Military Records of James M Smith, Baxter Co, AR

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Submitted by: Deborah Parks <bdvw@earthlink.net>
        Date: 26 Jun 2004
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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James M. Smith enrolled in the Union Army April 1, 1862 at Williamsburg,
Kentucky for a period of three years.  He was mustered in as a private in
Company G of the 5th Regiment East Tennessee Infantry Volunteers on May 21,
1862 at Camp Pine Knot.  W.U. Andrews commanded this Company.  James M.
Smith is shown present on the above Company Muster Rolls from May 21 1862
through October 31, 1863.  November and December 1863 muster rolls show him
absent - sick at Smith's Cross Roads since December 1, 1863 and so reported
till August 31, 1864.  September and October 1864 he is reported as present
and so reported till March and April 1865.  James M. Smith was mustered out
with his company at Nashville, Tennessee on May 15, 1865.  James M. Smith
was mustered out as a private.

On the declaration for pension filed by James M. Smith, he stated that he
enrolled at Williamsburg, Kentucky.  This file was dated May 21, 1912 and
filed from Baxter County, Arkansas.  The signature of the Justice of the
Peace was by C.F. Shearer.  James M. Smith's description was given as:
height 5'8"; complexion - fair; color of eyes - yellow; color of hair -
dark.  His previous pension certificate NO. was 664072.  This application
was accepted and his pension for service in the Civil War was increased
from $8 to $25 per month commencing March 22, 1919.  However, it was
increased to $40 on June 10, 1918.

James M. Smith applied for a disability pension on May 27, 1882.  His
description was given as height- 5'8"; complexion - fair; hair - dark; eyes
- dark.  By this declaration his impairments were said to be Typhoid Fever,
which was contacted March 15, 1863 and resulted in lung disease.  Also his
hearing was impaired due to an explosion of a shell nearby.  He was treated
in a hospital at Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1863 and at a private hospital
near Chattanooga in 1864 and at Nashville hospital in 1865.  James also
claimed to have a badly bruised foot due to a forced march without shoes.
This bad foot hindered James' ability to plow.  James stated that he went
to the "Mineral Springs" and rubbed "Mustang Liniment" on his foot.  On
this application his residence was given as Georgetown, Bradley Co TN.  In
a couple of places, Georgetown is listed a being in Meigs County TN with
Meigs marked through and Bradley written in.  This invalid pension was
approved at a rate of $8 per month commencing August 21, 1890.

James M. Smith's brother William H. Smith filed a General Affidavit May 26,
1894 attesting to James' sickness during the war.  William was a 1st
Sergeant of Company G 4th Tennessee Cavaliers.  William said in his
affidavit that he was sent home to east Tennessee the last of December 1863
with recruiting papers.  About 2 months after he came home looking for
recruits, his brother James came home sick with pneumonia.  "My brother was
sick from April 1, 1864 for about 2 months thereafter.  He tried to get
transportation after this time back to his Company but could not find any
and the Confederate forces were between him and his Company."  William was
living in West Plains, Howell Township, Howell County, Missouri at the time
he filed this affidavit.

Some of the illnesses listed in James M. Smith's records were nasal
catarrh, bronchitis, rheumatism and piles.  Others were disease of lungs
and partial loss of hearing.

James M. Smith's wife was Julia Ann Triplett, whose father, Jeremiah
Triplett, was also in the same Company as James.  Jeremiah was a 3rd
Corporal of Company G.