Baltimore and Ohio Railroad signed by Orland Smith - Civil War General - 1890's dated Autograph Railway Stock Certificate

Railroad Stock printed by American Banknote Company, New York. Some with stub at left. Rare Tom Thumb type. Signed by Orland Smith, a Civil War general! Please specify color.

Orland Smith, who was born on May 2, 1825, and died on October 3, 1903, made notable contributions as a railroad executive and served as a brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1863, he led a courageous bayonet charge at the Battle of Wauhatchie, successfully capturing a vital Confederate position on a hill that now honors his name.

With the onset of the Civil War, Smith enlisted in the Union army and was appointed as colonel of the 73rd Ohio Infantry. This regiment was established in Chillicothe in November 1861 and underwent training at the nearby Camp Logan. Among the volunteer soldiers was Pvt. George Nixon III, who would later become the great-grandfather of future President Richard Nixon. Smith and his regiment took part in several battles in western Virginia, including the Battles of McDowell and Cross Keys. Subsequently, during the late summer, as part of the Army of Virginia, the 73rd OVI engaged in the Second Battle of Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia.

Smith took command of the XI Corps on October 25, 1862, but did not participate in the Battle of Chancellorsville. He returned to his command shortly before the Gettysburg Campaign, after Brig. Gen. Francis C. Barlow, who had led the brigade at Chancellorsville, was assigned to command the 1st Division on May 24, 1863. Smith’s troops held Cemetery Hill on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg under the orders of MG Oliver O. Howard, serving as a crucial anchor for the retreating Federal forces. On the second day, three of Smith’s regiments were involved in intense skirmishing in front of Cemetery Hill. The 33rd Massachusetts, positioned between East Cemetery Hill and a knoll on the McKnight farm, played a key role in repelling an evening assault by Col. Isaac E. Avery’s North Carolina brigade.

In the autumn of 1863, Smith’s Brigade was dispatched to the Western Theater alongside the remainder of the XI Corps. During the Chattanooga Campaign, he commanded his brigade within the Army of the Cumberland, successfully leading a bayonet charge up a steep hill that is now named in his honor (Smith’s Hill) during the Battle of Wauhatchie. Later that same year, his brigade was dissolved as part of the army's reorganization. Smith resumed command of the 73rd OVI on January 3, 1864, but he resigned from his position as colonel on February 17, 1864. At the conclusion of the Civil War, Smith was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general in the omnibus promotions.

Following the war, he returned to his profession as a railroad officer, occupying various roles, including President of the Cincinnati, Washington, and Baltimore Railroad, and subsequently, First Vice President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with his office located in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1884 until 1899, he held the position of President of the Columbus and Cincinnati Midland Railroad. Smith passed away in Chicago, Illinois.

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