★  Smith, Thomas Kilby

Thomas Kilby Smith

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Born: September 23, 1820

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts

Father: Captain George Smith 1782 – 1850

Mother: Elizabeth Bicker Walter 1800 – 1870
(Buried: All Saints Episcopal Church, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​

Wife: Elizabeth Budd McCullough Unknown – 1899
(Buried: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​

Children:

Elizabeth Barnett Smith Esler 1850 – 1942​
(Buried: All Saints Episcopal Church, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​
Arabella T. Smith 1852 – 1868​
(Buried: Saint Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts)​
Walter George Smith 1854 – 1924​
(Buried: Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Cemetery, Bensalem, Pennsylvania)​
Theodore Dehon “Father Maurice” Smith 1857 – 1894​
Adrian Worthington Smith 1860 – 1892​
(Buried: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​
Caroline Genevieve Smith 1864 – 1935​
(Buried: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​
Helen Grace Smith 1865 – 1959​
(Buried: Eden Hall Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​
William Butler Duncan Smith 1869 – 1934​
(Buried: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​
Thomas Kilby Smith Jr. 1871 – 1944​
(Buried: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania)​

Education:

Attended Military School under Ormsby M. Mitchel​
Studied law in the office of Salmon P. Chase​

Occupation before War:

Special Agent for United States Postal Service​
United States Marshal for Southern District of Ohio​
Hamilton County, Ohio, Deputy Clerk​

Civil War Career:

1861: Lt. Colonel of 54th Ohio Infantry Regiment​
1861: Organized his regiment at Camp Dennison​
1861 – 1863: Colonel of 54th Ohio Infantry Regiment​
1862: Joined the Division of Sherman at Paducah, Kentucky​
1862: Served in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​
1863: Served in the Vicksburg, Mississippi Campaign​
1863 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1864: Served with Gallantry during Red River Campaign​
1864: Ordered the destruction of library at Louisiana State University​
1865: Relieved of command in Louisiana on January 17th
1865: Union Army Commander Department South Alabama, & Florida​
1865: Brevetted Brig. General, and Major General in Union Army​

Occupation after War:

United States Counsel at Panama​
Newspaper Journalist in New York City, New York​

Died: December 14, 1887

Place of Death: New York City, New York

Cause of Death: Acute gastritis, fatty degeneration of the heart

Age at time of Death: 67 years old

Burial Place: Saint Dominic Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Pennsylvania
 
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Nice bio. My G-G-Uncle was a Sgt. in Company A in the 54th at Shiloh. He was later commissioned and was in command of the company.
That is neat. I think it is really interesting when one of my ancestors or another person’s have a direct connection to a historical event person.

Respectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik
 
He temporarily took over a brigade during the Chickasaw Bayou assualt. He may have led this same brigade in the capture of Fort Hindman.It was the 2nd brigade of the 2nd division, but in one biography it lists it belonging to the Army of the Tennessee in the Chickasaw Bayou assault. But during the Fort Hindman assault the brigade belonged to the Army of the Mississippi. So just which brigade did he lead or was this two differant brigades?
 
I just ordered “Life and Letters of Thomas Kilby Smith..”. At just over 500 pages it should have some interesting content. Read somewhere it was a good book with good descriptions of the battles he was in and men he served with.
 
His 54th Ohio was a Zouave unit with uniforms identical to Piatts Zouaves (34th Ohio)
The accompanying news article states his wife was the sister of humorist Don Piatt.That would also make him the brother-in-law of General Abram S. Piatt, who raised not only the 34th. Ohio (Piatt's Zouves) but the 54th Ohio as well. He fed and clothed both units out of his own pocket when they were being raised. That would explain the identical uniforms.
 
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