Cornelius C. Smith
Encyclopedia
Colonel Cornelius Cole Smith (April 7, 1869 – January 10, 1936) was an American
officer in the U.S. Army
who served with the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Sioux Wars
. On January 1, 1891, he and four other cavalry troopers successfully defended a U.S. Army supply train from a force of 300 Sioux warriors at the White River
in South Dakota
, for which he received the Medal of Honor
. He was the last man to receive the award in battle against the Sioux, and in a major Indian war.
In his later career, Smith served as an officer during the Spanish-American War
and the subsequent Philippine Insurrection under Generals Leonard Wood
and John J. Pershing
. In 1910, he was appointed by Pershing as commander of the Philippine Constabulary
and served at Fort Huachuca
as commanding officer of Troop G, 5th U.S. Cavalry from 1912 to 1914. It was in this capacity that he accepted the surrender of Colonel Emilio Kosterlitzky
, commander of Mexican federal forces
at Sonora
, on March 13, 1913. In 1918, he was appointed commander of Huachuca and the 10th U.S. Cavalry. Prior to his retirement, he also oversaw the construction of Camp Owen Beirne
, adjacent to Fort Bliss
, which served as the model for similar camps built following the end of World War I
.
Smith's son, Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr.
, who also served as a colonel in the Philippines during World War II
, was a successful author, historian and illustrator who wrote several books on the Southwestern United States
including his biography
entitled "Don't Settle for Second: Life and Times of Cornelius C. Smith" (1977).
. A member of a distinguished military family dating back to the Revolutionary War
, his father, Gilbert Cole Smith, had served an officer in the Union Army
's famed California Column
during the American Civil War
and later became quartermaster at Fort Lowell
in Tucson. He was also related to brothers William and Granville H. Oury
. His family lived at several outposts in the Arizona and New Mexico Territories
, wherever his father happened to be stationed, until December 1882 when they finally settled at Vancouver Barracks in the Washington Territory
. Smith was then sent back east to Louisiana, Missouri
, and later to Baltimore, Maryland in 1884. Four years later, Smith moved to Helena, Montana
where he joined the Montana National Guard
on May 22, 1889.
At age 21, Smith followed in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the United States Army
in Helena, Montana
on April 9, 1890, and was immediately sent out with 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment for frontier duty in the Dakota Territory
.
, partially ice-covered during the winter, the supply train was suddenly attacked by a group of approximately 300 Sioux braves. In an attempt to save the wagon train, he and Sergeant Frederick Myers chose advanced positions from a knoll
300 yards from the river and held back the initial Sioux assault with four other troopers successfully defended their position against repeated enemy attacks. After they had withdrawn, Smith and the others chased after the war party for a considerable distance before breaking off their pursuit.
Smith's actions at White River prevented the Sioux from capturing the supply wagons and he was cited for distinguished bravery in the face of a numerically superior enemy force. For his actions he received the Medal of Honor
on February 4, 1891.
during the Spanish-American War
and in the Philippines during the Filipino and Moro Rebellion
s under Generals Leonard Wood
and John J. Pershing
respectively. An captain with the 14th U.S. Cavalry, he served in Mindanao
under General Wood from 1903 to 1906, during which time he helped publish A Grammar of the Maguindanao Tongue According to the Manner of Speaking It in the Interior and on the South Coast of the Island of Mindanao (1906) with Spanish Jesuit Rev. Father Jacinto Juanmart, before accepting a two-year position as superintendent
of California
's Sequoia
and Grant National Parks in 1908. He returned to the Philippine Islands in 1910 where he was appointed commander of the Philippine Constabulary
by General Pershing.
, in his home state of Arizona
, that fall. He remained at Huachuca when the 4th U.S. Cavalry was sent for rotation
to Hawaii and was reassigned to the 5th U.S. Cavalry serving as commanding officer of the 5th U.S. Cavalry's Troop G from December 1912 to December 1914. It was while with the 5th Cavalry that, on March 13, 1913, he formerly accepted the surrender of Colonel Emilio Kosterlitzky
, commander of Mexican federal forces
of Sonora
, and his 209 followers in Nogales, Arizona
following his defeat by General Álvaro Obregón
days earlier. The surrender was conducted in a formal ceremony, with Kosterlitzky presenting Smith his sword, and the two officers later became life-long friends.
