You will also see a photo of him as a BGen. in Vol. 10, of The Photographic History of the Civil War.
George Martin
gmartin55@charter.net
Preston Smith
Residence was not listed; 37 years old.
Enlisted on 5/14/1861 as a Colonel.
On 5/14/1861 he was commissioned into Field & Staff TN 154th Infantry
He was discharged for promotion on 10/27/1862
(Estimated date of commission)
On 10/27/1862 he was commissioned into CS Gen & Staff
He was Killed on 9/19/1863 at Chickamauga, GA
Promotions:
* Brig-Gen 10/27/1862
Other Information:
born 12/25/1823 in Giles County, TN
Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:
- Index to Compiled Confederate Military Service Records
- Field Officers, Regiments & Battalions of CS Army
- Confederate Military History
- Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Commandery of MOLLUS
NOTES:
Brigadier-General Preston Smith
Brigadier-General Preston Smith was born in Giles county,
December 25, 1823. He received the advantages of a good
country school and of Jackson college, Columbia. In this town
he studied law and practiced several years. Then he moved to
Waynesboro, and subsequently to Memphis.
At the outbreak of the civil war he entered the service of the
Confederate States, and was made colonel of the One Hundred
and Fifty-fourth regiment of Tennessee. From the first his
services were effective and brilliant. At Shiloh his regiment
was attached to Bushrod Johnson's brigade and Cheatham's
division. He was severely wounded in this battle, but was in
the field again in time to share in the Kentucky campaign.
In the magnificent victory of Richmond, Ky., he commanded a
brigade under Cleburne, and upon the wounding of that general,
succeeded him in command of the division. In no battle of the
war did either side win a more brilliant victory than was
gained by the Confederates on this memorable field.
On October 27th, Colonel Smith was commissioned brigadier-
general, and no promotion was ever more worthily bestowed.
General Smith's useful career was brought to a close at
Chickamauga, GA, September 19, 1863, at the close of the first
day's fight on this hotly contested field. At 6 o'clock p.m.,
General Smith was informed that a night attack had been
determined upon, and was ordered to support General Deshler's
brigade as soon as it should move to the front.
During this advance, in the confusion caused by a night
attack, a portion of Deshler's brigade became somewhat
disordered and blocked the advance of Smith, who ordered them
to move forward. They obeyed, but obliqued too much to the
left and uncovered the two right regiments of General Smith's
brigade. This being unknown to General Smith, when he again
came upon the troops at a halt in his immediate front,
supposing them to be a part of General Deshler's command, he
and Capt. Thomas H. King, a volunteer aide, rode forward to
ascertain the cause of the delay.
Coming up to the line, which proved to be the enemy, and
asking who was in command of their troops, the Union soldiers
recognized him as a Confederate officer and fired, killing him
and Captain King. A. J. Vaughan, Jr., the senior colonel of
the brigade, made a similar mistake and was likewise fired
upon, but escaped unharmed, though Captain Donelson, acting
assistant adjutant-general, who was riding by his side, was
killed.
By order of Colonel Vaughan, some files of the Twelfth
Tennessee now opened fire and the enemy in the front
surrendered. Gen. B. F. Cheatham, in his report of the
operations of his division in this battle, says: "It was in
this night attack that Brig.-Gen. Preston Smith of Tennessee
received his mortal wound, from which he died in 50 minutes.
At the head of his noble brigade, of which he had been the
commander as colonel and brigadier-general for two years and a
half, he fell in the performance of what he himself, with his
expiring breath, simply said was his duty. Active, energetic
and brave, with a rare fitness to command, full of honorable
ambition in perfect harmony with the most elevated patriotism,
the whole country will mourn his fall and do honor to his
memory."
General Bragg in his official report also says: " Brig.-Gen.
B. H. Helm, Preston Smith and James Deshler died upon the
field in the heroic discharge of duty. They were true
patriots and gallant soldiers, worthy of the high reputation
they enjoyed." Tennessee has good reason to be proud of
Preston Smith.
Source: Confederate Military History, Vol. X, p. 331