Page:War and its Heroes.djvu/45

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MAJ. GEN. GUSTAVUS WOODSON SMITH. General GustaTUS Woodson Smith wa> born on the 1st day of January, 1822, near Georgetown, Scott county, Kentucky. His parents were both natives of the same county. His grand-parents — paternal and maternal — removed from Eastern Virginia to Kentucky in the time of Daniel Boone, whilst the red men still disputed with the whites for possession of their favorite hunting-ground — the far-famed "Blue Grass District." He is by lineage, education and habits a thorough Kentuekian. Through the influence of Colonel Richard M. Johnson, then Vice Pn of the United States, who was the close neighbor and life-long personal and political friend of Bodes Smith, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Gustavus W. Smith was appointed a cadet, and tntered the T'nitcd Military Academy in 1838, and, at the end of six month-, had established a reputation f<>r ability of no ordinary character, and was placed firti in mathc- • reported to be equal, if nor. to any ev< r grads Wet Point On leaving the Military Academy In 1842, he was ippoioted a lieutenant in the United Star. In 1846, altl i lieu- tenant and low on the li m of the slow promotion in that celebrated corps, he * ted by the ,-ineer and ordered upon duty a- Bant oi tlje oompany of snd mint i, then 1 i • npany tod died in New Orleans, on his way to his hon Lieutenant Smith, as senior i i: to the end of th< a ir Tl i i th< • llellan an I This ; art in all the open- ly, in mai _■'- and I Cerro Qordo, Cootn In the city of Ml itenaet Smith, nt : 5 tt, officially an: often and more high as at Geno commended more 1 more important sen at Vera Crux ar. I it the