A military attaché
in Bogota
and Caracas
for a time during 1915, he rose through the ranks from major to colonel of cavalry within the next two years. Smith trained several regiments during World War I
but was denied further promotion and a field command in the Europe due to the feud between General Pershing, then commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front
, and Army Chief-of-Staff
Peyton March
. In 1918, he returned to Fort Huachuca where he assumed command of the post and the 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. His last assignment was at Fort Bliss
where he had Camp Owen Beirne
built, the model for similar bases constructed for servicemen following WWI, before his retirement in 1920 at the rank of colonel.
and tactics
at the University of Arizona
after leaving the U.S. Army and was later hired as a technical advisor
for war film
s in Hollywood. In 1928, he became a member of the American Electoral Committee which oversaw the presidential elections
in Nicaragua
. That same year, he was also a contributing editor for Alice Baldwin's biography
on her late husband Major General Frank Baldwin
, Memoirs of the late Frank D. Baldwin, Major General, U.S.A., in which Smith related his experiences with Baldwin during the Spanish-American War. He went on to become a prolific author of articles relating to the American frontier
in the Southwestern United States
. Smith died in Riverside, California
on January 10, 1936, at the age of 66. He is buried at Evergreen Memorial Park and Mausoleum
, along with 1,000 other veterans.
, was in attendance. Initially started by 16-year-old Michael Emett for an Eagle Scout
project, this was the first of a planned restoration campaign for the graves of Riverside's military veterans and town founders. The story was covered by The Press-Enterprise and encouaged community leaders to raise money for an endowment to provide for the upkeep of older rundown areas of the cemetery that are not watered or maintained. A few years before, the California Department of Consumer Affairs
ordered that sprinklers in the historic section be shut off because it lacked an endowment
to pay for the water.
Citation:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
officer in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who served with the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Sioux Wars
Sioux Wars
The Sioux Wars were a series of conflicts between the United States and various subgroups of the Sioux people that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century...
. On January 1, 1891, he and four other cavalry troopers successfully defended a U.S. Army supply train from a force of 300 Sioux warriors at the White River
White River (South Dakota)
The White River is a Missouri River tributary that flows through the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota. The name stems from the water's white-gray color, a function of eroded sand, clay, and volcanic ash carried by the river...
in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, for which he received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. He was the last man to receive the award in battle against the Sioux, and in a major Indian war.
In his later career, Smith served as an officer during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and the subsequent Philippine Insurrection under Generals Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
and John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
. In 1910, he was appointed by Pershing as commander of the Philippine Constabulary
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...
and served at Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
as commanding officer of Troop G, 5th U.S. Cavalry from 1912 to 1914. It was in this capacity that he accepted the surrender of Colonel Emilio Kosterlitzky
Emilio Kosterlitzky
Emilio Kosterlitzky, also known as Emil Kosterlitzky, was a Russian-born polyglot linguist and soldier of fortune who eventually became a spy for the United States....
, commander of Mexican federal forces
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
at Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, on March 13, 1913. In 1918, he was appointed commander of Huachuca and the 10th U.S. Cavalry. Prior to his retirement, he also oversaw the construction of Camp Owen Beirne
Biggs Army Airfield
Biggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army began operations supporting Ft...
, adjacent to Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, which served as the model for similar camps built following the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Smith's son, Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr.
Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr.
The year of his college graduation, Smith became a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps Reserve as a second lieutenant. He was present at the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, where he was serving as officer of the day at the Marine barracks in the Pearl Harbor Navy...
, who also served as a colonel in the Philippines during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was a successful author, historian and illustrator who wrote several books on the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
including his biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
entitled "Don't Settle for Second: Life and Times of Cornelius C. Smith" (1977).
Early life
Cornelius Cole Smith was born on April 7, 1869, in the frontier town of Tucson in the Arizona TerritoryArizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. A member of a distinguished military family dating back to the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, his father, Gilbert Cole Smith, had served an officer in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
's famed California Column
California Column
The California Column, a force of Union volunteers, marched from April to August 1862 over 900 miles from California, across the southern New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and then into western Texas during the American Civil War. At the time, this was the longest trek through desert terrain...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and later became quartermaster at Fort Lowell
Fort Lowell
Fort Lowell was a United States Army post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation. The Army chose a location just south of the confluence of the Tanque Verde and Pantano creeks, at the point where they...
in Tucson. He was also related to brothers William and Granville H. Oury
Granville Henderson Oury
Granville Henderson Oury was a nineteenth century American politician, lawyer, judge, soldier and miner.-Early life and career:...
. His family lived at several outposts in the Arizona and New Mexico Territories
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
, wherever his father happened to be stationed, until December 1882 when they finally settled at Vancouver Barracks in the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
. Smith was then sent back east to Louisiana, Missouri
Louisiana, Missouri
Louisiana is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,863 at the 2000 census, making it the largest city in Pike Couunty. Louisiana is located in northeast Missouri, on the Mississippi River south of Hannibal....
