Thomas Kilby Smith (1820-1887) - Find a Grave Memorial

Civil War Union Brevet Major General. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, later settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he received a military and engineering education under Professor O. M. Mitchel. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was a US Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, when he enlisted in the Union Army and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 54th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At The Battle of Shiloh as commander of his brigade, for conspicuous gallantry he was promoted Colonel. He took part in various operations and battles, and after the surrender of the City of Port Hudson, he served some weeks of staff duty with General Grant and was promoted Brigadier General in August 1863. In command of a division of the Army of the Tennessee, he fought in the Red River Expedition in 1864 and in January, 1865, he was assigned to command the military district of South Alabama and later to the post and District of Mobile. For meritorious service to the Union, he was brevetted Major General of US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. After the war, President Andrew Johnson appointed him as the United States Consul at Panama in 1866. At the time of his death, he was engaged in journalism in New York City.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith