Lot 1574
General E. Kirby Smith. Black and white, 3½ x 4½", n.p., n.d. Post-war printed portrait of the General as an old man, with a long gray beard, labeled (not in Smith's hand) verso and under the image. Minor toning, ¼" tear with diagonal crease at top left, bottom corners have tiny chips. Very good condition.
As commander of Trans-Mississippi Division Confederate forces, the Union seizure of the Mississippi in 1863 meant Smith and his forces were cut off from Confederate supply lines and general supervision. Forced to deal with provisioning his troops, the destruction of cotton to prevent its capture and normal duties, Smith developed his own style of command. Occasionally in conflict with his principal field commander, General Richard Taylor, and in the habit of irregularly promoting officer to general, Smith did not always receive praise from his superiors in Richmond. After defeating General Nathaniel Banks' Red River Campaign in Spring 1864, Smith was promoted to full General. In spite of (or because of) the fact that he was increasingly isolated from the Confederacy as the Union made continued inroads in his field of operations, Smith was one of the last Confederate generals in the field and did not surrender until June of 1865. After the War, Smith became an academic, teaching mathematics at the University of the South. As the longest-living Confederate full general, Smith was a celebrated figure in the South until his death in 1893.
Estimated Value $150 - 175.
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| Realized $150 |
