James Anderson (Medal of Honor)

Pursuing an armed force he fought beside frontier cavalrymen

James Anderson was born in Canada on 28 May 1849 and also used the name James Anderson Smythe. He moved to the United States and enlisted in the United States Army, serving with Company M of the 6th Cavalry. His military service took him to northwestern Texas during the campaigns against Indigenous peoples on the southern Plains.

On 5 October 1870, near the Wichita River, Anderson took part in a pursuit and subsequent fighting for which he received the Medal of Honor. He was a private at the time. The official citation recognises his gallantry during the pursuit and engagement. The award was issued on 19 November 1870, only weeks after the action.

Anderson continued his association with the army after the campaign. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society identifies his highest rank as sergeant. His later life centred on St Louis, Missouri. He married Nellie Hanlon in November 1880 and worked as a stationary engineer, an occupation involving the operation of fixed engines and machinery.

He died in St Louis on 31 May 1918, three days after his sixty-ninth birthday. He was buried at St Peter and Paul Cemetery under the Smythe name. His grave also records the Anderson name under which he received the Medal of Honor.