Charles Ferguson Smith Charles Ferguson Smith ( April 24 , 1807 – April 25 , 1862 ) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican - American War and as a Union General in the American Civil War . Early life and career . Smith was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the son of Samuel Blair Smith , an army surgeon . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1825 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 2nd U . S . Artillery . As he rose slowly through the ranks of the peacetime army , he returned to West Point as an instructor and was appointed Commandant of Cadets as a first lieutenant , serving in that position from 1838 to 1843 . As an artillery battalion commander he distinguished himself in the Mexican - American War , serving under both Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott , at Palo Alto , Resaca de la Palma , Monterrey , and Churubusco . He received brevet promotions from major through colonel for his service in these battles and ended the war as a lieutenant colonel in the Regular Army . In Mexico City , he was in charge of the police guard from the end of the war until 1848 . During this time he became an original member of the Aztec Club of 1847 . He commanded the Red River expedition in Minnesota of 1856 – 57 , and served under Albert Sidney Johnston in Utah ( 1857 – 60 ) , commanding the Department of Utah himself from 1860 to 1861 , and the Department of Washington ( at Fort Washington , Maryland ) very briefly at the start of the Civil War . Civil War . After the outbreak of the war in 1861 , Smith served on recruiting duty as commander of Fort Columbus , New York . He was commissioned a Brigadier General of volunteers ( August 31 , 1861 ) , and as colonel in the Regular Army , commanding the 3rd U . S . Infantry regiment , as of September 9 . He was soon transferred to the Western Theater to command the District of Western Kentucky . He then became a division commander in the Department of the Missouri under Brig . Gen . Ulysses S . Grant , who had been one of his pupils at West Point . This potentially awkward situation was eased by Smith ' s loyalty to his young chief . The old soldier led his division of raw volunteers with success at the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862 . During the attack on the Confederate right flank , which he led personally , he saw some of his men waver . He yelled to them , " Damn you , gentlemen , I see skulkers ! I ' ll have none here ! Come on , you volunteers , come on ! This is your chance ! You volunteered to be killed for love of country , and now you can be ! " Smith ' s experience , dignity , and unselfish character made him Grant ' s mainstay in the early days of the war . When theater commander Major General Henry W . Halleck became distrustful and perhaps jealous of Grant , he briefly relieved him of field command of the Army ' s expedition up the Tennessee River toward Corinth , Mississippi and gave that responsibility to Smith . However , Halleck soon restored Grant to field command ( intervention by President Abraham Lincoln may have been a factor ) . Grant ' s restoration was fortunate because by the time Grant reached Savannah , Tennessee , Smith had already met with an accident while jumping into a rowboat that seriously injured his leg , forcing him out of field duty . His senior brigadier , W . H . L . Wallace , led his division ( and was fatally wounded ) at the Battle of Shiloh . Death . Smith died of an infection following his leg injury and chronic dysentery at Savannah , Tennessee , and is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery , Philadelphia . The early close of his career in high command deprived the Union army of one of its best leaders , and his absence was nowhere more felt than on the battlefield of Shiloh , where the Federals paid heavily for the inexperience of their generals . A month before his death , he had been made Major General of volunteers . Two forts were named in his honor . The first Fort C . F . Smith was part of the perimeter defenses of Washington , D . C . during the American Civil War . A second Fort C . F . Smith was located in the Powder River Country in the Montana Territory during Red Cloud ' s War .