, and later to Baltimore, Maryland in 1884. Four years later, Smith moved to Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
where he joined the Montana National Guard
Montana National Guard
The Montana National Guard consists of the:* Montana Army National Guard* Montana Air National Guard ** 120th Fighter Wing ** 219th RED HORSE Squadron When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief...
on May 22, 1889.
At age 21, Smith followed in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
on April 9, 1890, and was immediately sent out with 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment for frontier duty in the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
.
Battle at White River
Within a year, Smith reached the rank of corporal and saw his first action during the Pine Ridge Campaign. On January 1, 1891, two days after the Battle at Wounded Knee Creek, he accompanied a fifty-three man escort of a U.S. Army supply train to the regiment's camp at the battle site. While preparing to cross the White RiverWhite River (South Dakota)
The White River is a Missouri River tributary that flows through the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota. The name stems from the water's white-gray color, a function of eroded sand, clay, and volcanic ash carried by the river...
, partially ice-covered during the winter, the supply train was suddenly attacked by a group of approximately 300 Sioux braves. In an attempt to save the wagon train, he and Sergeant Frederick Myers chose advanced positions from a knoll
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
300 yards from the river and held back the initial Sioux assault with four other troopers successfully defended their position against repeated enemy attacks. After they had withdrawn, Smith and the others chased after the war party for a considerable distance before breaking off their pursuit.
Smith's actions at White River prevented the Sioux from capturing the supply wagons and he was cited for distinguished bravery in the face of a numerically superior enemy force. For his actions he received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
on February 4, 1891.
Service in Cuba and the Philippines
The following year, on November 19, 1892, Smith was made a commissioned officer as a second lieutenant with the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. He later fought in CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and in the Philippines during the Filipino and Moro Rebellion
Moro Rebellion
The Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...
s under Generals Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
and John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
respectively. An captain with the 14th U.S. Cavalry, he served in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
under General Wood from 1903 to 1906, during which time he helped publish A Grammar of the Maguindanao Tongue According to the Manner of Speaking It in the Interior and on the South Coast of the Island of Mindanao (1906) with Spanish Jesuit Rev. Father Jacinto Juanmart, before accepting a two-year position as superintendent
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:*Superintendent , Superintendent of Police, SP, Senior Superintendent of Police or SSP - a police rank*Superintendent or Superintendent of Prison, Superintendent of Jail, Senior Superintendent of Jail - a rank in prisons - head of a district, central or special prison...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Sequoia
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
and Grant National Parks in 1908. He returned to the Philippine Islands in 1910 where he was appointed commander of the Philippine Constabulary
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...
by General Pershing.
Fort Huachuca and WWI
After a nine-year tour of duty in the Philippines, Smith was brought back to the U.S. in 1912 and transferred to the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment at Fort HuachucaFort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
, in his home state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, that fall. He remained at Huachuca when the 4th U.S. Cavalry was sent for rotation
Job rotation
-Introduction:Job rotation is a management technique that assigns trainees to various jobs and departments over a period of a few years. Surveys show that an increasing number of companies are using job rotation to train employees...
to Hawaii and was reassigned to the 5th U.S. Cavalry serving as commanding officer of the 5th U.S. Cavalry's Troop G from December 1912 to December 1914. It was while with the 5th Cavalry that, on March 13, 1913, he formerly accepted the surrender of Colonel Emilio Kosterlitzky
Emilio Kosterlitzky
Emilio Kosterlitzky, also known as Emil Kosterlitzky, was a Russian-born polyglot linguist and soldier of fortune who eventually became a spy for the United States....
, commander of Mexican federal forces
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
of Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, and his 209 followers in Nogales, Arizona
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
following his defeat by General Álvaro Obregón
Álvaro Obregón
General Álvaro Obregón Salido was the President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. He was assassinated in 1928, shortly after winning election to another presidential term....
days earlier. The surrender was conducted in a formal ceremony, with Kosterlitzky presenting Smith his sword, and the two officers later became life-long friends.
A military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
for a time during 1915, he rose through the ranks from major to colonel of cavalry within the next two years. Smith trained several regiments during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
but was denied further promotion and a field command in the Europe due to the feud between General Pershing, then commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, and Army Chief-of-Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
Peyton March
Peyton C. March
Peyton Conway March was an American soldier and Army Chief of Staff.March was the son of Francis Andrew March, considered the principal founder of modern comparative linguistics in Anglo-Saxon and one of the first professors to advocate and teach English in colleges and universities...
