M. B. Smith

[M. Smith]

Many of you probably know the song Shiloh Hill written by M. B. Smith of the Second Texas. I found online a video of another song he supposedly composed called the Gallant Second Texian. I have tried to figure out more about M. B. Smith and if he wrote any other songs, but it has proved fruitless other than that his first name was Mirabeau. Does anyone else have information on him? Here is the aforementioned video:

 

[Stryker65]

Some guy on Reddit in the r/CivilWar subforum said that the records of Mirabeau B. Smith's services indicate that he enlisted in Co. C, 2nd Texas Infantry in August, 1861 and was discharged in June, 1862, but I'm not sure exactly where these records came from. @lupaglupa ?

 

[M. Smith]

Some guy on Reddit in the r/CivilWar subforum said that the records of Mirabeau B. Smith's services indicate that he enlisted in Co. C, 2nd Texas Infantry in August, 1861 and was discharged in June, 1862, but I'm not sure exactly where these records came from. @lupaglupa ?

Yeah I actually posted that reddit post. I checked on ancestry and I found the document I think the person pulled from. Either way those records don't actually say that much about him.

 

[lupaglupa]

Fold 3has records for Mirabeau Smith. He enlisted August 13, 1861 as a private in Company C of the 2nd Regiment of Texas Infantry. He went into the hospital at Galveston that September and was diagnosed with "Hydro Cirr Carditis with deranged Val" which appears to be a form of cardiac disease. He was back in the hospital in December with a fever. He returned in January suffering from deafness. He appears to have been discharged from the army in June, and with that medical record it's no surprise.

 

[M. Smith]

Fold 3has records for Mirabeau Smith. He enlisted August 13, 1861 as a private in Company C of the 2nd Regiment of Texas Infantry. He went into the hospital at Galveston that September and was diagnosed with "Hydro Cirr Carditis with deranged Val" which appears to be a form of cardiac disease. He was back in the hospital in December with a fever. He returned in January suffering from deafness. He appears to have been discharged from the army in June, and with that medical record it's no surprise.

I wish there was at least a death date or birth date. He at least lived until the summer of 1863 being that Vicksburg is mentioned in the Gallant Second Texians. Also, it seems to be a mystery how his songs even were published.

 

[lupaglupa]

I wish there was at least a death date or birth date. He at least lived until the summer of 1863 being that Vicksburg is mentioned in the Gallant Second Texians. Also, it seems to be a mystery how his songs even were published.

It would be unusual to find birth or death dates in these records, unless the soldier died in the hospital.

 

[lupaglupa]

There are some interesting things online about the song and M B Smith. One place lists several other songs attributed to him and claims he lived in Galveston after the War.

 

[M. Smith]

There are some interesting things online about the song and M B Smith. One place lists several other songs attributed to him and claims he lived in Galveston after the War.

Could you link the website? I'm very curious on what other songs he might've written. I'm sure you've also noticed that some websites claim his name as M. G. Smith, perhaps being a typo.

 

[lupaglupa]

Origins: The Battle of Shiloh's Hill

It's surprising that so little has been written (here or anywhere) about one of the most powerful songs made during the Civil War.

mudcat.org

I don't know anything about this website so I can't say how accurate the information is.