Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-11-18
GOV. WILLIAM sMuasF VIRGINIA.

Virginia." His political. military and person :
al history. By John W. Bell, private in the
! Culpepper Minute Men and thirteenth Virgin
Forty Ninth Virgins Regiment, and OF the
| fourth (Smith's) brigade. Early,s division.
New York: The Moss Engraving Company.
10 noticing the above publication, the
Baltimore Sun says, s'the State pride Of
Virginia does not allow her sons to rect
without fitting memorials. She trusted
them living; abe hanors them dead. In
her monuments sndin her literature they
still teach the nobility, the patriotism. the
bravery of their lives. Her types are Of
all classes, and she can challenge the world
to point among them all to a name nm
worthy of imitation. OF uncalculated to
stimulate the best impulses of her citizens.
Here before us is the biography. tie
speeches and the whole career, comprised
in some four hundred bulky pages, of a
man little known outside the State to the
present generation, yet ono who was chosen
to more offices ofcoufidence and trust by
his neighbors and fellow. citizens than any
one since Patrick Henry; many times q re-
preventative in the Congress of the United
States; transferred to the Congress of the
Confederacy; twice Governor of Vrginia-
being in that position when the war ended
and having office thrust upon him, &C.
cepting it to serve the people against his
own private interest, with fame unsullied
by corrupt act; using neither liquor nor
tobacco; known for his courteous treatment
of women; spending less than hundred
dollars in campaign expenses. and when
his public trusts had impoverished him,
spending four years in California, away
from bis home and his family, to earn
enough money to pay off his debts, and, q
comparatively old man, start anew In the
world. The merit Of such q statesman.
soldier and Citizen is worthy of perpetua-
tion and the reason for the memoir Mr.
Bell has 30 oapabIy written is obvious.
He was, too, ''an all.round man." Wherl
ever he was put he was equal to the task
imposed upon him. Without military
knowledge, at the age of sixty -four, be
raised a regiment for the Confederate army
and by sheer force of coolness and bravery
handled his men 30 as to meet critical emer-
gencies with skill and ready resources.
There was no giveup in the man. At the
battle of Sharpsburg he received three
wounds in one volley. Said General Early,
in speaking of this: II found Colonel
Smith standing by himself on limestone
ledge. Irode up to him and said: "Col-
onel, get your men together and reform
your regiment as soon as possible, as the
enemy may come back again. He answer
ed, General, is he goner 'Yes,' I said,
but he may return again and we must be
in position to receive him. He replied:
You will observe, General, that am very
badly wounded and cannot do anything
more looked at him and saw the blood
streaming from his left shoulder, which in
digated very serious wound, and I was
not advised thathe was shot in another
place, the leg, believe. These wounds
were, in addition to the ball which struck
him in the arm, which was but bruise. Il
was very evident be was very seriously
wounded, and saw he was unable to move,
though he soas standing I'D. He was sub
sequently carried from the field in help.
less condition"
His first election as Governor of Virginia
IN 1845 is characteristic of the better days
of the republic. He was then residing at
Warrenton, praoticing law. He has him
self told the circumstances: Everything
was going we'll With me then, when in
December, having just resurned from one
of my courts, Was addressed by one of
my friends as Governor Smith, asked
him what he meant by thus addressing me.
He said l was Governor elect of Virginia.
I replied that 1 trusted it was not so, but
SO it proved. The Legislature at that time
elected our Governor, and without having
the idea suggested to me by any human be-
ing, fouud myself elected Governor for
three years from January /, 1s46. The
salary wes wholly inadequate to support
the proper hospitalitias of the position.
had no private fortune to supply the def
oiency, and public opinion would not allow
the Governor to practice his profession. /
wrote to my friends that they had placed
me in cr1el dilemma; that wanted bread
aud they had given me stone, and that l
should have to decline the high position to
which they had elected me. But there was
no help for it" 1t was afssr serving the
State to his own private loss that he was
to repair his fortunes by the four
years in California mentioned above.
Governor Smith may De better known to
some of our readers as extra Billy |
Smith," and it is worth while to note the |
msDper in which he obtained an addition to |
his name which, although It suggests tie
star route cases. proves simply his indomi. |
table energy. The profit which later men
found in the thing never occurred to the
mind of the great" "star router" " Mr. Smith
began life as mail contractor between
Wa hinston aud Culpeper Gradually be
extended bis route to MiIledgeville, Ga.
Tbs was, of course, before the time OF
railroads. As he took in village after vii |
lage along the line, he became entitled to |
extra compensation, designated by An aste. |
risk. His route in its rapid development
was so abundantly thus marked that the |
was noted in the United
States Senate by Senator Benjamin Wat.
kins Leigh, who, in some jocular remarks, |
affixed upon him the lifelong sobriquet by |
which he became 30 familiarly and affec- |
tionately known.
He wrote down the few maxims which |
guided his political life. They deserve a
nlaca here as conducting public discussions |