The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-25
NOTED HUMORIST DEAD
MAI. CHARLES ii. SMITH, WHO WAS
KNOWN AS "BILL ARP
Death Followed on Operation for the
Removal of Gall stones-sketch of
His Work and Life.

CARTERSVILLE, Ga, Aug. A.-Maj.
Charles II. Smith. known as 'Bill Arp
died at his home, The Shadows tonight
after an illness of many months Following
an operation for the removal Of gall stones
several days ago, he became gradually
weaker, most of the time unconscious. until
the end tonight. OF his family, his wife,
four daughters and two sons were at his
side tonight. The four other sons. two in
Texas, one in Mexico and Carl Smith, OF
New York, have been summoned by tele-
graph. The funeral will be held Wednes-
day morning. Major Smith was born in
Lawrenceville, Ca, June Is, 1926.
To the people of the South the writings
of Bill Arp appealed with peculiar force,
for he was of them and among them. His
intense devotion to the institutions amid
which he spent his life permeated nearly
all his writings.
Born at Lawrencevile, Ca, seventy
seven years ago, he was graduated at
Franklin College, Athens, at the age of
twenty-five years, and studied law Re-
moving TO Rome, Ga, he practiced his
profession there many years, and later re-
moved to Gainesville During the civil
war he served the entire four years. be-
coming major on the staff of Brigadier
General g. L. Anderson, Of the Third
Georgia.
1t is said that the real bill Arp" was
country wag at Rome, Ga, an odd genius,
uneducated and unkempt, but a true
hearted man and a patriot Major Smith
wrote a humorous criticism of President
Lincoln's first call for volunteers. Arp
happened near when it was read. After 1t
was finished he said to the major:
squire, them's my sentiments. Put my
name to it,"
The major did so, and subsequent articles
over that name made the writer's fame.
The major in the days of his first fame
was the humorous mouthpiece of the
South. He put into comic phrase-which
yet had a serious relevancy-the Confeder
ate attitude toward the issues that threat
ened the Nation. His letters were read in
both North and South and helped to throw
the war.
Besides his writings for Southern news
papers, his books include bill APPS Let
tiers, bill APPS Scrapbook," '"fhe Farm
and Fire Firesider "A Side Show Of the South.
and Georgia as Colony and State
A writer in the Atlanta Constitution of
March p, 1903. thus sketched Major Smith
and his home life: Major Smith has no
usually undertakes the task before him
when the notion seizes him, and can write
well oil %a playing tEe about his
when he is alone and quiet In his library.
ms library embraces many biographical,
Of most of the poets He M0I reeentl ,tn carried
back to an agent, waiting his decision, a
set of so-called histories because he said
John e. Calhoun. He has no federation for
works that misrepresent the South.
Though now in his seventy-seventh year
Major Smiths mental faculties are yet in
! tact, his letters attest. He has been
mentally as well as physically Industrious
| and hence his remarkable preservation. He
has never invited through brain flag
| fcation when the beginning point of old
age which Holmes puts at As, has passed,
| or the German limit of physical usefulness,
4 of
He is constant reader and delights yet
| in the old solid works Besides what he
knows by rote, he keeps his store of knowl-
| edge refreshed from the repository of the
| doings of the day. His lecture trips have
been opportunities improved for gathering
fresh facts.
ION the line of "reminiscences Major Smith
| lis prolific. His war experience is full of
vivid phases. He was a staff officer with
.Tige Anderson eighteen months, and then
President Davis appointed him an assistant
| TO Judge Nesbit, the head of the commits
| sion to try treason cases. This located him
| at Macon. He was thus partially instru-
| mental in convicting three brothers from
| Columbus, Ga, of completely with the Fed
| eral troops, and they were sent to jail at
Savannah and turned loose by sherman
! when he entered that city. He accompanied
| Mr.. Davis during his flight from Milen to
| Macon. When the approach of Wilson s
raid made it too hot there he left Macon.
| bound for the home of his wifes father, at
| Lawrenceville, where Mrs. Smith was In
| crossing Yellow rieer he tied the records
or the treason court with cord, attached
| rock to them. and dropped them where
/ the rustling waters of Yellow river forever
| obscured them from sight.
/ 1T was while, in connection with George
Adair and E. Y. Clark, he was editing q
| paper called the Southern Confederacy at
| Atlanta, that he began to write the letters
| that first made him famous throughout the
| South. These were kept up after the war
| ended.
I'm January, 1865, Major Smith got back
| to Rome Ca. with his wife and six chill
| dren and Tip, the old family servant He
| practiced law in Rome with Judge Bran
| ham and also with Judge Underwood, each
| for long term of years. In 1877 he moved
| to a farm, where Nabor Freeman, a noble
| friend and good fellow, now passed away,
| figured in his letters as a supply fount for
| his quaint philosophy. Major Smith has
| lived at his present home, the Shadows,
| sixteen years"