Beschreibung:

38 items. In late 1862, John Corson Smith (1832-1910) of Galena, IL, volunteered for service in the Union Army, and was commissioned Major of the 96th Illinois Infantry. The regiment saw its first major battle at Chickamauga, where, as part of General James B. Steedman’s brigade, it arrived just in time to save Rosecrans’ Army of the Cumberland from annihilation. Smith, helping rally troops on the right wing, gave the command to the 22nd Michigan to defend their position with the bayonet. Smith, who served much of the war on General Steedman’s staff, rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel, and was brevetted Brigadier General in June 1865 by his old pre-war friend, General U.S. Grant. After the war, Smith returned to his career as a building contractor, making his fortune in Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1885 to 1889. Smith was known as one of the most active Masons in the United States. He was buried in Galena with full Masonic orders. This archive of mostly war-date items includes several letters Smith wrote to his wife, with battle content from Chickamauga and preceding engagements. On September 18, 1863, he writes his wife about the hard ride with other officers across Tennessee to Rossville, GA. He arrived just in time to accompany Steedman’s probe towards Ringgold. He goes into great detail about the skirmish and artillery duel, as well as the ambush of their camp the next night by Confederate forces. Late on the night of September 20, the first day of the bloody Battle of Chickamauga, Smith writes from the battlefield, describing in detail the 96th’s fight against Longstreet. In part: Dear wife, We have fought one of the severest battles of the War… We fought two hours and drove the enemy, but at terrible loss. They massed again and attacked us. We fought them until dark, when we ran out of ammunition and had to fall back. The 96th took in 500 men and came out with 50. Our div lost at least 1200 men. Smith runs down the list of all the wounded and killed officers and friends, noting: Many of our boys were left on the field. I feel we shall have it as warm tomorrow… Oh, for large reinforcements! If Burnside only comes up, and forces from Grant, we may turn the tide and end this war in the South West, but if we lose this battle, we shall have to fight them again… Our Corps and Gen’l Thomas’s fought 100,000 Rebs today… many of our Galena boys are no more. He closes by giving his wife and young boys his love, saying Tell them to love their father’s memory if he should fall, and love the flag he fought for, and under which he may die before this Campaign is ended… Love every one of the 96th, for they have done nobly. No Regt on the field have done better. Late on the night of September 23, Smith writes of the fighting retreat to Chattanooga, where the regiment is dug-in at the foot of Lookout Mountain: A more dirty set of men you never seen, from the Genl down… We have had some hard fighting. On Sunday night I wrote you just as we had returned from the battle field. The 1st Div of the R[eserve] C[orps] have won imperishable glory, and first in the Div is the 96th Ills. We saved the army. Genls McCook and Crittenden were whipped and in full retreat for Chattanooga before our div got into the fight, but we saved Genl Thomas and his Corp from complete defeat and capture, and we got the credit for it. But, dear Wife, we done it at a terrible cost…The 2nd brigade of our Div lost about 1200 killed and wounded. The 22nd Michigan, temporarily attached to our Div were cut to pieces. All the troops got out of ammunition at dark, which caused us to fall back. Col LaFever of the 22nd asked me what he should do, as he had no cartridges & the enemy was pushing him. I told him to give them COLD STEEL. He done so, and has never been seen or heard of since, but he saved us and has made a brilliant record. Smith sends his sword and clothing to his wife, who is as close to the front as she