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C.R. Smith

C.R. Smith

Federal (USV)

Lieutenant Colonel

Charles Ross Smith

(1829 - 1897)

Home State: Pennsylvania

Command Billet: Commanding Regiment

Branch of Service: Cavalry

Unit: 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry

Before Antietam

A Philadelphia chemist and druggist, he entered service in the Lancers on 1 October 1861 as First Major. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 29 March 1862.

On the Campaign

He led the elements of the Regiment present at Antietam while Colonel Rush served as Brigade Commander.

The rest of the War

From February 1863 he served detached from the Regiment as staff officer to Generals Stoneman, Pleasonton, and Sheridan. He was commissioned Colonel on 30 September 1863, but was not officially mustered at that rank. He left the service at the end of his term on 19 September 1864, and was honored by brevet to Colonel in March 1865 for action at Todd's Tavern, Yellow Tavern and Hawes' Shop.

After the War

He returned to Philadelphia and was in the chemical and grain businesses. He was Secretary of the Philadelphia Commercial Exchange from 1885 until his death.

References & notes

Most often referred to as C. Ross Smith, his photograph above is from a CDV offered for sale in 2009 by Museum Quality Americana. Basic service information here from the Roster of Field and Staff officers found in Bates1, with additional information from Hunt.2

Birth

05/18/29; Philadelphia, PA

Death

11/09/1897; Philadelphia, PA; burial in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Notes

1   Bates, Samuel Penniman, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, Harrisburg: State of Pennsylvania, 1868-1871  [AotW citation 933]

2   Hunt, Roger D., Colonels in Blue: Union Army Colonels of the Civil War - Mid Atlantic States, Mechanicsburg (PA): Stackpole Books, 2007, pg. 153  [AotW citation 934]