York Zouaves, on Santa Rosa
Island. The term of enlistment of
the "Riflemen" expired in 1862.
Meanwhile it had been ordered to
Corinth, where it went into reorg-
anization, enlisting for two years,
as Company F; and became part OF
the brigade of Gen.Jas R. Chalm-
ers, known as the High Pressure
Brigade. This brigade was COM
posed of the Seventh, Ninth and
Tenth Regiments, Baskervile's
Cavalry and the Walden Battery,
the Fifth Regiment being added
before the Battle of Shiloh. The
brigade was in Withers Division of
Corps.
Lieut.. E. ] Smith, at the reor-
panization, retured 10 Claiborne
County, and entered in secret ser
vice under Colonel Henry Hughes
who was then forming regiment
of "Partisan Rangers composed
largely of twelve months veterans
from the original companies, which
enlisted from Claiborne County,
as we'll as adjoining counties.
In the secret service he secured
valuable information, disclosing
the movements of Federal troops
North of Grand Gulf. The first
invasion of our home country had
been threatened, and soon after the
opening roar of cannons broke over
the "Petit Gulf" hills, awakening
the County Seat to the fact ploody
battle was soon to be fought close
to its limits.
After the fall of Grand Gulf and
the defeat of Gen. Bowen's COM
mand at old Magnolia Church"
Lieut.. Smiths services were com
fined TO the vicinity of Port Hud-
son. He took part in sinking the
Indianola, near Port Hudson, In
1868.
With the fall of Port Hudson a
cavalry company, commanded by a
former citizen OF Port Gibson,s A.
]. Lewis, was formed. Leiut. 3
7. Smith became a line officer in
this company; and with it. in 1864,
was captured, in the vicinity Of
"IeferiesvflIe". From the time o
his capture until the close of thu