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James Smith (Medal of Honor, 1864)

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In the 1980s, one of his great-grandsons began an effort to have a marker placed on Smith's grave. Because other bodies had been buried in the same location, cemetery officials would allow neither the grave to be marked nor Smith's remains to be moved. The dispute culminated in an October 2, 1985,
202:, in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Smith fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the prolonged battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram 382: 407: 234:, Virginia. His remains were interred at Arlington on May 30, 1986, following services at Manhattan's St. James' Church, where Smith was married 116 years earlier, and a ceremony at the 392: 185:
on August 5, 1864, he "fought his gun with skill and courage" despite heavy fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.
402: 397: 377: 298: 372: 218:, Manhattan, in May 1870 and had three children. He died on October 31, 1881, at age 54 or 55 and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in 170:, Ireland, Smith immigrated to the United States and was living in New York when he joined the U.S. Navy. He served during the Civil War as a 215: 219: 328: 290: 266: 29: 387: 231: 65: 171: 98: 333: 227: 362: 207: 367: 198: 182: 160: 126: 175: 108: 152: 121: 88: 235: 156: 136: 356: 302: 76: 329:"From pauper's grave to Arlington — 1864 hero will be honored after kin's effort" 148: 258: 167: 45: 196:
during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram
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which ordered that Smith's body be disinterred for reburial in
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and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the
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People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
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American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor
132: 117: 104: 94: 82: 72: 60: 52: 39: 20: 188:Smith's official Medal of Honor citation reads: 299:United States Army Center of Military History 253: 251: 206:and in the successful attacks carried out on 8: 393:United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients 322: 320: 291:"Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z)" 285: 283: 28: 17: 192:As captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. 56:October 31, 1881 (aged 54–55) 247: 403:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 7: 398:Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients 378:Irish emigrants to the United States 34:Grave at Arlington National Cemetery 147:(c. 1826 – October 31, 1881) was a 337:. Schenectady, New York. p. 2 14: 373:Military personnel from Belfast 301:. 26 June 2011. Archived from 1: 232:Arlington National Cemetery 66:Arlington National Cemetery 424: 327:Gould, Lee (26 May 1986). 172:captain of the forecastle 159:, for his actions at the 99:Captain of the Forecastle 27: 295:Medal of Honor Citations 334:The Schenectady Gazette 174:and gun captain on the 228:New York Supreme Court 212: 166:Born in about 1826 in 214:Smith was married at 190: 183:Battle of Mobile Bay 161:Battle of Mobile Bay 127:Battle of Mobile Bay 305:on 23 February 2009 125: • 388:Union Navy sailors 153:American Civil War 122:American Civil War 89:United States Navy 222:, New York City. 216:St. James' Church 142: 141: 415: 347: 346: 344: 342: 324: 315: 314: 312: 310: 287: 278: 277: 275: 273: 255: 236:Lincoln Memorial 220:Calvary Cemetery 84: 32: 18: 423: 422: 418: 417: 416: 414: 413: 412: 353: 352: 351: 350: 340: 338: 326: 325: 318: 308: 306: 289: 288: 281: 271: 269: 257: 256: 249: 244: 124: 68: 61:Place of burial 44: 35: 23: 12: 11: 5: 421: 419: 411: 410: 405: 400: 395: 390: 385: 380: 375: 370: 365: 355: 354: 349: 348: 316: 279: 267:Military Times 246: 245: 243: 240: 226:ruling by the 157:Medal of Honor 151:sailor in the 140: 139: 137:Medal of Honor 134: 130: 129: 119: 115: 114: 106: 102: 101: 96: 92: 91: 86: 80: 79: 74: 70: 69: 64: 62: 58: 57: 54: 50: 49: 41: 37: 36: 33: 25: 24: 21: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 420: 409: 406: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 389: 386: 384: 381: 379: 376: 374: 371: 369: 366: 364: 361: 360: 358: 336: 335: 330: 323: 321: 317: 304: 300: 296: 292: 286: 284: 280: 268: 264: 263:Hall of Valor 260: 259:"James Smith" 254: 252: 248: 241: 239: 237: 233: 229: 223: 221: 217: 211: 209: 205: 201: 200: 195: 189: 186: 184: 180: 179: 173: 169: 164: 162: 158: 154: 150: 146: 138: 135: 131: 128: 123: 120: 116: 113: 112: 107: 103: 100: 97: 93: 90: 87: 81: 78: 77:United States 75: 71: 67: 63: 59: 55: 51: 47: 42: 38: 31: 26: 19: 16: 363:1820s births 341:17 September 339:. Retrieved 332: 309:17 September 307:. Retrieved 303:the original 294: 272:17 September 270:. Retrieved 262: 224: 213: 203: 197: 193: 191: 187: 177: 165: 144: 143: 118:Battles/wars 110: 15: 368:1881 deaths 208:Fort Morgan 145:James Smith 22:James Smith 357:Categories 242:References 149:Union Navy 73:Allegiance 204:Tennessee 199:Tennessee 181:. At the 176:USS  109:USS  48:, Ireland 194:Richmond 178:Richmond 111:Richmond 83:Service/ 168:Belfast 46:Belfast 43:c. 1826 133:Awards 85:branch 343:2012 311:2012 274:2012 105:Unit 95:Rank 53:Died 40:Born 359:: 331:. 319:^ 297:. 293:. 282:^ 265:. 261:. 250:^ 238:. 163:. 345:. 313:. 276:. 210:.

Index


Belfast
Arlington National Cemetery
United States
United States Navy
Captain of the Forecastle
USS Richmond
American Civil War
Battle of Mobile Bay
Medal of Honor
Union Navy
American Civil War
Medal of Honor
Battle of Mobile Bay
Belfast
captain of the forecastle
USS Richmond
Battle of Mobile Bay
Tennessee
Fort Morgan
St. James' Church
Calvary Cemetery
New York Supreme Court
Arlington National Cemetery
Lincoln Memorial


"James Smith"
Military Times

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