author
Gustavus Woodson Smith
1822–1896
A West Point–trained soldier and engineer, he moved between military service and major public works before briefly commanding the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862. His life stretched from the Mexican–American War through the upheaval of the Civil War and into a long postwar career in New York.
1 Audiobook
Company 'A', corps of engineers, U.S.A., 1846-'48, in the Mexican war
by Gustavus Woodson Smith
About the author
Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, Gustavus Woodson Smith attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1842 near the top of his class. He joined the Corps of Engineers and served in the Mexican–American War, where he earned notice for gallant service.
After leaving the U.S. Army in the 1850s, he worked as a civil engineer in New York City. When the Civil War began, he entered Confederate service and rose to major general. He is especially remembered for briefly leading the Army of Northern Virginia after Joseph E. Johnston was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines, just before Robert E. Lee took command.
Following the war, Smith returned to civilian engineering and business work in New York. His career makes him a striking example of a 19th-century American whose life crossed military history, engineering, and the divided loyalties of the Civil War era.