Persifor Frazer Smith was a United States Army officer, a governor of California.
Background
He was born on November 16, 1798 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of Jonathan and Mary Anne (Frazer) Smith. He was a descendant of Joseph Smith who emigrated from Ireland to Chester County, Pennsylvania, probably in 1720, and of Persifor Frazer, 1736-1792.
Education
Graduating from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) with the degree of A. B. in 1815, Smith studied law and toward the end of 1819 removed to New Orleans.
Career
After studies he commanded successively a company and a battalion of militia, and became adjutant-general of Louisiana. In 1836 he raised a regiment of Louisianians for the Seminole War and served with distinction in the campaigns of 1836 and 1838. After his return he became judge of the city of Lafayette, and later of the parish of Jefferson.
At the outbreak of the Mexican War he was commissioned colonel, United States Army, May 27, 1846. After commanding a brigade in the army of Zachary Taylor in the battles around Monterey, in which he directed the successful attacks against the forts on the south flank of the city and for his gallant conduct was brevetted brigadier-general, September 23, 1846, he was transferred to Winfield Scott's army in command of the new regiment of mounted rifles.
During the siege of Vera Cruz he defeated near Vergara a Mexican force that advanced to harass the besiegers; on the advance to Mexico city he commanded the first brigade of the division under David Emanuel Twigg, and at Contreras, assuming command of three American brigades trapped between the superior forces of Santa Anna and Valencia, he conceived and executed a surprise attack in the early morning of August 20, 1847, which resulted in the destruction of Valencia's army.
He further distinguished himself at Churubusco, Chapultepec, and the capture of the Belen gate of the Mexican capital, and was brevetted major-general for gallant and meritorious conduct. A member of the armistice commission that arranged for suspension of hostilities, he later served as military governor of Mexico city, and as commanding officer at Vera Cruz he prepared the embarkation of the American forces leaving Mexico, discharging all these difficult offices with characteristic efficiency.
After the war he was assigned according to his brevet rank to command first the Pacific Division; then, 1850-56, the Department of Texas; and in 1856 the Western Department, with headquarters at St. Louis. The absence of civil authority in California, Indian uprisings in New Mexico, and border warfare in Kansas made each of these posts in turn difficult.
He was commissioned brigadier-general, December 30, 1856. In April 1858 he was assigned to command the Department of Utah, where the Mormons were opposing Federal authority, but he died in the early hours of the morning, May 17, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he had gone to organize his forces.
Achievements
Personality
Although he was prepossessing and soldierly in appearance, his remarkably magnetic personality was based on mental and moral qualities; few men have been able so to command the implicit trust of all ranks and classes of men.
Simple, scholarly, conciliatory, but vigilant and sure, he united daring with imperturbable composure and control of all his resources in the most critical circumstances.
Quotes from others about the person
Nicholas Philip Trist writes of him as "one of the most beautifully balanced characters that I have ever known". Gen. Winfield Scott as early as August 3, 1847, refers to him in a letter as "the gallant and judicious General Smith".
Connections
On January 19, 1822, he was married to Frances Jeanette Bureau, daughter of Francois Bureau of New Orleans, by whom he had a son who became a physician in New Orleans.
After the death of his first wife in 1852, he married, April 18, 1854, Anne Monica (Millard) Armstrong, widow of Maj. Francis W. Armstrong of the United States Army, whose son Frank C. Armstrong was a Confederate officer.