Martin Luther Smith (September 9, 1819 – July 29, 1866) was an American soldier and
civil engineer, serving as a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
in the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
. Smith was one of the few Northern-born generals to fight for the
Confederacy, as he had served most of his early military career in the
South with the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
's
topographical engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers was a branch of the United States Army authorized on 4 July 1838. It consisted only of officers who were handpicked from West Point and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal ...
, marrying a native of
Athens, Georgia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...
. He planned and constructed the
defenses of Vicksburg.
Early life
Smith was born in
Danby, New York
Danby is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 3,457 at the 2020 census. The town is in the southern part of the county and is south of the city of Ithaca.
History
The Cayuga people, one of the Six Nations of ...
, where his father had settled after moving from
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
. In 1842, he graduated 16th in his
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
class of 56, which included twenty-two future Civil War generals including
James Longstreet,
D. H. Hill, and
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a p ...
. His initial assignment was in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, where he surveyed the terrain and drew maps for army usage. In 1846, he married a Georgia woman and subsequently raised a family.
He served as an engineer during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, 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. ...
for his performance in mapping the valley of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
prior to
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
's assaults. He returned to Florida after the war. He was promoted from
second lieutenant to
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
in 1853. Three years later, he was elevated to
captain. He resigned from the army on April 1, 1861, to side with the Confederacy.
Civil War
After resigning, he was commissioned as a
major of engineers. In February 1862, Smith was appointed
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
of the
21st Louisiana. He served under General
David Twiggs
David Emanuel Twiggs (February 14, 1790 – July 15, 1862), born in Georgia, was a career army officer, serving during the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and Mexican–American War.
As commander of the U.S. Army's Department of Texas when the ...
at
and commanded a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
B ...
of infantry while helping plan the defenses of the city. On April 11, 1862, Smith was promoted to
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 ...
and transferred back to the engineers. In May, he took charge of constructing the defenses of
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856.
Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vi ...
, as well as leading a
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
. Indeed, the multi-volume Official History of the Civil War, entitled ''War of the Rebellion'', credits 'Brigadier General M.L. Smith' with giving the Official Confederate Response to the Union's May 18, 1862 demand that Vicksburg surrender to the Union. After the town finally fell in July 1863, he was captured and was held as a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
for seven months.
He was exchanged in early 1864 and briefly was the head of the Engineer Corps for the entire Confederate Army from March until April, when he became the chief engineer for the
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...
. Later, he held the same position for the
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in ...
. As chief engineer of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana at the end of the war, he prepared the defenses of
Mobile, Alabama, under the command of
P.G.T. Beauregard
Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 - February 20, 1893) was a Confederate general officer of Louisiana Creole descent who started the American Civil War by leading the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is common ...
. He remained in Mobile until the city fell to Union forces, and then returned home to Athens, where he surrendered in May 1865.
Postbellum life
Smith moved to
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
, soon after the war ended and established a civil engineering company. He died less than a year later. At the time of his death, he was chief engineer of the railroad system that linked
Selma, Alabama, with
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties.
As of the 2010 census, the ci ...
(the
Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad). He is buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.
[Welsh, p. 201.]
A bust of General Smith stands at the
Vicksburg National Military Park
Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi (flanking the Mississippi River), also commemorates the greater ...
. It was sculpted in 1911 by
Henry Hudson Kitson
Henry Hudson Kitson (April 9, 1863, 1864 or 1865 – June 26, 1947) was an English-American sculptor who sculpted many representations of American military heroes.
Romania's Queen Elisabeth knighted him after he sculpted a marble bust of h ...
.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Confederate generals
__NOTOC__
*#Confederate-Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith, Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith
*#Confederate-Incomplete appointments, Incomplete appointments
*#Confederate-State militia generals, State militia generals
Th ...
Notes
References
* Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher
David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War''. New York: Facts On File, 1988. .
*
Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .
* Welsh, Jack D., ''Medical Histories of Confederate Generals'', Kent State University Press, Kent OH, 1995.
Attribution
*
External links
Confederate Generals
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Martin Luther
1819 births
1866 deaths
Confederate States Army major generals
People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Civil War
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
Members of the Aztec Club of 1847
Northern-born Confederates
United States Military Academy alumni
American Civil War prisoners of war