An award-winning biography of one of the Confederacy’s most colorful and controversial generals. Winner of the 2013 Nathan Bedford Forrest History Book Award for Southern History Nominated for the 2014 Virginia Book Award for Nonfiction Despite a life full of drama, politics, and adventure, little has been written about William “Extra Billy” Smith—aside from a rather biased account by his brother-in-law back in the nineteenth century. As the oldest and one of the most controversial Confederate generals on the field at Gettysburg, Smith was also one of the most charismatic characters of the Civil War and the antebellum Old South. Known nationally as “Extra Billy” because of his prewar penchant for finding loopholes in government postal contracts to gain extra money for his stagecoach lines, Smith served as Virginia’s governor during both the war with Mexico and the Civil War; served five terms in the US Congress; and was one of Virginia’s leading spokesmen for slavery and states’ rights. Extra Billy’s extra-long speeches and wry sense of humor were legendary among his peers. A lawyer during the heady Gold Rush days, he made a fortune in California—and, as with his income earned from stagecoaches, quickly lost it. Despite his advanced age, Smith took to the field and fought well at First Manassas, was wounded at Seven Pines and again at Sharpsburg, and marched with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania. There, on the first day at Gettysburg, Smith’s frantic messages about a possible Union flanking attack remain a matter of controversy to this day. Did his aging eyes see distant fence-lines that he interpreted as approaching enemy soldiers—mere phantoms of his imagination? Or did his prompt action stave off a looming Confederate disaster? This biography draws upon a wide array of newspapers, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts to paint a portrait of one of the South’s most interesting leaders, complete with original maps and photos.

William "Extra Billy" Smith, the oldest and one of the most controversial Confederate generals on the field at Gettysburg, was also one of the charismatic characters of the Civil War. Until now very few books have been written on Smith. Complete with original maps and photos, this book will satisfy anyone who loves politics, war, and a story well t

Major General William F. (Baldy) Smith was a genuine, but largely unsung hero of the Civil War. After he devised and carried out the plan that saved the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga, General Grant said, He [Smith] is possessed of one of the clearest military minds in the army; is very practical and industrious. Grant advocated making General Smith commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing General Meade. For a variety of reasons, that didnt happen. General Smith was then assigned to command the Eighteenth Corps of the Army of the James under Major General Benjamin F. Butler, the man Lincoln called The Damnedest Scoundrel. Grant expected Smith, to keep him [Butler] straight in military matters. It was an impossible task. Butler was powerful politically, and in a presidential year, could not be controlled. Eventually, either Butler or Smith had to go, and Smith lost out. This book is the story about the life of Major General Baldy Smith, Vermont hero.

Lauded for gallantry at Antietam and demoted for insubordination after Fredericksburg, Major General William "Baldy" Smith remains a controversial figure of the Civil War. His criticism of the Union high command made him unpopular with both peers and superiors. Yet his insight as an officer and an engineer enabled him to offer effective solutions to challenges faced by fellow generals. In this first comprehensive biography, Smith emerges as a field commander with deep concern for his men and a fearless critic of the failures of the Union generalship, who was recognized for a strategic perspective that helped save Federal armies.