He was born on September 29, 1829 in Jefferson County, New York, United States. He was the son of Cyrus and Laura (Wales) Smith and a brother of Morgan Lewis Smith, and was descended from Ignatius Smith, who emigrated to Cape Cod probably in the first half of the eighteenth century.
About 1847 he went to London, Ohio, but soon afterwards moved to Cincinnati, where he engaged in the dry-goods business. Shortly after his marriage, July 31, 1856, he removed to Bloomington, Ill. , continuing in the dry-goods business until 1859, when he became the proprietor of a hotel.
On June 4, 1861, he entered the military service as captain of Company D, 8th Missouri Volunteers, his brother's regiment, and took part in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, in the battle of Shiloh, and in the siege of Corinth. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel, June 12, 1862, and, on the promotion of his brother to brigadier-general, succeeded him, June 30, as colonel of the regiment. In Sherman's expedition against Vicksburg, December 1862, the command of a brigade devolved upon Smith during the assault on Chickasaw Bluffs, and he retained that command during the operations terminating in the capture of Arkansas Post, his soldierly conduct in that capacity drawing commendation from Sherman.
In Grant's operations against Vicksburg he particularly distinguished himself by the rescue of the gunboat flotilla which, while trying to force a passage to the Yazoo, had been trapped in Steele's Bayou by the Confederates. He was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, August 4, 1863, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the field. On November 24, 1863, at Chattanooga, he seized a position on the south bank of the Tennessee River by a skilful maneuver and covered the crossing of Sherman's corps. Later in the day, in the first assault on Missionary Ridge, he was severely wounded.
In the Atlanta campaign he distinguished himself at Resaca, and on July 20, 1864, he was transferred to command the 2nd Division, XVII Corps. When two days later the battle of Atlanta was fought, the brunt of the attack fell on his division, and the repulse of the Confederates was largely due to its heroic conduct. He led his division in the march to the sea and in the Carolina campaign, and was brevetted major-general of volunteers, September 1, 1864.
After the collapse of the Confederacy he was stationed in Texas. He was promoted major-general of volunteers, November 24, 1865. When the volunteer forces were disbanded he declined a commission as colonel of cavalry in the regular army and returned to his home in Bloomington.
He was appointed second assistant postmaster general in 1869 but resigned in 1872 because of failing health. Though he removed to California in 1874 in the hope of checking the progress of disease, he returned to his old home in Bloomington two months before his death.
Giles Alexander Smith sucessfully took part in the capture of Fort Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, in the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign and in the result was appointed to the rank of major general. In recognition of his service he was elected an Illinois delegate to the Republican National Convention.
He possessed a natural soldierly aptitude.
Quotes from others about the person
His superiors generally took it for granted that "any mission assigned him would be well performed, and there was no occasion when this confidence was not justified by the result. "
On July 31, 1856, he married Martha McLain of London, Ohio.
