James was born on the 28th of May 1849, in Canada, and I am unsure as to when he emigrated to the US. He enlisted in the Army in 1867 at the age of 18 and served with the 6th US Cavalry, where he was assigned to frontier duty. It was his actions on the 5th of October 1870, that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation, albeit very brief, reads:

Gallantry during the pursuit and fight with Indians.

James received the Medal of Honor on the 19th of November 1870, and he was married to Nellie. He left the Army in 1872, reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant, and he worked as a stationary engineer in St Louis. James Anderson Smythe, also known as James Anderson, died on the 31st of May 1918, just three days after his 69th birthday due to complications from pneumonia. He is buried with his wife in the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery Old in Saint Louis, Missouri: Section 37, Lot 1397, Space 1.