Name/Title
Thomas Benton SmithEntry/Object ID
Smith, Thomas BentonDescription
Confederate Officer, 3 star general; dark-haired, blue-eyed, with a black mustache.Collection
Private CollectionGeneral Notes
Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Born February 24, 1838 in Mechanicsville in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He attended the local schools before enrolling in the Nashville Military Academy. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, but resigned and returned home. He subsequently took a position working for the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 20th Tennessee Infantry, CSA. Became the youngest Brigadier General in the Army of Tennessee. Thought to have told the Carters that Todd Carter was wounded in the Battle of Franklin. Smith was wounded after being taken prisoner at the Battle of Nashville by a Union officer who struck him with 3 saber cuts to the head. As a result of these wounds, he spent the rest of his life in and out of the Tennessee State Asylum. He died May 21, 1923 and is buried in the Confederate Circle of Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.Create Date
October 13, 2026Update Date
October 13, 2026