Trivia Question 1-31-19 Chief Engineer

[Bruce Allardice]

Probably Lt. Col. William Proctor Smith. I say probably because the staff titles were often not formalized.

Edit - Correct, Bruce. Welcome to the trivia game and to CivilWarTalk.

Hope you'll come back and play again.

hoosier

 

[FarawayFriend]

It seems that some sources have Samuel R. Johnson as Chief Engineer of the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg.

Civil War Wiki lists both officers:

http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Gettysburg_Confederate_Order_of_Battle

I will stay with my first answer, Col. William Proctor Smith, though, as he is senior in rank to Johnson and therefore probably his superior as Chief Engineer.

 

[Deleted User CS]

Colonel William Proctor Smith.

 

[sarladaise]

Lt. Col. William Proctor Smith
http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[Wallyfish]

Well there are differing opinions on who was the confederate Chief Engineer @ Gettysburg. Some books and Gettysburg Stone Sentinels show Colonel William Proctor Smith as the Chief Engineer.

However JD Petruzzi's books and my Coddington The Gettysburg Campaign book show Samuel R. Johnston as the engineer. So does Trudeau's Gettysburg A Testing of Courage and the Gettysburg.gov website.

Some books and websites actually show both names.

So I am going with Samuel R. Johnston as my official answer.

I remember asking Scott Hartwig this question during a Gettysburg Battle walk back in the early 2000's. I have always been intrigued by Johnston's Day 2 recon ride to LRT (where did he really go to?) due to the differing opinions. Scott said that Johnston was the Chief Engineer.

https://www.nps.gov/gett/learn/historyculture/anv-orderofbattle.htm

Page 587 in the Coddington book is where he shows only Johnston as the engineer. Who can argue with Coddington?
Page 582 in the Trudeau book is where he shows only Johnston as the engineer.

I could quote many other Gettysburg books and websites but you get my drift from the above. Most show Johnston as our boy.

 

[Schwallanscher]

william proctor smith - source

 

[Soldier Boy]

Col. William Proctor Smith - gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[Hussar Yeomanry]

A very difficult question.

Officially it was (Lt) Col William P. Smith but he does not actually appear to have been present at the battle despite what wikipedia says... and even then it only has him as 'an engineer'.
But it appears to have actually been Captain Samuel Johnston in his role of Acting Chief Engineer

I refer you to this thread where the question comes up somewhat though without fully answering the question https://www.civilwartalk.com/threads/the-proper-concert-of-action-lee’s-staff-at-gettysburg.152008/page-2

Certainly William Smith is the Chief Engineer at the start of the campaign (as per Eicher) but seems to fade into the background during it. So I would have to argue for Samuel Johnston. So, that's my answer.

Edit - Correct, Hussar Yeomanry. Welcome to the trivia game.

Hope you'll come back and play again.

hoosier

 

[Wallyfish]

After some more digging, Smith was not present at Gettysburg and Lee assigned Johnston the acting Chief Engineer at Gettysburg. Staying with my Johnston answer.

 

[kasey00]

COL William Proctor Smith

http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[lelliott19]

William Proctor Smith (10 April 1833 - 27 August 1895)
http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[hoosier]

Col. William P. Smith (not to be confused with Confederate Gen. William "Extra Billy" Smith or Union Gen. William "Baldy" Smith)

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Colonel William Proctor Smith was Chief Engineer.

Source

 

[Zella]

Col. William Proctor Smith

http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[MC44]

Col. William Proctor Smith
http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/armies/army-of-northern-virginia/

 

[ami]

Answer: William Proctor Smith

Edit: Multiple sources say William P. Smith was the chief engineer, but players have presented other sources saying that Samuel Johnston was the chief engineer.

I will accept both answers as correct.

hoosier