From West Point to Fort Donelson, General Charles Ferguson Smith was a soldier's soldier. He served at the U.S. Military Academy from 1829 to 1842 as Instructor of Tactics, Adjutant to the Superintendent and Commandant of Cadets. During his 42-year career he was a teacher, mentor and role model for many cadets who became prominent Civil War generals, and he was admired by such former students as Grant, Halleck, Longstreet and Sherman.
Smith set an example for junior officers in the Mexican War, leading his light battalion to victories and earning three field promotions. He served with Albert Sidney Johnston and other future Confederate officers in the Mormon War. He mentored Grant while serving with him during the Civil War, and helped turn the tide at Fort Donelson, which led to Grant's rise to fame. He attained the rank of major general, while refusing political favors and ignoring the press. Drawing on never before published letters and journals, this long overdue biography reveals Smith as a faithful officer, excellent disciplinarian, able commander and modest gentleman.
Allen Mesch is a native of Buffalo, NY or as folks in Texas would say a "Yankee." Following graduation from Kenmore East Senior High School, he headed to the north country to study engineering at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and was accepted at MIT to continue his studies. After receiving his master's degree, he entered the "real world." Allen continued his education on a part-time basis with extensive course work in business and management from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Houston.Allen's business career has focused on the oil and gas industry. He held technical and management positions in engineering, economics, and planning with major multinational petroleum companies including Gulf Oil Corporation, Conoco, and Sun Oil Company. He is Founder and President of PetroStrategies, Inc., a consulting and training organization specializing in the international oil and gas industry.
In addition to Allen's business experience, he has held academic positions at the University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University and Texas Woman's University. He was Director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University where he managed the Institute's innovative Oil and Gas Education Initiative. This industry outreach program provided an effective vehicle to educate academics, journalists, and government officials on the primary functions of the oil and gas industry.
He is a Civil War historian and manages a web site, Civil War Journeys, that contains over 4,000 battlefield photographs. He teaches classes on the Civil War in Collin College's SAIL program. Allen also manages to the Civil War Blog Salient Points.
When not visiting Civil War battlefields or building sand castles on South Padre Island, Allen likes to fly fish and play golf. He is married with two children and six grandchildren.
