"After the Lost War...."

"All changed, so thoroughly oblivious
to war, defeat, and suffering
I heard it whispering the words
that whipped my weak flesh: Life goes on.
And in my dreams I marched."
Andrew Hudgins, "After the Lost War"

The following is an account of the life of my great, great, great grandfather.  He was a man, farmer, son, husband, father, brother, Confederate soldier and survivor.

 Wiley C. Smith was born on May 6, 1838 in Henry County, Georgia.  He was the fifth son of Joel and Elizabeth Smith.  Wiley first appears on record in the 1850 census when he was 12 years old.  At that time he was still living in Henry County (central Georgia) with his parents and his 10 siblings.  His father was a farmer and owned real estate worth $900.  Wiley had not attended school that year, although his older brothers had.  In 1860, Wiley was still living at home.  He had a large family with several brothers and a few sisters.  He was listed as being a farmer.  His father’s personal and real estate had increased, as had the family.  Like most southern families, they did not own slaves.  His mother was the only family member who could not read or write.  Wiley was 22 that year, yet he and his older brothers still lived at home.  This was a close and loving family.

Wiley and his brothers, James and Levi, enlisted in the Confederate Army on Feb 25, 1862 in Conyers, Newton County, Georgia by Cpt. James White.  They were all privates in Co. B, 35th Georgia Infantry, which was also known as “Bartow’s Avengers”.   The 35th Georgia Infantry was involved in most of the major battles of the Eastern campaign.  They bravely fought under some of the most famous generals of the South such as Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and A. P. Hill.  1862 proved to be an especially difficult year.  Wiley’s two brothers were killed in Virginia...one in battle at Fredricksburg, the other of small pox.  What a sense of loss he must have felt to lose them both.  A feeling of absolute loneliness probably invaded his very soul.  Things only got worse at Gettysburg when Wiley himself was shot in the chest on July 2, 1863. While the exact actions of his company cannot be known, the following movements of his unit can be established.
July 1: In reserve on Chambersburg Pike on left of the division. At sunset moved to position in McMillan's Woods.

July 2: On duty in support of artillery. At 10 p.m. advancing took position in Long Lane with the left flank in touch with McGowan's Brigade and the right near the Bliss house and barn.

July 3: Engaged most of the day in severe skirmishing and exposed to a heavy fire of artillery. After dark retired to this ridge.

July 4: At night withdrew and began the march to Hagerstown.

Present about 1,200 Killed 34 Wounded 179 Missing 57 Total 270 

On July 5th, 1863 Wiley was captured by the Yankee Army.  He was received at DeCamp General Hospital as a wounded prisoner of war two weeks later.  His survival is a miracle.  He was shot on July 2 yet didn’t arrive at the hospital until many days later.  We cant know what kind of care he received before....or after....being admitted to the hospital.  However, he must have been part of a prisoner exchange as he was received at the Confederate States Hospital in Petersburg, Va on September 15, 1863.  Doctor’s notes as follows...

“Age 23, farmer, Gunshot wound of chest....entered the cavity passed through the apex of right lung, emerging at the deltoid muscle of right side.  Wounded July 2, 1863 at or near Gettysburg.  The health of the patient is good.  Orifice of entrance healed, of exit still discharging.  Sent home on furlough."

After treatment, he was sent home on furlough, no doubt due to the severity of his wound.  We cannot be sure if Wiley returned to Georgia or not.  It is more likely he stayed in VA to finish recovering.  He was present with his unit in May and June of 1864 and they were camped near Petersburg, VA.  The war was all but lost by this time, and Wiley could have easily gone home while on furlough and not returned.  Many men who had been shot in the chest and taken prisoner would have done just that...but not Wiley.  He was a man of his word.  He returned to the men who were by now, no doubt, his brothers.  I have been unable to completely determine the actions of the unit at this time,  but he was again captured by the Yankee Army in Virginia on March 25th 1865 and imprisoned at Point Lookout, Maryland.  This prison camp was extremely overcrowded and was known for its extremely unsanitary conditions.  It was the largest Union prison camp in the North and one of the worst.  Amazingly, Wiley survived this imprisonment as well.  He was released June 30, 1865,  two and a half months after Lee’s surrender.  There is no known picture of Wiley, but Interestingly, in his records there is a physical description.  He had a dark complexion, dark hair and gray eyes.  He was 5’10” tall.   

Wiley returned to his beloved Georgia after the war and in 1867 he married Armita Cumi Smith.  They eventually moved to Cleburne County, Alabama where they had 9 children.  The eldest, Nancy, was my great, great grandmother.  They named their first born son Levi, after his uncle that died on that day long ago in Virginia.

Wiley died in 1902  in Ranburne, Alabama at the age of 64, no doubt welcomed home by his brothers, both of blood and war.