Background
He was born on April 24, 1807 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of Samuel Blair Smith, surgeon in the United States Army, and Mary (Ferguson) Smith.
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He was born on April 24, 1807 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of Samuel Blair Smith, surgeon in the United States Army, and Mary (Ferguson) Smith.
He was admitted to the United States Military Academy as a cadet, July 1, 1820, and was graduated and appointed second lieutenant, 2nd Artillery, July 1, 1825.
After four years of garrison service he returned to the Military Academy as an instructor in 1829, and remained there for more than thirteen years as instructor of infantry tactics, adjutant, and finally commander of cadets. It was there, under Sylvanus Thayer, that the qualities of discipline and precision, and the martial bearing and spirit that so distinguished his later career were developed and fixed. He was promoted first lieutenant in 1832 and captain in 1838.
After 1842 he served at Fort Columbus, Governors Island, New York, and the arsenal at Frankford, Pennsylvania, until 1845, when impending war with Mexico called him to duty with Gen. Zachary Taylor's army in Texas. In command of a battalion of artillery serving as infantry he participated in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Texas, and was brevetted major for gallant conduct in those battles, May 9, 1846. With the same "red-legged infantry" at Monterey he stormed the works on Loma Federacion, a key position commanding the city. For this action he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, September 23, 1846. Transferred to Gen. For gallant and meritorious conduct at Contreras and Churubusco he received his third brevet, that of colonel, August 20, 1847.
From 1849 to 1855, in addition to garrison duties, he served on important boards dealing with the training and administration of the army. Promoted major, 16t Artillery, November 25, 1854, and lieutenant-colonel, 10th Infantry, March 3, 1855, in 1856 he led an expedition to the Red River of the North.
In 1857 he served in the Utah expedition, and was in command of the Department of Utah, 1860-61. At the outbreak of the Civil War, after temporary service in Washington, he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers (and colonel, regular army) and assigned to command the District of Western Kentucky. He commanded the 2nd Division of Grant's army in the operations against Fort Henry, Fort Heiman and Fort Donelson.
He was placed in command of the expedition up the Tennessee River, but an injury resulting from an accident developed into an illness that caused his death at Savannah, a month later.
Charles Ferguson Smith's Light Infantry took prominent part in all the operations in the Mexican-American War from the siege of Vera Cruz to the capture and occupation of Mexico city. At a critical stage of the battle at Fort Donelson he personally led an assault against the Confederate outworks and secured a position within the defenses, the immediate cause of the surrender of the garrison. For this he was promoted 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. A second Fort C. F. Smith was located at the Bighorn River.
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He was married, March 24, 1840, to Fanny Mactier of Philadelphia. They had three children.
