Melancthon Smith (Confederate officer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melancthon Smith
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| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Clarke County |
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| In office 1857–1859 |
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| Preceded by | Unknown |
| Succeeded by | Unknown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 15, 1829 Mobile, Alabama |
| Died | November 1, 1881 (aged 52) Mobile, Alabama |
| Spouses | Mary Emma (Forney) Smith (October 13, 1833 – February 8, 1870) Clara (Howze) Smith |
| Profession | Planter, Militia Officer, Journalist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Army Confederate States Army (Artillery) |
| Years of service | 1851–1854 (USA) 1861–1865 (CSA) |
| Rank |  2nd Lieutenant (USA) Major General (MS Militia) Colonel (CSA) |
| Unit | 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment |
| Commands | Right Wing—Mobile Defenses Artillery—Cheatham's Corps Artillery—D.H. Hill's Corps Artillery—Hardee's Corps Artillery—Cheatham's Division Smith's (Mississippi) Battery |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Melancthon Smith (born April 15, 1829 – died November 1, 1881) was an important officer, a Colonel, in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He went to the United States Military Academy, a famous military school. He served with the cannons (artillery) in the Army of Tennessee in the western part of the war. After the war ended, he became a journalist, writing for newspapers.
Contents
Early Life and Military Training
Growing Up in Alabama
Melancthon Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama on April 15, 1829. His father was also a soldier, an artillery Captain stationed at the Mount Vernon Arsenal. This meant Melancthon grew up around military life.
Learning at West Point
When he was 16, Melancthon was accepted into the United States Military Academy in 1845. He had some challenges there. In his second year, he struggled with math and had to repeat the year. He also got a lot of demerits (bad marks for breaking rules).
Despite these difficulties, he kept working hard. He managed to pass his classes and graduated in 1851. He was 36th out of 42 students in his class.
Serving in the U.S. Army
After graduating, Smith became a temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was sent to the Texas frontier with the 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He served at places like Fort McKavett and Camp Johnston. In 1852, he became a full 2nd Lieutenant. He continued his duty on the frontier until he left the army in November 1854.
Life Before the War
After leaving the army, Smith moved to eastern Mississippi. He became a planter, which means he owned and managed a farm. In 1853, he married Mary Emma Forney. They had two daughters and two sons.
He also became active in the local militia, which was like a volunteer army. In 1857, he was chosen as a Major General. He was in charge of the militia in 14 southern counties of Mississippi. Around this time, he was also elected to represent Clarke County in the Mississippi State Legislature. He even became the head of the House's Military Committee.
The Civil War Years
Starting the War (1861-1862)
As states began to leave the United States, Melancthon Smith joined the militia. In January 1861, he helped take over the Mount Vernon Arsenal and other forts in Alabama. He was then made a Captain in the Alabama Volunteers, working with weapons and supplies. He was put in charge of the Mount Vernon Arsenal, the same place his father had helped build years before.
Later, he became Alabama's Adjutant General, a high-ranking administrative role. But he wanted to be in active combat. So, he left that job and became a Captain of a company from his home county in Mississippi. He turned his company into a group that operated cannons, called a light artillery battery.
In September, Smith's (Mississippi) Battery joined the Army of Tennessee. They fought in the Battle of Belmont, firing cannons at Union troops. His actions were praised by Major General Leonidas Polk.
At the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, his 6-cannon battery fought a cannon duel with a Union battery. Smith's service was officially noted by General Cheatham. In July 1862, Smith became the Chief of Artillery for Cheatham's Division. He was promoted to Major in August. He commanded 16 cannons at the Battle of Perryville. His group even captured 7 enemy cannons and many supplies. He continued to lead his artillery in the Battle of Stones River.
Later War Years (1863-1865)
As a senior artillery officer, Smith often acted as the Chief of Artillery for his corps. His fellow officers even asked the Confederate War Department to promote him. However, the laws at the time made it hard to promote enough artillery officers, so his promotion was denied for a while.
By the Battle of Chickamauga in late 1863, the five artillery batteries in his division were combined into a larger group (a battalion) under Smith's command. He led this group in the Chattanooga Campaign.
In early 1863, there were big problems with military supplies. Cannon fuses were bad, gunpowder was poor quality, and the cannons themselves were wearing out. General Braxton Bragg formed a special board to fix these issues, and Smith was part of it. They made recommendations to improve the artillery, but it took time.
In February 1864, Smith's four artillery battalions were officially combined into a corps artillery regiment. Smith, still a Major, was put in command. His generals, Johnston and Hardee, recommended him for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.
In May 1864, now a Lieutenant Colonel, Smith served in the Atlanta Campaign. This campaign was very difficult for the Confederacy. During the retreat, Smith managed to save 28 cannons, but his corps lost almost all its other equipment. He continued to lead the corps artillery during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign.
In January 1865, the Army of Tennessee's artillery was reorganized. Over half of it was sent to Mobile Bay under Smith's command. In April, Colonel Smith fought in the Battle of Fort Blakely during the Mobile Campaign. He led the right side of Mobile's defenses. On April 9, the fort was captured, and the war ended for Melancthon Smith.
Life After the War
When the war ended, Smith went back to farming on his land. His first wife died in 1870. He married Mary Howze in 1872, but she passed away just two years later.
Because of the difficult situation in the country and losing his mill in a fire, he sold his farm in 1871. He then became the Principal of the high school in Enterprise. But he left that job in 1874 to become a newspaper editor.
He first worked for the Pascagoula (Mississippi) Democrat-Star. In May 1877, he moved back to his childhood home in Mobile, Alabama. After a short time at the Mobile (Ala.) Cycle, he began editing the Mobile News, a daily newspaper. He worked there until his health failed. He suffered from tuberculosis and was very sick for several years before he died on November 1, 1881.
See also
