# Andrew Jackson Smith

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American military officer (1815–1897)

For other people named Andrew Smith, see [Andrew Smith (disambiguation)](/source/Andrew_Smith_(disambiguation)).

For the soldier, see [Andrew Jackson Smith (Medal of Honor)](/source/Andrew_Jackson_Smith_(Medal_of_Honor)).

Andrew Jackson Smith Smith during the Civil War Nickname Whiskey[1] Born (1815-04-28)April 28, 1815 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Died January 30, 1897(1897-01-30) (aged 81) St. Louis, Missouri Place of burial Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri Allegiance United States of America Union Branch United States Army Union Army Service years 1838–1869 Rank Major General Commands XVI Corps Conflicts Mexican–American War Capture of Tucson Indian Wars American Civil War Vicksburg campaign Red River campaign Price's raid Smith's Expedition to Tupelo Battle of Tupelo Battle of Nashville

**Andrew Jackson Smith** (April 28, 1815 – January 30, 1897) was a [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) general during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), rising to the command of a [corps](/source/Corps). He was most noted for his victory over [Confederate](/source/Confederate_States_Army) General [Stephen D. Lee](/source/Stephen_D._Lee) at the [Battle of Tupelo](/source/Battle_of_Tupelo), [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi), on July 14, 1864.

## Early life

Smith was born in rural [Bucks County, Pennsylvania](/source/Bucks_County%2C_Pennsylvania). He graduated from the [United States Military Academy](/source/United_States_Military_Academy) in 1838 ranking 36th in a class of 45 graduates. He entered West Point with his kin Langdon C. Easton of St. Louis, who was Chief Quartermaster of General William T. Sherman's 100,000-man army. Smith was engaged on active service on the [frontier](/source/Frontier) in the [Southwest](/source/Southwestern_United_States) and in the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War), in the latter briefly commanding the [Mormon Battalion](/source/Mormon_Battalion). He later fought against Native Americans in the [Washington](/source/Washington_Territory) and [Oregon territories](/source/Oregon_Territory). He was successively promoted to [first lieutenant](/source/First_Lieutenant#United_States) in 1845, [captain](/source/Captain_(United_States_O-3)) in 1847, and [major](/source/Major_(United_States)) in early 1861.[2]

## Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Smith became a [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_States)) of the [2nd California Volunteer Cavalry](/source/2nd_Regiment_California_Volunteer_Cavalry) in the [Union Army](/source/Union_Army), rising early in 1862 to the rank of [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_General#United_States) in the United States Volunteers and to the chief command of the cavalry in the Department of the Missouri. From March through July, he served in the same capacity in the Department of the Mississippi. Assigned afterwards to the [Army of the Tennessee](/source/Army_of_the_Tennessee), he took part in the [Battle of Chickasaw Bayou](/source/Battle_of_Chickasaw_Bayou) and the capture of [Arkansas Post](/source/Battle_of_Arkansas_Post_(1863)). He commanded a division of the [XIII Corps](/source/XIII_Corps_(ACW)) in the [Vicksburg campaign](/source/Vicksburg_campaign). Later, he led a division of the [XVI Corps](/source/XVI_Corps_(ACW)) in the [Red River campaign](/source/Red_River_campaign) of Maj. Gen. [Nathaniel Banks](/source/Nathaniel_Banks). He received the [brevet](/source/Brevet_(military)) rank of colonel in the [Regular Army](/source/Regular_Army_(United_States)) for his services at the action of [Pleasant Hill](/source/Battle_of_Pleasant_Hill).[3]

Smith became a [lieutenant colonel](/source/Lieutenant_colonel_(United_States)) in the Regular Army in July 1864, to rank from May 9.[1] On May 14, 1864 [President](/source/President_of_the_United_States) [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln) appointed Smith a major general in the volunteers, to rank from May 12, 1864, the date of the [United States Senate](/source/United_States_Senate)'s confirmation of President Lincoln's May 9, 1864 nomination of Smith for the appointment.[4]

In July, 1864, Smith led [an expedition into Mississippi](/source/Smith's_Expedition_to_Tupelo). On July 14–15, he defeated Confederate Lt. Gen. [Stephen D. Lee](/source/Stephen_D._Lee) at the [Battle of Tupelo](/source/Battle_of_Tupelo), where Lee took over general command over the Confederate forces on the field from General [Nathan Bedford Forrest](/source/Nathan_Bedford_Forrest).

