American military officer (1824-1893) who, after serving as lieutenant and captain in the Mexican-American War, became an officer in the Confederate Army. A key participant at Bull Run and Richmond, he was placed in charge of the Trans-Mississippi Department in 1863 and ultimately reached the rank of full general. Civil War-dated ALS signed “E. Kirby Smith,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.5 x 9.25, May 21, 1864. Written from Shreveport, a letter to Missouri governor Thomas C. Reynolds, in part: "I thank you Governor for your solicitude in my behalf but do not believe I did nor will I unnecessarily expose myself. I enclose you a letter from Gen. Marmaduke regarding the appointment of a Brig. to his Brigade. I shall make no more appointments untill the approval or disapproval of the President has been received to those already made. I believe them necessary and that the morale & efficiency of the army would be increased by acting promptly whilst…the Battles was strong upon the troops. The other appointments are promotions dependent upon the validity of those already made and if the President does not sustain me to disapprove, these will only increase the amount of mistification inflicted. Gen'l Parsons, Marmaduke & Clarke were all recommended by yourself or I should have referred to you before publishing their promotions. In any future appointments I will…consult you before the determination is made. Taylor's campaign has by this time has critically slowed on Red River Banks…the 16th & 17th corps probably for Vicksburg, the 13th & 19th for New Orleans. I have instructed Taylor to prepare for a movement with the men of his Command to Ark & for operations in the Ark Valley; this requires some little time and preparation…The news from Virginia is terribly interesting—8 days fighting—a general battle on the 11th & 12th at Spotsylvania C. H. The Federals claim a victory but on the 13th day Lee was only four miles from C. H. I do not fear the result, but with their superiority in numbers and power of moving troops to supply losses they have a fearful advantage—the fighting has been unusually destructive of life." In fine condition, with ink erosion affecting several words of text, not overall readability.
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House between May 8-20, 1864, proved the costliest of General Grant’s Overland Campaign, with both sides suffering heavy losses and the final result proving tactically inconclusive. Kirby was accurate in his assertion that Spotsylvania had been “unusually destructive of life”—the estimated 32,000 casualties, with over 4,000 soldiers killed, lands in the top five battles of the Civil War. The close of May also marked the final days of the Red River Campaign, a two-month siege along Louisiana’s Red River that is perhaps most notable for Smith’s questionable decision to send half of General Richard Taylor's troops north to Arkansas following the Battle of Pleasant Hill.
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