Career
Born in 1854 in Bermuda, Smith immigrated to the United States and joined the Navy from New New York By September 19, 1880, he was serving as a seaman on the United States Ship Shenandoah. On that day, while Shenandoah was at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he and Seaman William Morse jumped overboard and rescued First Class Fireman James Grady from drowning.
Foreign jumping overboard from the United States.S. Shenandoah, at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19 September 1880, and rescuing from drowning James Grady, first class fireman.