Charles Henry Smith (Army Medal of Honor)

Charles Henry Smith
File:Charles H Smith Army 1865 public domain USGov.jpg Charles Henry Smith, 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry, c. 1865
Born	(1827-11-01)November 1, 1827 Hollis, Maine, US
Died	Washington, DC, US
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861–1891
Rank	Colonel Brevet major general
Unit	1st Maine Cavalry Regiment 19th U.S. Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War First Battle of Winchester Battle of Cedar Mountain Battle of Second Bull Run Battle of South Mountain Battle of Antietam Battle of Fredericksburg Stoneman's 1863 raid Battle of Brandy Station Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Mine Run Battle of Todd's Tavern Battle of Haw's Shop Battle of Old Church Battle of Cold Harbor Battle of Trevilian Station Battle of St. Mary's Church Second Battle of Ream's Station Battle of Boydton Plank Road Appomattox Campaign Battle of Dinwiddie Court House Battle of Five Forks Battle of Sailor's Creek Appomattox Court House
Awards	Medal of Honor
Signature	100px

Charles Henry Smith (November 1, 1827 – July 17, 1902) was a brigadier general of the United States Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the American Civil War.

Personal

Smith was born in Hollis, Maine. He taught school before the Civil War. He married Mary R. L. Livermore in 1850. She died on December 18, 1897, in Washington, D.C. He never remarried, and died in Washington also, on July 17, 1902. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery next to his wife. His younger brother, George Washington Smith, served as a 90-day volunteer as a sergeant in Co I, 3rd Massachusetts Infantry, reenlisting in the 18th Massachusetts Infantry where he served from August 1861 to September 1864.

Military

During the Civil War, Smith was a member of the 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. He was commissioned a captain in November 1861 and took command of Company D. He served well and was promoted to major on February 16, 1863. Promoted again March 26 to lieutenant colonel, he participated in the Stoneman 1863 raid. He commanded the regiment in Col. Douty's absence at Brandy Station assuming command after Douty's death at Aldie June 17, 1863 when he was promoted colonel. He was breveted to brigadier general on August 20, 1864, and took command of the brigade. He ended the war at Appomattox having commanded several brigades and a division.

He earned his Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of St. Mary's Church in October 1864. Issued on April 11, 1895, his citation read:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel (Cavalry) Charles Henry Smith, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 24 June 1864, while serving with 1st Maine Cavalry, in action at St. Mary's Church, Virginia. Colonel Smith remained in the fight to the close, although severely wounded.

— D. S. Lamont, Secretary of War

He remained in the army after the war and retired as a colonel in 1891.

He was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

External links

• 1st Maine Cavalry Living History Organization
• 1st Maine Cavalry Regimental Standard reproduced by Steven Hill.
• History of the 1st Maine Cavalry at Google Books (downloadable for free)
• FamilySearch – 1st Regiment, Maine Cavalry
• The Civil War Archive – Maine 1st Regiment Cavalry
• Maine Memory Network – 1st Maine Cavalry