In retaliation for Forrest's raid on [Fort Pillow](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Pillow), north of Memphis, Union General Andrew Jackson Smith, with a large military force, arrived in Oxford, Mississippi on August 24, 1864, and in one day burned the Lafayette County Courthouse, all the business houses on the Square, except one, and all homes in the immediate area.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

During the autumn of 1864, Smith lead Union troops against Confederate Maj. Gen. [Sterling Price](/source/Sterling_Price) during [Price's raid](/source/Price's_raid) into [Missouri](/source/Missouri). Smith was then summoned to join forces with Maj. Gen. [George Henry Thomas](/source/George_Henry_Thomas) at [Nashville, Tennessee](/source/Nashville%2C_Tennessee), then threatened by the advance of Confederate Lt. Gen. [John Bell Hood](/source/John_Bell_Hood). Smith bore a conspicuous share in the crowning victory at the [Battle of Nashville](/source/Battle_of_Nashville) leading his troops past the Confederates' south flank. He commanded the XVI corps in the final campaign against [Mobile, Alabama](/source/Mobile%2C_Alabama), in 1865.[2]

On April 10, 1866, President [Andrew Johnson](/source/Andrew_Johnson) nominated Smith for appointment to the grade of brigadier general in the United States Army (Regular Army), to rank from March 13, 1865, for his services at the Battle of Tupelo and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866.[5] On the same dates, President Johnson nominated and the United States Senate confirmed Johnson's appointment of Smith as brevet major general in the Regular Army, to rank from March 13, 1865, for his success in leading his men at the Battle of Nashville.[6] The Senate reconfirmed this appointment on July 14, 1866, after recalling the confirmation and return of the nomination to President Johnson for possible readjustment of the date.[7]

## Postbellum life

Smith resigned his volunteer commission and was mustered out of the volunteers on January 15, 1866.[4] He then became colonel of the [U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment](/source/U.S._7th_Cavalry_Regiment), serving in the [American West](/source/American_West). He retired from the military service in April 1869 to become [postmaster](/source/Postmaster) of [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), Missouri, where he died on January 30, 1897.[2] He was buried at [Bellefontaine Cemetery](/source/Bellefontaine_Cemetery) in St. Louis.[8]

## See also

- [Biography portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [American Civil War portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:American_Civil_War)

- [List of American Civil War generals (Union)](/source/List_of_American_Civil_War_generals_(Union))

## Notes

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Eicher492_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Eicher492_1-1) Eicher, p. 492.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChisholm1911_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChisholm1911_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChisholm1911_2-2) [Chisholm 1911](#CITEREFChisholm1911).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-EB1911_3-0)** One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). "[Smith, Andrew Jackson](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Smith,_Andrew_Jackson)". *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 259.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Eicher705_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Eicher705_4-1) Eicher, 2001, p. 705.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Eicher, 2001, p. 737.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Eicher, 2011, p. 709.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Eicher 2001, p. 710.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Eicher, 2001, p. 493.

## References

- Eicher, John H., and [Eicher, David J.](/source/David_J._Eicher), *Civil War High Commands*, Stanford University Press, 2001, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8047-3641-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8047-3641-1).

- [University of Illinois at Springfield News Release](http://www.uis.edu/newsreleases/mar07/20070316.html)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

## External links

- Media related to [Andrew Jackson Smith](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Andrew_Jackson_Smith) at Wikimedia Commons

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