My apologies to those who have already seen this on another list. I had been on these two lists a few years ago but had to drop off. Now I have my own computer and am trying again. I have a real brick wall on my paternal grandmother's side of the family and am hoping someone here might be able to give me some direction. My father's mother was IDA MARCELLA SMITH b. 25 Sept. 1874, in Schaefferstown Pa. and died in Richland Pa. 5 June 1957. Her parents were LOVINA MILLER (1848-1884, b. and d. in Schaefferstown) and DAVID SMITH (b. 1849 and d. 4 March 1892.) DAVID SMITH's parents are supposed to be a JOHN PHILIP SMITH (b.8 March 1796) and an EDNA KRALL. I have not been able to find either of them in the Lebanon census. Nor have I been able to find any of David's siblings. My grandmother said she had three uncles in the Civil War, SAMUEL SMITH (who died in a soldiers' home in either Kansas or Nebraska), HENRY SMITH, killed in the war, and a third whose name we have lost. I don't know about other siblings of DAVID SMITH. The earliest mention I have of David in the census is 1860 where he is 12 years old, living with JOSEPH LAUSER and his family in Schaefferstown and going to school. In 1871 he is still living there and working in the LAUSER store. In 1880 he is married and living in his own household in Schaefferstown. So I guess my questions are: Does anyone recognize this fragment of a genealogy as part of their family? How do you go about searching military records if you don't have any regimental information and you have a name like SMITH? Does anyone have any suggestions for the next likely steps for searching JOHN PHILIP SMITH and his family? Thank you for any help you might be able to give. Cathy Weigley caw756@northwestern.edu surnames: WEIGLEY, KOHLER, SMITH, MILLER, KILLMER, ZELLER, BATDORF, KRALL --