Biography of Edmund Kirby Smith Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912. submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- EDMUND KIRBY SMITH was born at St. Augustine, Fla., May 16, 1824. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1845, and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the First United States infantry. He served with distinction during the war with Mexico, receivng [sic] the brevet ranks of first lieutenant and captain. For several years after the close of the Mexican War he was an instructor at West Point. Having been promoted to a first lieutenancy in the Seventh infantry, be was selected as one of the captains of the Second cavalry at the organization of that regiment, March 3, 1855. He was promoted to the grade of major in January, 1861. On the 6th of the following April be resigned his commission and immediately accepted an appointment as lieutenant colonel of cavalry in the Confederate service. He was promoted to brigadier general June 17, 1861; to major general, October 11, 1861, and to lieutenant general, October 9, 1862. He rendered effective service at a critical juncture at the first battle of Bull Run. In 1862 he was placed in command of the Department of East Tennessee, Kentucky, North Georgia and Western North Carolina. He led the advance of Bragg's army and defeated the Federal forces under General Nelson, at Richmond. Ky., August 30, 1862. In February, 1863, he was placed in command of the Trans- Mississippi Department. Because of its isolation from the rest of the Confederacy, he was placed in a position where he wielded great power in civil, commercial and industrial lines as well as in a military way, yet he used such power wisely and unselfishly. The military operations within his department were not extensive, though he defeated the Banks Red river expedition in 1864. He surrendered to Gen. Edward R. S. Canby of the Federal army May 26, 1865. After the close of the war he engaged in business for a time, and then (1870) engaged in educational work. He had occupied the chair of mathematics in the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., for eighteen years at the time of his death, which occurred March 28, 1893. (Included with the article, "Indian Fight in Ford County in 1859," page 317)