John Corson Smith
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)
4341
DATABASE CONTENT
(4341)Smith, John Corson1832-02-131910-12-31
  • Conflict Side: Union
  • Role: Soldier
  • Rank in: Major
  • Rank out: Brigadier General
  • Rank highest: Brigadier General
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: White

Documents - Records: 23

  • (11946) [recipient] ~ Sylvester W. McMaster to John C. Smith, 22 March 1863
  • (11947) [recipient] ~ Lafayette Holmes to John C. Smith, 30 March 1863
  • (11948) [recipient] ~ Mary Smith to John C. Smith, 4 September 1863
  • (11949) [recipient] ~ Mary (?) to John C. Smith, 14 September 1863
  • (11950) [recipient] ~ Henry H. Cutler to John C. Smith, 28 January 1864
  • (11951) [recipient] ~ Manerva E. Perry to John C. Smith, 31 January 1864
  • (11952) [recipient] ~ William M. Loughlin to John C. Smith, 3 February 1864
  • (11953) [recipient] ~ Richard J. Poston to John C. Smith, 9 February 1864
  • (11954) [recipient] ~ Isaac H. Bonsall to John C. Smith, 24 November 1864
  • (11955) [recipient] ~ Mary Smith to John C. Smith, 27 November 1864
  • (11956) [recipient] ~ Elizabeth Smith to John C. Smith, 25 December 1864
  • (11957) [recipient] ~ Alfred M. Sackett to John C. Smith, 25 December 1864
  • (11958) [recipient] ~ J. J. Smith to John C. Smith, 4 January 1865
  • (11959) [recipient] ~ S. S. Lawson to John C. Smith, 7 February 1865
  • (11960) [recipient] ~ Byron G. Pierce to John C. Smith, 5 February 1865
  • (11961) [recipient] ~ John W. Swanbrough to John C. Smith, 15 February 1865
  • (11962) [recipient] ~ Mary Sullivan to John C. Smith, 8 March 1865
  • (11963) [recipient] ~ Ann E. Leekly to John C. Smith, 18 December 18XX
  • (11964) [recipient] ~ Charles B. Flick to John C. Smith, undated
  • (11965) [recipient] ~ Thomas M. Vincent to John C. Smith, 18 May 1866
  • (11966) [recipient] ~ Thomas M. Vincent to John C. Smith, 2 February 1874
  • (11967) [associated with] ~ John C. Smith Memo, undated
  • (11968) [associated with] ~ John C. Smith Poem, undated

People - Records: 6

  • (4344) Smith, Mary is the [sibling of] (4341) Smith, John Corson
  • (4350) Bonsall, Isaac H. is the [friend of] (4341) Smith, John Corson
  • (4351) Smith, Elizabeth is the [sibling of] (4341) Smith, John Corson
  • (4355) Pierce, Byron Gordon is the [friend of] (4341) Smith, John Corson
  • (4356) Swanbrough, John W. is the [friend of] (4341) Smith, John Corson
  • (5578) Leekly, Ann Eliza is the [sibling-in-law of] (4341) Smith, John Corson

Places - Records: 2

  • (39) [birth] ~ Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
  • (244) [death] ~ Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

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Regiments - Records: 1

  • (1023) [officer] [S] ~ 96th Illinois Infantry

Groups - Records: 1

  • (3) [politician] ~ Republican Party
SOURCES

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; Illinois Marriage Index, 1860-1920, available from Ancestry.com; Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, available from Ancestry.com; General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, available from Ancestry.com; “John C. Smith (politician)” Wikipedia profile, available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Smith_(politician).