Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/767

270 the great battle of Chickamauga, in command of the Third and Fifth Confederate regiments, he won the praise of Gen. L. E. Polk, and promotion to brigadier-general. In this rank, in command of Deshler's Texas brigade, he rendered the most valuable service of his career at Missionary Ridge, leading his brigade against Sherman's corps, checking the Federal flank attack that would have cut off Bragg's only avenue of retreat, and fighting stubbornly till retreat was ordered, when his men brought up the rear. He fell in this battle, shot through both thighs, while leading his men. Until his recovery General Granbury commanded the brigade. At Atlanta, July 22, 1864, General Smith again led the brigade and captured three lines of the enemy's works, fifteen pieces of artillery and two stand of colors. He was again wounded there. Subsequently he was in command of Mercer's Georgia brigade, of Cleburne's division, and after the death of Cleburne at Franklin, General Smith commanded the division at Nashville. He and General Bate commanded the two divisions of the remnant of Cheatham's corps which went into the Carolina campaign of 1865, and Bate, commanding the corps at Bentonville, said that he could not confer too much commendation upon General Smith as a division commander in that battle. He was equal to every emergency, and his conduct inspired his command to heroic deeds. After the war General Smith settled in Mississippi. In 1877 he was elected superintendent of public education of the State.

Brigadier-General Peter B. Starke, a distinguished cavalry commander, became colonel of the Twenty-eighth Mississippi cavalry regiment by commission dated February 24, 1862. His regiment was attached to the command of Gen. M. L. Smith, for the defense of Vicksburg, and in September was nearly 700 strong. Stationed at Panola in November, he gave notice of the advance of Hovey's expedition from Arkansas, and during that