Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Smith Family Letters
Smith family (Carroll County, Va.)
Smith, Frederick R.
Ridgway, John Nichols
Smith, Barton Pierce, 1838-1863
Smith, James R., 1831-1863
Smith, Stephen Mitchell, 1832-1913
Smith, William Alexander, 1835-1868
Ms.1996.018
0.2 Cubic Feet
1 box
1861-1865, 1912-1996, n.d.
1861-1865
The collection contains forty-nine Civil War-era letters written by four brothers of Carroll County, Virginia: James R., Stephen Mitchell, William Alexander, and Barton Pierce Smith. All four served in Confederate units from Virginia. The collection also includes a family history and notes by Frederick R. Smith.
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Smith Family Letters, Ms1996-018, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The Smith Family Letters were donated to Special Collections in October 1996.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Smith Family Letters commenced in October 1996 and was completed in November 1996. Additional description was completed in April 2009.
Existence and Location of Copies
Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online.
Biographical Note
Alexander (abt. 1807-1893) and Charity (Mitchell) Smith (1798-1858) married in 1828. They had seven children: James R. (1831-1863), Stephen Mitchell (1832-1913), William Alexander (1835-1868), Kiturah (b. 1836), Barton Pierce (1838-1863), Polly G. (b. 1839) and Sarah E. (Sallie) (b. 1840).
James R. enlisted with Co. I of the 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry around May of 1862. He was sick and on furlough at home in Carroll County when he died in November 1863.
Stephen Mitchell married Mary Gillespie Lindsey (1833-1898) in 1855. They had five children. After Mary's death, he married Emily Lindsey. Since Stephen was the only blacksmith in the region, it seems he was exempt for military service during the early part of the Civil War. When the need for soldiers became pressing, however, he was drafted in late 1864. He served in Company G, 54th Regiment, Virginia Infantry. He seems to have deserted and hidden out on family land until the end of the war. He died in 1913.
William Alexander ("Alex" in the family letters) was a teacher in Carroll County, Virginia. He enlisted with Company I, 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, in June 1861, eventually rising to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in May 1862. While on leave in October of 1863, he married Ann Electra Utley (sister of Barton's wife, Mary). They had two children. William was captured May 12, 1864 at Spottsylvania Court House. He was held prisoner at Point Lookout from until June 23rd, then held at Fort Delaware until June 16, 1865. He returned to Carroll County after the war and resumed teaching. He died from injuries relating to an accident in December 1868.
Barton Pierce married Mary P. Utley in 1862. They had one daughter. He enlisted in Company D, 29th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, in February of 1863. He is often referred to as "Doc(k)" in his brothers' letters. He may have had medical training prior to the Civil War, as he was assigned as a steward to the regimental surgeon. He was shot and killed by the Home Guard while on furlough, September 24, 1863.
John Nichols Ridgway (1836-1898) served in Company D, 58th Regiment, Virginia Infantry. He married Mildred Ann Kennett after the Civil War. They had one daughter.
For additional information, see the following (Virginia Tech Special Collections Call Numbers included):
- Alderman, John P. 28<emph render="super">th</emph> Virginia Infantry. The Virginia Regimental Histories Series. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, 1989. Rare Book Collection: Spec Civil War E 581.5 29th .A64 1989 c.2
- Chapla, John D. 50<emph render="super">th</emph> Virginia Infantry. The Virginia Regimental Histories Series. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, 1997. Rare Book Collection: Spec Civil War E 581.5 50th .C51 1997 c.2
- Weaver, Jeffrey C., and G. L. Sherwood. 54<emph render="super">th</emph> Virginia Infantry. The Virginia Regimental Histories Series. Lynchburg, VA: H.E. Howard, 1993. Rare Book Collection: Spec Civil War E 581.5 54th .E44 1993. c.2
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of forty-nine letters written by the brothers of the Smith family of Carroll County, Virginia, mostly while they served as soldiers for the Confederacy during the Civil War. A majority of the letters are written to one of the brothers, Stephen Mitchell, from encampments in Virginia. Other correspondents include: their father Alexander; Stephen's wife, Mary; and two sisters, Sarah (Sallie) and Polly.
