Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1252

1174 vice-president of the Mexican Veterans association of Virginia. On March 3, 1853, he was married to Martha L. Anderson, of Washington, D. C.

Captain John Holmes Smith, one of the original members of the Lynchburg Home Guard, was born August 12, 1838, in Bedford county, Va., but was soon brought by his parents to Lynchburg, where he was reared and educated. When the Lynchburg Home Guard was organized November 8, 1859, on account of the recent invasion of the State by John Brown, and the threats of further trouble, he was in the list of privates and became third corporal when the company was called out by the governor and mustered into the service on April 24, 1861. It became Company G of the Eleventh Virginia infantry, which at the battle of Manassas formed part of Longstreet's brigade, and was commanded by Col. Samuel Garland, Jr., original captain of the Lynchburg company. Corporal Smith was promoted lieutenant in February, 1862, and captain soon afterward, serving in the latter rank until the end of the war. As senior captain he was in command of the Eleventh regiment during the retreat of Lee's army from Petersburg, and at the battle of Sailor's Creek, where his division surrendered, he commanded the right regiment in the line of battle. His first fight was at Blackburn's Ford, under Longstreet, July 18, 1861; Manassas soon followed; then the action at Dranesville. The Peninsular battles came next—preceded by skirmishing—Yorktown, Williamsburg, where he for the first time commanded his company, and then the hard fighting at Seven Pines, where a bullet carried away his left elbow joint, in consequence of which he missed all the battles of that campaign. His next battle was historic Gettysburg, where he led his company in the famous charge of Pickett's division, and was again wounded, this time in the leg, and was incapacitated for active field duty until the following September. But, on being restored he fought at the engagement with Butler at Drewry's Bluff, and in the brilliant battle called the Second Cold Harbor, where the Confederates repulsed the Federals until they refused to charge. In command of the Eleventh regiment he took part in the engagement near Chester Station, June 16, 1864, and on the following day led the command in another brisk action, which was witnessed by Gen. Robert E. Lee, who highly complimented the division for skill and gallantry. Subsequently during the long siege of Petersburg and Richmond he served with his command on the Chesterfield line, in Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps, and in the spring of 1865 participated in the actions at Dinwiddie Court House, March 31st, and at Five Forks, April 1st. In the unfortunate disaster at Sailor's Creek, April 6th, he was captured, and was sent to the Old Capitol prison, and three weeks later to Johnson's island, Ohio, where, with other officers, he was held two and a half months after the surrender at Appomattox, not being released until the last of June, 1865. At the first session of the legislature after the war he was made brigadier-general of State troops, at that date an office of much importance. In 1871 he led in the re-organization of his old company, the Home Guards, which is still maintained and served as captain until 1876. During the first few years of his life at Lynchburg after the return of peace, he was engaged in the tobacco business with an uncle, and in 1872 he