John Corson Smith was born on February 13, 1832, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Robert and Sarah Smith. His father was an English immigrant who earned a living as a tailor. Smith moved to Galena, Illinois, around 1854 and earned a living as a carpenter. He married Charlotte A. Gallaher on March 24, 1856, and they had at least four children: Robert, born around 1857; Samuel, born around 1858; Ruth, born around 1866; and John, born around 1869. In 1859, he became Assistant Superintendent of the Custom House in Dubuque, Iowa. By 1860, he owned $100 of personal property.
In September 1862, he received a commission as major in the 96th Illinois Infantry. The regiment took part in the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta campaign, and the Battle of Nashville. He was severely wounded in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Smith was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel, then to colonel, and he received a brevet promotion to brigadier general. He mustered out on June 10, 1865.
He returned to Galena after the war, and he was appointed Assistant Assessor of the Internal Revenue. By 1870, he owned $1,500 of real estate and $1,000 of personal property. He applied for a federal pension in December 1873 and eventually secured one.
The family moved to Chicago, Illinois, around 1874, and Smith worked for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. The following year, he became Chief Grain Inspector for the city of Chicago. He supported the Republican Party, and he was elected state treasurer in 1878 and then lieutenant governor in 1884. He toured the world in the 1890s, and he published Around the World with Gen. John C. Smith in 1895. He died in Chicago on December 31, 1910.
Image: John C. Smith (courtesy Wikicommons)