William Smith
William Turner Polston Smith (1838 – Aug. 7, 1864) was a Union soldier from Scott County killed in the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War.
See Also: Scott Countians killed in war
Biography
Born in 1838, William T. Smith was the son of Kissiah Smith (1817-1887). His siblings included Andrew Jackson Smith, Henry Clay Smith, George Washington Smith, and Mary Ann Smith.
It isn’t clear who William’s father was. Kissiah was married at one point to Riley Looper — who fought in the Confederate army and was killed during the Civil War in St. Louis, Mo. — but they had divorced prior to 1860.
When the 1850 census was taken, Kissiah Looper lived Riley and a one-year-old son, George Looper, in Scott County. Her older children lived with her parents, Drewry Smith and Polly Smith.
When the 1860 census was taken, Kissiah and several of her children — including William — lived with her mother, Polly Smith.
Drewry and Polly Smith lived at Smith Creek near Buffalo Creek; it is for them that Smith Creek was named.
Civil War
The Smith family had mixed allegiances during the Civil War. Drewry Smith, William’s grandfather, was loyal to the Union. But his brother married into the strongly anti-Union Gibson family and sided with the Confederacy. William had a cousin, Ewell Smith, who was a key figure from Scott County in the Confederate army.
William Smith enlisted in the Union army and was assigned to Co. D, 16th Kentucky Infantry. His brother, Henry Clay Smith, and lifelong friend, Rhodes Stanley served in the same regiment with him.
William Smith was with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman on his March to the Sea when he was killed in the Battle of Atlanta on Aug. 7, 1864. He died one day after being shot in the gut.
According to a letter sent by his brother, Henry Clay Smith, to their mother: “I today with much grief to my self have to inform you that it has been the will of almighty God to take from us our Brother and Son William Turner Smith caused by wounds received the sixth day of this month from the enemy. He was shot through the Bowels and lived from about 5 O’clock Saturday til Near Sunset on the evening of Sunday. I went to the Hospital Sunday morning after I wrote you a letter and seen Him and washed his wounds as I Couldent stay with him any longer. His last words to me was as follows; Clay Be a good Boy dont swear and tell my mother and friends all to try and live a relidgieous life here after and I think I will take his advice and I do cincerly hope you all will do the same. I am well as to health and all my friends so far as I know. So I will say nothing more at present. Recollect your Son and Brothers dying words.”
Aftermath
William Smith was buried at Marietta National Cemetery in Georgia.
Henry Clay, who had fought at Shiloh, Corinth and the Siege of Knoxville before being with Sherman on his March to the Sea, later moved to Iowa, where he died in 1928. He married Nancy Parmley.
Kissiah Smith is buried at Mount Pisgah Cemetery in Kentucky.