During his time as soldier Richard Smith keep a diary of the last months of the Civil War in 1865. In the diary, Sargent Smith mostly discusses the weather, duties he performed on a daily basis, when and where his unit’s camp was moved, and briefly mentioned skirmishes with the rebel forces. The writing for each date seldom goes over a single line on the paper and is usually written in sentence fragments. The diary is good way to see the different duties performed by a soldier and track the movements of the First Michigan Cavalry, but is limited in that is does not convey emotion or the struggles of being a soldier.

Once, Richard and the First Michigan Cavalry left the state of Michigan they headed towards Washington D.C, encamping at Winchester, VA. Richard and his unit spent most the war fighting in Virginia, but made brief movements into Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The unit was originally under the command of General Nathanial Banks, but would finish the war under the command of General Philip Sheridan. In early 1863, the First Michigan Cavalry was organized with three other Michigan cavalry units into the Michigan Cavalry Bridge, under the command of brevet (temporary) General George A. Custer. The First Michigan Cavalry was not battle shy, seeing action at the battles of Cedar Mountain, 2nd Bull Run, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Five Forks. The First Michigan Cavalry also participated in the skirmish that fatally wounded the famous Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and was present at the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. After Richard and his unit returned to Washington D.C. to participate in the Grand Review, they were ordered west to Fort Leavenworth, KS and onto Ft. Laramie in the Wyoming Territory.

Sergeant Richard Smith makes it as far west as Salt Lake City, UT before being mustered out of serve on March 10, 1866. By 1870, Richard Smith had returned to Kalamazoo County, became a farmer, and married his wife Susana. He lived out the next 50 years of his life in the Vicksburg area and is buried in the Schoolcraft Township Cemetery for Vicksburg residents.