Page:War and its Heroes.djvu/46

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4- THK WAR AND ITS HEROES. arbitrary tad unjust role had been laid down, and wu rigidly adhered to, thai lieuti nantfl should n ■ a than t< ■ ■ bn Mao; tenant Smith's former juniors, who belonged to oorpe in which promotion was more rapid than in that of th -, had reached the grade of first lieutenant, and, by receiving two brevets upon that grade, were made majors; but none of these, it I, had a separate command. In 1849, Lieutenant Smith was appointed principal assistant professor of i Dgine< ring and the art of war at West Point Military Academy, with the rank of captain, and continued to fill that position until the 18th <>f December, 1854, at which time hi 1 from the army of the United Stat.'-:. In 1 t to New Orleans, ami in October, 1856, ret from that j ■ ]■.., e to tl e city of New York. Capl IVUS Smith, as he was Mill called, won t'"r himself in civil life a reputation fully equal to that which ho had previously established in the army. II i> administration for three years of the highly responsible position confided to him in the city of Xew York is regarded by the ablest and hot m< ii of that city as unequalled for ability and sterling integrity, ami wrung even from his political foes a mead of praise of which any man might well feel proud. From his connexions and political Opinions, no one doubted which side Cap- tain Smith would espouse. Time passed On. Fort Sumter was bombarded, the battle of Manassas fought, Kentucky was still in the old Union, and Captain Smith was yet in New York He reamed Kentucky early in August, 1881, and his Southern friends then learned that he had been suddenly stricken down by disease in New York city just two weeks before the bombardment of Port Sumter — had been confined to his room for marly three months, and so BOOn BS he was able to travel, had proceeded to his old home in Kentucky, where he hoped to recuperate his shattered strength and health. "When the Kentucky Legislature, in the winter of 1861, by an almost unan- imous vote, declared that the seceded States should not be coerced into the Union, it was underst 1 in Kentucky that Captain Smith was the chosen military leader id that. State. On arriving at home, he found that a majority of the people of Kentucky had been deceived and betrayed, and immediately determined not to be enchained with her even temporarily under the rule of the Yankees, rle therefore left Kentucky, aud, ori reaching Nashville, offered his services to the President of the Confederate States, stating that lie had left the North ami come back to the South with the intention of sharing her destiny. In a few days afterwards he proceeded to Richmond, and, without application on his part, upon the recommendations of Generals A. S. Johnston, .Joseph E. Johnston, and Beauregard, was by the President appointed, a major-general. A~ commander of the second corps of the Army of the Potomac, whilst Beauregard commanded the first, and Joseph K. Johnston the army — as com- mander of the left wing of Johnston's army in the celebrated retreat from Centreville, and of the rear-guard and left wing from Vorktown in retiring