Memoirs of William "Extra Billy" Smith

SMITH'S BRIGADE MARKER AT CULPS HILL-GETTYSBURG

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM SMITH'S SIGNATURE

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM SMITH'S GRAVE

HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY, RICHMOND VA.

Smith at Sharpsburg, 1862

49th Virginia at Sharpsburg, 1862

First Use of a Spencer Rifle by a Confederate Soldier

Sergeant W.O. Johnson, Company C; 49th Virginia Infantry

Read Article by Tony Beck; Page 4 yellow highlight

"Spencer's Repeaters in the Civil War"

By Tony Beck

William "Extra Billy" Smith was born on September 6, 1797 in King George County, Virginia. He was educated in Virginia and Connecticut and in 1818 began a law practice in Culpepper, Va. He built a beautiful brick home in Culpepper and settled down to practice law.

In 1827, William Smith began a mail-coach service from Washington, D.C. to Milledgeville, Georgia. Smith expanded the route and claimed many "extra" mail payments, instigating his nickname of "Extra Billy."

Smith had a very successful political career, serving five terms in the Virginia House, and two terms (1846-1849) and (1864-1865) as Governor of the State.

Smith was "trained" as a politician not a soldier and had a certain disregard for West Pinter's (Pointer's) and formal military tactics. There was never a moment's doubt however, as to what the old general wanted the men to do. General Smith's courage more than made up for his lack knowledge in formal military doctrine. Between the Peninsula Campaign and Sharpsburg, he was wounded five times and made the 49th Virginia, or his "boy's" known to the entire Army of Northern Virginia for their bravery.

On January 1, 1863, Smith was commissioned a Brigadier General, and his brigade consisted of the 13th, 49th, 52nd, and 58th Virginia regiments. He won laurels at Gettysburg and on August 30, 1863, he was sent on a "speaking tour" on behalf of new amnesty and furlough laws. He resigned from military service on December 31, 1863 to become Governor of Virginia

(2nd term) and served until the fall of Richmond. At the end of the war, he was paroled and returned to his estate near Warrenton. At age eighty, he was once again elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for the 1877-1879 term.

William Smith died on May 18, 1887 at the age of ninety. He was widely acclaimed and mourned throughout the state. The Warrenton Index paid this tribute to him: "A State Senator of the olden times, this grand commoner, twice filling the Gubernatorial chair and five terms a seat in the halls of Congress; this untrained soldier, holding undisciplined troops to posts of duty under deadliest fire by force of his magnetic presence and sight of the snow white plume beneath his chapeau..."

The 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. was the pride and joy of the 64 year old ex-governor of Virginia, William Smith. "Extra Billy Smith's Boy's" as the 49th came to be known, was originally recruited from Warren County VA, part of the "Warren Blues." The 49th Virginia participated in all major actions of the Eastern Theater, beginning with an initial group of some 210 recruits, who participated in the 1st Battle of Bull Run or Manassas.

The 49th Virginia Infantry regiment was made up of men from Warren, Amherst, Prince William, Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Nelson counties. The 49th served in all major battles in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. At the Battle of Seven Pines, the 49th suffered 55% casualties. By the time of Appomattox in April of 1865, there were only 54 men and two officers left to be paroled.

 List of major battles and the days in which the 49th Virginia was engaged is as follows:

	First Bull Run (First Manassas) July 21, 1861 Confederate Army Order of Battle & Reports "Col. Smith's Reminiscences of the 1st Battle of Manassas"
	Williamsburg May 5, 1862
	Seven Pines May 31, 1862
	Fair Oaks June 1, 1862
	Oak Grove June 25, 1862  See Confederate Reports for Seven Days Battles
	Seven Day's Battle June 26-July 1, 1862   See Confederate Reports for Seven Days Battles
	2nd Bull Run (2nd Manassas) Aug. 29, 1862  Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Sharpsburg (Antietam) Sept. 17, 1862   Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	First Fredericksburg Dec. 13, 1862   Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Chancellorsville May 1-4, 1863  Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Second Fredericksburg May 4, 1863
	Gettysburg July 3, 1863    Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Wilderness May 6, 1864   Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Spotsylvania Court House May 12, 1864  Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Bethesda Church May 30, 1864
	Cold Harbor June 2, 1864  Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Winchester (Opequon) Sept. 19, 1864  2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia - Synopsis
	Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia Order of Battle
	Fisher's Hill Sept. 23, 1864 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, Rodes Division Report
	Hatcher's Run Feb.6, 1865 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia - Synopsis
	Fort Stedman March 25, 1865 3rd Division, Army of the Potomac, Hartranft's Division Report
	Surrender at Appomattox April 9, 1865  Appomattox Campaign March 25 - April 9

 

►At 1st Manassas, 1861; Companies A,C,D,G,H, K were attached to Jackson's Brigade under Col. William Smith who later, after the battle, formed the 49th Regiment of Virginia Volunteers

►At Antietam (Sharpsburg), 1862; 49th Virginia was in Jackson's Corps; Ewell's Division; Early's Brigade

►At 2nd Manassas, 1862; 49th Virginia was in Jackson's Corps; Ewell's Division; Early's Brigade

►At Fredericksburg, 1862; 49th Virginia was in Jackson's Corps; Ewell's Division; Early's Brigade

►At Chancellorsville, 1863; 49th Virginia was in Jackson's Corps; Early's Division; Smith's Brigade

►At Gettysburg, 1863; 49th Virginia was in Ewell's Corps; Early's Division; Smith's Brigade

►At Cold Harbor, 1864; 49th Virginia was in Ewell's Corps; Early's Division; Pegram's Brigade

►At The Wilderness, 1864; 49th Virginia was in Ewell's Corps; Early's Division; Pegram's Brigade

►At Spotsylvania Court House, 1864; 49th Virginia was in Ewell's Corps; Early's Division;

Pegram's Brigade

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