Most of the letters are reports of recent events in camp and daily life, frustrations with the "soldier's life," and inquiries for news and letters from home. The letters also share information on family and friends from Carroll County who are serving with the brothers. William's letters include some description of the battles at Lewisburg and Chancellorsville. Letters to Stephen often contain discussion of the Home Guard and warnings to be cautious and avoid being dragged into service.
The collection includes one letter by John Nichols Ridgway of Franklin County, written in 1862. The collection also contains supplementary information about the Smith family compiled by Frederick R. Smith.
Arrangement
The letters in this collection is arranged into six series. Series I-V are arranged by correspondent, then chronologically. Series VI is arranged chronologically.
Series I contains the Barton Pierce Smith Letters from March to June of 1863. With one exception (a letter to his father), these letters are written to his brother, Stephen Mitchell Smith. Series II contains the James R. Smith Letters from August 1862 to October 1863. His letters are written to Stephen Mitchell (and in one case Stephen and Mary) Smith. Series III includes the Stephen Mitchell Smith Letters from December 1864 to February 1865 written to his wife. This series also has a photograph of Smith's exemption from earlier in the war, and a pension check he received in 1912. Series IV consists of the William Alexander Smith Letters from July 1861 to April 1864. The letters are mostly to Stephen, but also include correspondence to his father, sisters, and brother, James.
Series V consists of a single letter written by John Nichols Ridgway to R.P. Wright, on November 6, 1862. Series VI contains Frederick R. Smith's "A Smith Family History" from 1975 as well as his later notes and letters about the history.
Related Archival Materials
Transcripts of the Smith Family Letters, created for a class project, are available online, with addition background information.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Smith Family Letters by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
Montgomery County (Va.)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Civil War
Smith family (Carroll County, Va.)
Smith, Alexander, 1807(?)-1893
Series I: Barton Pierce Smith Letters186311Letter to Alexander SmithMarch 3, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMarch 20, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithApril 27, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMay 7, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJune 17, 1863Series II: James R. Smith Letters1862-186312-3Letter to Stephen Mitchell and Mary G. SmithAugust 29, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithDecember 30, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMarch 7, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithApril 18, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMay 25, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMay 26, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJuly 21, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithSeptember 26, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithOctober 21, 1863Series III: Stephen Mitchell Smith Letters1864-1865, 191214-7Photograph of Stephen Mitchell Smith's exemption from service1864Letter to Mary G. SmithDecember 4, 1864Letter to Mary G. SmithDecember 18, 1864Letter to Mary G. SmithDecember 22, 1864Letter to Mary G. SmithDecember 25, 1864Letter to Mary G. SmithJanuary 8, 1865Letter to Mary G. SmithJanuary 12, 1865Letter to Mary G. SmithJanuary 19, 1865Letter to Mary G. SmithJanuary 22, 1865Letter to Mary G. SmithFebruary 3, 1865Check for pension, paid under Confederate Pension Law of VirginiaAugust 31, 1912Series IV: William Alexander Letters1861-186418-11Letter to Alexander SmithJuly 16, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithAugust 19, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithSeptember 7, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithSeptember 18, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithOctober 6, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithOctober 21, 1861Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMay 24, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJune 16, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell Smith July 22, 1862Attachment to July 22nd lettern.d.Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithAugust 4, 1862Letter to Alexander SmithSeptember 4, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithOctober 23, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithDecember 23, 1862Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithFebruary 3, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell, Polly, and Sallie SmithFebruary 9, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMarch 3, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithApril 28, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMay 4, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJune 2, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJuly 30, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithAugust 14, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithAugust 17, 1863Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithSeptember 22, 1863Letter to James R. SmithNovember 26, 1863Scope and Contents noteJames would have been deceased by the time this letter reached the family.
Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithJanuary 3, 1864Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithMarch 23, 1864Letter to Stephen Mitchell SmithApril 29, 1864Series V: Other Correspondence1862112Letter by John Nichols Ridgway to R. P. WrightNovember 6, 1862Series VI: Family History1975, 1996, n.d.113-14"A Smith Family History" by Frederick R. Smith1975Notes and letters by Frederick R. Smith regarding the Smith Family papers1996, n.d.