John Corson Smith (February 13, 1832 – December 31, 1910) was an American military officer and politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Coming to

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The c ...

in 1854, Smith first practiced carpentry before receiving a commission at a customhouse. Smith fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

with the 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. I ...

. Returning to Galena, Smith work in

Internal Revenue The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...

until moving to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1874. There, he was named Chief Grain Inspector, then was elected

Illinois Treasurer The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois. Current Occupant The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head ...

(1879–1881, 1883–1885). He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1884. Smith was also a prominent Freemason, leading the Illinois chapter and serving as Grand Scribe for twenty-five years.

Biography

John Corson Smith was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, on February 13, 1832. Smith apprenticed as a carpenter and builder. He came to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1854, but stayed only briefly before removing to

. He worked there as a carpenter for the next five years. In 1859, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the U.S. Custom House and Post Office in nearby

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

. Upon the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

in 1861, Smith enlisted as a private with the 74th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Later that year, he raised Company I of the 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was named its major when the regiment was approved. The unit was eventually attached to the

Military Division of the Mississippi The Military Division of the Mississippi was an administrative division of the United States Army during the American Civil War that controlled all military operations in the Western Theater from 1863 until the end of the war. History The Divisio ...

, led by fellow Galena native

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

. He was

for his actions at the

. Smith was badly wounded at the

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tenne ...

, but survived. When the war ended, Smith returned to Galena and was named Assistant Assessor of the

for

Jo Daviess County Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 22,678. Its county seat is Galena. Jo Daviess County is part of the Tri-State Area and is located near D ...

. Smith left Galena in 1874 to return to Chicago, where he was named manager of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company office. Later that year, he served as secretary of the Board of Centennial Commissioners of Illinois. In 1875, Smith was named Chief Grain Inspector of the City of Chicago. Smith was elected

as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in 1878 to a two-year term and was re-elected four years later. On a ticket with Richard J. Oglesby, Smith was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1884. He toured the world in 1894–95 as part of a book deal; the book was entitled ''Around the World with Gen. John C. Smith''. Smith married Charlotte A. Gallaher in 1856; they had three sons and one daughter. He served as Grand Commander of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

, Department of Illinois chapter. Smith was a prominent Mason, first joining the organization in 1859. He held many high positions in the fraternity, including Grand Commander of the Knights Templar in 1880. He was on the Committee of Correspondence, was on the Masonic Veterans' Association, and was a 33rd degree Emeritus Venerable Chief ''ad vitam'', having served as Grand Master of Illinois in 1881. Smith was Grand Scribe of the Grand Encampment for twenty-five years. He died in Chicago on December 31, 1910, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Galena.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John C. 1832 births 1910 deaths Businesspeople from Illinois Illinois Republicans Lieutenant Governors of Illinois Masonic Grand Masters People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Galena, Illinois Politicians from Philadelphia Politicians from Chicago State treasurers of Illinois Union Army officers Writers from Illinois Writers from Philadelphia 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople Grand Army of the Republic officials