People of the Civil War · United States
Charles F. Smith
1807–1862
Background
Career United States Army officer and former West Point commandant whose division captured part of the outer works at Fort Donelson.
Career officer and teacher
Charles Ferguson Smith was a professional United States Army officer and West Point graduate. As an instructor and commandant of cadets, he helped train officers who later held important commands during the Civil War.
Military service
Smith served in the Mexican–American War and the Utah expedition before becoming a senior United States commander in the Civil War. His assault on the Confederate defenses at Fort Donelson contributed to the Union victory.
Final months
A leg injury suffered during the advance up the Tennessee River kept Smith out of the fighting at Shiloh. He died at Savannah, Tennessee, on April 25, 1862, and was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.