▁an ▁un success ful ▁attempt ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁V icks burg . ▁After ▁V icks burg ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Union ▁in ▁July , ▁the ▁isolated ▁Trans - Miss iss ippi ▁zone ▁was ▁cut ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder acy , ▁and ▁became ▁virt ually ▁an ▁independent ▁nation , ▁nick named ▁' K ir by ▁Smith dom '. ▁In ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁Camp aign ▁of ▁Spring ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁he ▁commanded ▁vict orious ▁Confeder ate ▁troops ▁under ▁General ▁Richard ▁Taylor , ▁who ▁defeated ▁a ▁combined ▁Union ▁army / n avy ▁assault ▁under ▁Nathan iel ▁P . ▁B anks . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁Smith ▁surrender ed ▁his ▁army ▁at ▁Gal vest on , ▁Texas , ▁the ▁last ▁general ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁field ▁force . ▁He ▁quickly ▁escaped ▁to ▁Mexico ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁Cuba ▁to ▁avoid ▁arrest ▁for ▁tre ason . ▁His ▁wife ▁negoti ated ▁his ▁return ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁when ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁offered ▁am n esty ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁would ▁take ▁an ▁o ath ▁of ▁loyal ty . ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁Smith ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁te legraph ▁and ▁railway ▁indust ries . ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁college ▁professor ▁of ▁mathematics ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁in ▁Tennessee . ▁He ▁botan ized ▁plant ▁spec im ens ▁and ▁be que athed ▁his ▁collection ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Florida . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Edmund ▁Kir by ▁Smith ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 2