He was a native of Massachusetts, a first-class engineer, to whom the government had confided, during the war, the direction of the railways, which were so important at that time.
Cyrus Smith, originaire du Massachussets, était un ingénieur, un savant de premier ordre, auquel le gouvernement de l'Union avait confié, pendant la guerre, la direction des chemins de fer, dont le rôle stratégique fut si considérable.