ub us co . ▁His ▁older ▁brother , ▁E ph ra im ▁Kir by ▁Smith ▁( 1 8 0 7 – 1 8 4 7 ), ▁who ▁graduated ▁from ▁West ▁Point ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 6 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁captain ▁in ▁the ▁regular ▁army , ▁served ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁U . S . ▁Infantry ▁in ▁the ▁campaign s ▁with ▁both ▁Taylor ▁and ▁Scott . ▁E ph ra im ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁from ▁w ounds ▁suffered ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mol ino ▁del ▁Rey . ▁ ▁After ▁that ▁war , ▁Kir by ▁Smith ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁captain ▁( from ▁ 1 8 5 5 ) ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁U . S . ▁Caval ry , ▁primarily ▁in ▁Texas . ▁( From ▁that ▁year ▁on ▁through ▁the ▁war , ▁Smith ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁the ▁youth ▁Alexander ▁D arn es , ▁then ▁ 1 5 , ▁a ▁mixed - race ▁slave ▁owned ▁by ▁his ▁family , ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁his ▁v alet ▁until ▁em an cip ation .) ▁▁ ▁Kir by ▁Smith ▁also ▁taught ▁at ▁West ▁Point ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁He ▁collected ▁and ▁studied ▁materials ▁as ▁a ▁botan ist ; ▁like ▁many ▁other ▁military ▁officers , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁scient ist . ▁He ▁don ated ▁to ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Institution ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁collection ▁and ▁reports ▁from ▁his ▁time ▁at ▁West ▁Point . ▁Smith ▁continued ▁his ▁botan ical ▁studies ▁as ▁an ▁av ocation ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁is