William Farrar Smith
William Farrar Smith (February 17, 1824February 28, 1903), known as "Baldy" Smith, was a
Union general in the
American Civil War, notable for attracting the extremes of glory and blame. He was praised for his gallantry in the
Seven Days Battles and the
Battle of Antietam, but was demoted for professional and political reasons after the disastrous defeat at the
Battle of Fredericksburg. As chief engineer of the
Army of the Cumberland, he achieved recognition by restoring a supply line that saved that army from starvation and surrender, known as the "Cracker Line", that helped Union troops to success in the
Chattanooga Campaign in the autumn of 1863. Leading the first operation against Petersburg, Smith's caution, possibly illness-related, may have cost the Union a prime opportunity for a quick end to the war. He was relieved of command shortly thereafter.
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