Q:Facts:   - caption: william duncan smith    - placeofburial label: place of burial    - battles: mexican -- american war american civil war    - death date: 04 october 1862    - allegiance: usa states of america 1837 united states of america csa 1862 confederate    - rank: 35px csa -rrb- captain -lrb- usa -rrb- 35px brigadier general -lrb-    - placeofburial: city cemetery , augusta      - birth date: 28 july 1825    - serviceyears: 1842 & ndash ; 62 -lrb- csa -rrb- & ndash ; 61 -lrb- usa -rrb- 1861    - name: william duncan smith    - image: williamduncansmith.jpg    - death place: charleston , south carolina    - birth place: augusta , georgia   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of william duncan smith .
A:
william duncan smith -lrb- july 28 , 1825 -- october 4 , 1862 -rrb- was a career united states army officer who fought in the mexican -- american war .later he served as a confederate general during the american civil war , and he died in the second year of the war from the disease yellow fever .