Born at Danbury, Tompkins County, NY, he graduated from West Point on July 1, 1842, a class that furnished 56 men to the Civil War, including no less than 9 generals to the Confederate Army and 13 to the Union. He was breveted 2nd Lieutenant, Topographical Engineers and initially served as an Assistant Topographical Engineer on Survey for the Defenses of St. Mary's Sound (Ft. Clinch), FL, 1842-1843. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, Topographical Engineers, November 1, 1843.

Smith was in charge of the Improvements of St. Mark's and Choctawhatchee Rivers, FL, 1845; as Assistant in the Survey of Ossobaw Sound, GA, 1846, and of the Matagorda Bay and Bar, TX, 1846-1847.

Smith was engaged in the Mexican War in making a Reconnaissance and Map of the Valley of Mexico, and was breveted to 1st Lieutenant, May 30, 1848, for meritorious conduct while serving in the enemy's country.

Following the War, the Mexican government requested Smith's services in establishing a drainage system for Mexico City. He made surveys for the Savannah River Improvement, GA, and in the Department of Texas, 1849-1852; and for a Ship Canal across the Florida Peninsula, 1853- 1854. Smith was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Topographical Engineers, March 3, 1853. He was Assistant in charge of the Topographical Bureau, Washington, D. C., 1855-1856; Assistant in charge of the Coast Survey Office, Washington, D. C., 1857-1859; and on Coast Survey Duty in Florida, 1859-1861. Smith was promoted to Captain, Topographical Engineers, July 1, 1856 and resigned April 1, 1861.

Smith joined the Confederacy, commissioned a Major in the Corps of Engineers, on March 16, 1861. He was sent to New Orleans to inspect and improve its defenses. Upon the arrival of Major-General Mansfield Lovell in October he named Smith Chief Engineer and Ordnance Officer. On several occasions Lovell recommended Smith for promotion but there were no openings available in the engineer corps.

On February 13, 1862 he finally won a promotion to Colonel of an infantry regiment being organized in New Orleans, the 21st Louisiana Infantry. He was appointed Brigadier-General, April 11, 1862 and Major-General, November 4, 1862, given an important post in the planning and construction of defenses for New Orleans and Vicksburg. He also commanded troops at both locations.

Martin Luther Smith

During the first Union campaign against Vicksburg, May 18-July 27, Smith exercised direct command of the defenses though his superiors, Lovell and later Major-General Earl Van Dorn, were present. He retained command of the 2nd District of the Department of South Mississippi and East Louisiana after Lieutenant-General John C. Pemberton assumed command of the expanded Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. He was promoted to Major-General on November 4, 1862. His troops repulsed Sherman's campaign against Chickasaw Bluffs, December 26-29. Pemberton praised Smith, stating that he was:

"entitled to the highest credit for the disposition of his troops and for his arrangements for defense, which rendered the place almost impregnable."

After the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, Pemberton left Smith in the city to complete the roll of prisoners of war. He left Vicksburg on August 1. Ill for several months, following his exchange Smith reported for duty at Richmond where on March 9, 1864 he was temporarily assigned as chief of the Engineer Bureau. On April 16 he was assigned as Chief Engineer of the Army of Northern Virginia and later the Army of Tennessee. On May 6, at the Battle of the Wilderness, he conducted a reconnaissance of the Union left and discovered an old railroad cut not on any maps. He advised Lieutenant-General James Longstreet that his troops could use the route to turn the enemy flank. The resulting attack pushed the Union army back and Smith again went out in search of a way to turn their reserve position. He succeeded again, and Longstreet placed Smith in command of an assault by three brigades.

When Joseph E. Johnston was relieved of command of the Army of Tennessee in July, 1864, Jefferson Davis sent Smith to Atlanta to serve as Hood's chief engineer. General Pierre G. T. Beauregard named Smith as his chief engineer when he assumed command of the Division of the West on October 17, 1864. In the closing months of the War he directed the defenses of Mobile under the supervision of Beauregard.

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