Charles Henry Smith
Charles Henry Smith, also known as Bill Arp, was a notable humorist from Georgia in the nineteenth century. Born into a large family, he pursued education at various institutions, including Franklin College, where he engaged in literary activities. Though he did not graduate, Smith later transitioned into law, following the encouragement of his wife’s influential family. His legal career was interrupted by the Civil War, during which he served in the Confederate army and later became a judge for a Confederate court.
After the war, Smith faced significant hardships, including the destruction of his home, Rose Hill, by Union forces. This loss compelled him to express his views through writing, using the pseudonym Bill Arp to craft satirical letters that gained widespread popularity. These letters, which often conveyed Southern sentiments during a tumultuous period, were published extensively and later compiled into a book, marking a significant cultural contribution from the South. Smith's legacy extends beyond his writings, as he also took on community roles and continued to engage with the public until his passing in 1903. His work left a lasting impact, leading to the naming of three Georgia communities after him.
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Charles Henry Smith
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: June 15, 1826
- Birthplace: Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Died: August 24, 1903
- Place of death: Cartersville, Georgia
Biography
Charles Henry Smith, a nineteenth century humorist, was born in Georgia into a family of ten children. His father, Asahel Reed Smith, was a merchant and a schoolteacher. His mother, Caroline Ann Maguire Smith, was the daughter of an Irish immigrant.
Smith attended the Lawrenceville Academy and then Gwinett County Manual Labor Institute. In 1844, Smith enrolled at Franklin College, which is now the University of Georgia. During his college years, Smith served as a member of a literary society and edited the college newspaper. Smith did complete his degree at Franklin College, as he left just before graduation in order to help his father run the family store.
In 1849, Smith married Mary Octavia Hutchins, the daughter of a judge and wealthy plantation owner. Together, Smith and Mary Octavia Hutchins had ten children. Smith’s father-in-law convinced him to leave the merchant business and study law. In 1850, Smith passed the Georgia State Bar Exam. He relocated to Rome, Georgia, where practiced law with his wife’s father and moved onto her family’s plantation, which was called Rose Hill.
Smith was an ardent supporter of the Confederacy. In 1861, he joined General Francis Barrow’s brigade and fought in the Civil War. In 1863, Smith was wounded in battle and discharged from the army. At this time, Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, appointed Smith to preside over the Confederate court in Macon, Georgia. After serving this appointment, Smith and his family returned to Rose Hill to find that it had been destroyed by Union soldiers.
The loss of Rose Hill ruined Smith financially. The family was forced to sell the remains of Rose Hill and start over. They moved to a small farm outside of Cartersville, Georgia, where Smith attempted to earn a living as a planter. The loss of his home and the need to supplement his meager income as a planter motivated Smith to express his anti-Union sentiments by writing a fictional letter signed by the pseudonym Bill Arp. This satirical letter, published in the Constitution Newspaper, was so popular that it soon became a weekly feature and was syndicated in cities across the nation including Chicago, Detroit, New York, and San Francisco.
In total, Smith contributed more than 1,250 Bill Arp letters to the Constitution. These letters were eventually culminated into a book titled Bill Arp, So Called: A Side Show of the Southern Side of the War. The Bill Arp letters became one of the South’s greatest literary achievements and their popularity led to three Georgia communities being named Bill Arp.
In his later years, Smith and his wife sold their farm and moved to the town of Cartersville, Georgia. Smith continued to write, served on the local school board, and traveled throughout the South as a lecturer. Charles Henry Smith died in 1903 at the age of seventy-seven.