He furthered this degree at West Point as soon as he left the university, graduating sixth in his class from the U.S. Military Academy in 1853.

However, Smith delayed his advance waiting on one of the units, Waring's brigade, which was ice bound near Columbus, Kentucky.

Smith was forced to fight an eleven-mile running battle before retreating across the state line into Tennessee on February 26.

[5] Afterwards, he served as chief of cavalry in both the Department of Tennessee and the Military Division of the Mississippi, under Ulysses S. Grant and William T.

[1] In 1876 Smith was awarded the American Centennial Exposition prize, and continued to work in engineering until retirement to Medford, Oregon towards the end of his life.