John Corson Smith


John Corson Smith
  • Born February 13, 1832, Philadelphia, PA; trained in carpentry and building; moved to Galena in 1854
  • Erected numerous public and private buildings in Galena (including the Methodist Church) and Dubuque, IA
  • Married Charlotte Gallagher of Galena in March of 1856; they had five children
  • Enlisted as Private in Company I, 96th Illinois Infantry; elected Captain; commissioned Major, September 1862
  • Promoted Lieutenant Colonel, for gallantry at Chickamauga, September 1863; wounded at Kenesaw Mountain
  • Held various bureaucratic posts at Nashville, TN until end of war; brevetted Colonel and promoted to full rank, 1865
  • Promoted brevet Brigadier General for war service, June 1865; assessor for Department of Internal Revenue until 1872
  • Commission merchant in Chicago; chief grain inspector for city; elected Illinois State Treasurer in 1878 and 1882
  • Served as IL Lieutenant Governor from 1885 to 1889. Died in Chicago, December 31, 1910; buried in Galena’s Greenwood Cemetery