. In 1918, he returned to Fort Huachuca where he assumed command of the post and the 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. His last assignment was at Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
where he had Camp Owen Beirne
Biggs Army Airfield
Biggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army began operations supporting Ft...
built, the model for similar bases constructed for servicemen following WWI, before his retirement in 1920 at the rank of colonel.
Retirement and later years
Smith taught military scienceMilitary science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
and tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
after leaving the U.S. Army and was later hired as a technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
for war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
s in Hollywood. In 1928, he became a member of the American Electoral Committee which oversaw the presidential elections
Nicaraguan general election, 1928
A general elections were held in Nicaragua to elect a President, half of the Deputies and 1/3 the of the Senators on 4 November 1928.“The electoral mission had given three months’ training, in special schools in each province, to the marine and navy enlisted men who were to be chairmen of most of...
in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. That same year, he was also a contributing editor for Alice Baldwin's biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
on her late husband Major General Frank Baldwin
Frank Baldwin
Frank Dwight Baldwin , a native of Constantine, Michigan, and born in Manchester, Michigan, is one of only 19 servicemen to receive the Medal of Honor twice. Baldwin received this award for his actions during the Atlanta Campaign where he led his company to battle at Peachtree Creek and captured...
, Memoirs of the late Frank D. Baldwin, Major General, U.S.A., in which Smith related his experiences with Baldwin during the Spanish-American War. He went on to become a prolific author of articles relating to the American frontier
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. Smith died in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
on January 10, 1936, at the age of 66. He is buried at Evergreen Memorial Park and Mausoleum
Evergreen Cemetery (Riverside, California)
Evergreen Cemetery, or Evergreen Memorial Park is a cemetery in Riverside, California, United States. The first burial occurred in 1872, and the cemetery became the resting place of many historic figures of Riverside.-History:...
, along with 1,000 other veterans.
Gravesite restoration
In November 2003, a special ceremony was held at Smith's gravesite to display a new 18-foot-tall flagpole and stone bench nearby. Smith's son, Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr.Cornelius Cole Smith, Jr.
The year of his college graduation, Smith became a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps Reserve as a second lieutenant. He was present at the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, where he was serving as officer of the day at the Marine barracks in the Pearl Harbor Navy...
, was in attendance. Initially started by 16-year-old Michael Emett for an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
project, this was the first of a planned restoration campaign for the graves of Riverside's military veterans and town founders. The story was covered by The Press-Enterprise and encouaged community leaders to raise money for an endowment to provide for the upkeep of older rundown areas of the cemetery that are not watered or maintained. A few years before, the California Department of Consumer Affairs
California Department of Consumer Affairs
The California Department of Consumer Affairs is a department under the California State and Consumer Services Agency. DCA's stated mission is to serve the interests of California's consumers by ensuring a standard of professionalism in key industries and promoting informed consumer practices...
ordered that sprinklers in the historic section be shut off because it lacked an endowment
Endowment
-Finance:*Financial endowment, relating to funds or property donated to institutions or individuals *Endowment mortgage, a mortgage to be repaid by an endowment policy*Endowment policy, a type of life insurance policy...
to pay for the water.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company K, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Near White River, S. Dak., 1 January 1891. Entered service at: Helena, Mont. Birth: Tucson, Ariz. Date of issue: 4 February 1891.Citation:
With 4 men of his troop drove off a superior force of the enemy and held his position against their repeated efforts to recapture it, and subsequently pursued them a great distance.
Books
- A Grammar of the Maguindanao Tongue According to the Manner of Speaking It in the Interior and on the South Coast of the Island of Mindanao (1906, contributing editor with Jacinto Juanmart)
- Memoirs of the late Frank D. Baldwin, Major General, U.S.A. (1928, contributing editor with Alice B. Baldwin)
Articles
- Old Military Forts of the Southwest (1930)
- Some Unpublished History of the Southwest (1931)
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
Further reading
- Smith, Jr., Cornelius C. Don't Settle for Second: Life and Times of Cornelius C. Smith. San Rafael, California: Presidio Press, 1977. ISBN 0-89141-007-4
- Wilson, D. Ray. Terror on the Plains: A Clash of Cultures. Dundee, Illinois: Crossroads Communications, 1999. ISBN 0-916-44547-X
External links
- Indian War Campaigns Medal of Honor Recipients for the United States Army at Army Knowledge OnlineArmy Knowledge OnlineArmy Knowledge Online provides web-based enterprise information services to Army, joint, and DoD customers. Enterprise services are provided to these customers on both classified and unclassified networks, and include portal, e-mail, directory, discovery, and single sign-on functionality...