Andrew Jackson Smith was a United States Army soldier during the American Civil War.
Background
Smith was born on April 28, 1815 in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. He was the son of Samuel Smith, who had been a lieutenant under Montgomery at the assault on Quebec and a captain at the siege of Yorktown. Samuel Smith married a daughter of one John Wilkinson and spent the rest of his life as a farmer in Bucks County.
Education
He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1838 ranking 36th in a class of 45 graduates.
Career
His early service was practically all in the West, including some minor Indian campaigns. He was promoted first lieutenant, March 4, 1845; captain, February 16, 1847; and major, May 13, 1861, all in the 1th Dragoons.
At the outbreak of the Civil War he was stationed in California. He was appointed colonel of the 2nd California Cavalry, October 2, 1861, but resigned, November 3, 1861, and was sent to Missouri, where he became chief of cavalry under Henry Wager Halleck and served as such through the Corinth campaign in 1862.
He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, March 17, 1862. He commanded a division in the expeditions against Chickasaw Bluffs and Arkansas Post in the following winter, and throughout the Vicksburg campaign in 1863. In the Red River campaign, March to May, 1864, he had a command made up of troops drawn from the XVI Corps (his own) and the XVII Corps.
He was appointed major-general of volunteers, May 12, 1864. He spent the next few months in Tennessee and Mississippi in service which, overshadowed by the great Atlanta campaign, would have been as inconspicuous as it was necessary, had it not been illuminated by his defeat of Nathan Bedford Forrest at Tupelo, July 14, 1864. His command was then sent to Missouri for the defense of that state, and returned in haste to reinforce George Henry Thomas and take part in the battle of Nashville in December.
As commander of the XVI Corps he took part in the Mobile campaign of 1865. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, January 15, 1866, and reverted to his regular army rank of lieutenant-colonel, to which he had been promoted, May 9, 1864; but on July 28, 1866, he was appointed colonel of the 7th Cavalry.
He resigned from the army, May 6, 1869, when he was appointed postmaster at St. Louis, Mo. ; he was city auditor from 1877 to 1889, and commanded a brigade of militia during the strikes in St. Louis in 1877. Under a special act of Congress he was appointed colonel on the retired list of the regular army, January 22, 1889.
He died in 1897.
Achievements
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
Smith "was of small stature, with rather brusque, abrupt manners, sometimes verging on irascibility, yet was popular with his troops, and shunned none of the hardships to which they were subjected" (Perry, Twenty-Eighth Annual Reunion).
Connections
His wife was Ann Mason Simpson, daughter of Dr. Robert Simpson of St. Louis.