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William Smith was born in King George County, Virginia, on September 6, 1797. Operating a mail-coach service from Washington, D.C. to Milledgeville, Georgia, he was nicknamed "Extra Billy" for the frequent extra payments he received from the Post Office Department. In 1836, he became a member of the Virginia Senate, serving for five terms, then was elected to the US House of Representatives, where he also served for five terms. Smith was also elected governor for one term, and served from 1846 to 1849. Although he was 63 years old when the Civil War broke out, he was commissioned a colonel. A member of the Confederate House of Representatives in the autumn of 1861, he remained active in both politics and the military until May of 1862. Smith led troops at the First Battle of Bull Run and Seven Pines, and wounded three times at Antietam. After taking several months to recover, he returned to the field, and was promoted to brigadier general on in 1863. At Gettysburg, Smith displayed courage but a lack of tactical skills. He was reelected governor of Virginia, and left the field in the last year of the war to take up his executive duties. Promoted to major general on August 12, 1863, he was inaugurated governor the following January. When the Civil War ended, the federal government put up a reward for Smith; but once he surrendered, he was soon paroled. Smith became a farmer, and died on May 18, 1887, on his estate near Warrenton, Virginia.
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