1861 April 30 Warrenton, Va.

Gov Letcher

Dear Sir

I received, on yesterday, a letter under
date of 5th Inst. from my Nephew Lieut Caleb Smith
of the 2nd. Infantry enclosing his resignation in the
Army of the U States. He is in command of a
company of 80 men & is stationed at Fort Abercrombie
Dacotah Try. In consequence of the remoteness of his
post he had not, at the date of his letter heard of our ^'secession'
& therefore enclosed me his resignation to be for-
warded by me at the proper time. I forwarded it
today. I also received the enclosed letter to you
tendering his services to the State of Va. Permit me
to add that he was in all the battles from Vera Cruz to
the City of Mexico, before which place in the bloody
fight of Melino del Rey he fell badly wounded. The
son of an Episcopal Minister, my brother, he was
reading law at Parkersburg where his Father resided
at the breaking out of the Mexican War. When the
battles on the Rio Grande occurred, carried away by

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the brilliancy of those achievements, he entered a
Steam Boat, went to Maysville Ky. & enlisted as a
private in the regular Army. On his return from
Mexico President Polk made him a lieutenant of
Artillery from which service he exchanged into his
present Regt. to oblige his young friend Lieut De Russey
whose Regt. being ordered to Cal. & he being in delicate
health was advised by his physician, that the service
would probably cost him his life. By this means
Lieut Smith was thrown into the enforced Service
to which he refers & which has continued to the
present day. He is now a 1st Lieut. with but one
Captain in the way of his promotion, with a
good prospect of being a Captain in the service
of the U States, could he have reconciled himself to
have remained in it. He is brave, active, intelligent
& well educated. Should it be your pleasure to give
him an appointment in our provisional Army
you will please enclose it to me. I will add that I
have always understood that he was an excellent
soldier.

If we establish recruiting Stations for
our regular Army, I think Western Va. ought to be
freely occupied. It would, I am sure, have no little

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effect upon public sentiment. Lieut. Smiths Mother
lives in Parkersburg, his Brother is City Postmaster not
having been removed & I suppose will not be now: and
were Parkersburg put made a recruiting station &
put in charge of an efficient officer, I am perfectly
satisfied many recruits might in a very short time
be obtained. I think Lieut. S. would be such officer
until the active duties of the field should require
him upon a different theatre.

Trusting that you may confer upon
him an efficient position among the Defenders of
our State I remain

Most resp[ectfull]y & sincerely yrs

Wm Smith

[docketed :
Hon. Wm. Smith
Enclosing his nephews
tender of Service
Caleb Smith
General Tender
writes from Warrenton April 30]

MSS 38-148