James A. Smith (Medal of Honor)

James A. Smith (born September 2, 1880, date of death unknown) was an American sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Boxer Rebellion who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Early life
Smith was born September 2, 1880 in New York, and after entering the navy he was sent as an Landsman to China to fight in the Boxer Rebellion.

Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 2 September 1880, New York. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901.

Citation:

"In action with the relief expedition of the Allied forces in China during the battles of 13, 20, 21, and 22 June 1900. Throughout this period and in the presence of the enemy, Smith distinguished himself by meritorious conduct." James was an orphan, the bastard child of a young woman from Baltimore and a much older returned Confederate officer. He was raised in or around Ruthurford, NJ by a prominent family of musicians, who did not think much of him. He lied about his age, entering the Navy as a young teen, but already with seagoing experience as a still younger, runaway stowaway.

Smith became a real estate agent and insurance man, and for nearly 30 years a Morris County circuit court judge. He died from cancer in 1959, leaving wife, Dorothy Dewarren (Waller)Smith, daughters Glen and Nancy. Serving briefly herself in the Navy, Glen was discharged with a psychiatric illness and spent the rest of her life in a Navy institution in Roanoke, VA. Nancy (Hermance) married and raised two children in the home Smith built at 31 Academy Road, Madison. Tragically, and ironically, Nancy died in this house after being bedbound with Parkinson's disease and chronically isolated and abusedby her son (from police, medical and court records)under the watchful gaze of the attorney she had called to reinstate her 25 year consistent testament. After returning three times with his wife as witness to rewrite and completely overturn the will, the Morris County probate court through a series of questionable and outright illegal rulings gave most of Smith's estimated $5 million estate to the attorney. He and the granddson remain at large in the town Smith helped shape during the early quarter of the century.