(1796 - 1887) ‘Extra Billy’, Confederate major general who led at Bull Run, on the Peninsula and at Antietam, and as Governor-elect of Virginia took time to lead a regiment at Gettysburg. War-date A.L.S., 2pp. 4to., Richmond, April 9, 1864, to his sister. The letter features mostly personal content regarding a recent court case which has gone against Smith’s sister, but continues near the end: ‘… I am here alone with [daughter] Mary. My son Thomas after quite a spell of sickness has returned to his Regt. The 36th Va Vols of which he is the Lt. Col. Com[andin]g. [Son] Fred is in the rear of the enemy in the dangerous duty of the partisan. My dear wife and [daughter] Beth are at home, the enemy refusing to let them join me, here…’ He signs ‘Wm Smith’ in black ink at the conclusion. His handwriting is shaky overall, as is typical, Shows original mailing folds with slight splits thereto, some stabilized with archival tape, and a few small holes appear at the bottom third of the sheet, not affecting legibility, otherwise in very good condition overall.