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SOLDIER OF THE MONTH
Captain Thomas Smith
90th Regiment
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Thomas was born on 13 December 1822 and spent seven years at Westminster School. In November 1840 his father, Reverend Sam Smith wrote from an address in Drayton, Cambridge to the Military Secretary, Lt.Gen. The Right Honourable Lord Fitzroy Somerset. The letter was a ‘humble request’ that Thomas’s name be placed before Lord Hill for ‘a commission in a good regiment’. In a process of name dropping, Sam Smith also mentioned that he, himself, was well known to Lord Grenville Somerset, the late Duke of Beaufort and Lord Charles Somerset. |
Sam Smith wrote that he had been the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford from 1834 to 1831 having spent the previous seventeen years as a member of that Chapter. However, increasing ill health had caused him to step down but he had been fortunate enough to obtain an exchange with a Dr Garford so that he now held a position (Prebendary) in Durham Cathedral. Thomas was his youngest of four sons (he also had seven daughters) and he was anxious that he be established in a career in the army.
The eventual outcome was that Thomas obtained a commission in the 90th Foot ‘By Purchase’ at the cost of £450 and entered Regiment as an Ensign on 16 July 1841. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 16 September 1845 and to Captain on 20 April 1849. During the Crimean War he was rapidly promoted to Brevet Major on 2 November 1855, full Major on 30 November 1855, Brevet Lt. Col. On 6 June 1856 becoming a full Lt. Col. 13 November 1857.
He was present throughout the siege and fall of Sebastopol and in addition to the campaign Crimean War Medal with the Sebastopol clasp he was made Commander of the Bath, Knight of the Legion of Honor, awarded the Sardinian Medal and 5th Class of the Turkish Order of the Medjidie.
Smith served with the Regiment in the subsequent campaign in India and was awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal with the Defence of Lucknow and Lucknow clasps. He went on leave to England in March 1858 while the Regiment remained in India at Seetapore but returned there from leave of absence on 20 December 1860.
Sadly, On 7 November 1861 when only 38 years of age and in command of the regiment at that time, Thomas Smith shot himself at Allahabad..
This biography was researched by Patricia Martin and the original design and layout was by Katie Barclay, with photographic scanning by Joanne McPhie. The research was funded by the Trustees of the Cameronians.