Thomas J. Smith (July 26, 1838 – June 29, 1918)[1] was chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court from 1893 to 1898.
When the American Civil War broke out he entered the Confederate States Army, eventually becoming Colonel of the 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment.
[1] Smith served one term as judge of Fauquier County, and was later a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
In 1884, President Grover Cleveland appointed Smith United States Attorney for New Mexico, an office he filled four years, when he returned to Virginia to resume private practice.
Smith "gained a reputation for courage and fairness in the performance of his duties on the bench", and was described as "a fine classical scholar and a man of varied accomplishments".