1. Get his military file from NARA.
2. He should be listed with his parents in the 1850 census so start there. 
The children will appear in most indexes (for that year) which will get you 
to the entry for the family.  Notice who were the neighbors as those people 
may prove to be relatives when you do get more information. Each census had 
different criteria so you will find it helpful to read the criteria which is 
often in the front of the census whether it be on film or in a hardbound 
book.   The 1850 census is the first one that listed all of the members of 
the household.  The 1890 census is missing.  The 1930 census is the last 
census which has been published for public use.
3. Once you find out who his parents were, check land records and  tax 
records, business records in the court house, local histories of the area in 
which they lived, marriage records. Often marriage records will be available 
long before birth and death records. If you are able to determine what 
church denomination they attended, look for church records. Often records of 
births, deaths and marriages will be in church records when they were not 
yet required for state vital records.
4. Don't overlook checking the criminal records, JP courts on up.  It is 
amazing who appears in them!  Civil court suits involving the family can 
often provide a terrific context of your family's life.

Good Luck
Loretta
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anne Pemberton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:53 PM
Subject: [VA-HIST] Fw: Amos Smith-Battle of Five Forks


Can anyone help with where this person needs to go to access the information 
on her ancestor?

Thanks, Anne

Anne Pemberton
[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/apembert
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Purcell
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 3:03 PM
Subject: Amos Smith-Battle of Five Forks


Ann, My great-grandfather, Amos Smith of Co "A" 7th Maryland Volunteer 
Infantry, was wounded at Gravelly Run on April 1, 1865 during the Baattle of 
Five Forks,  he died on April 5, 1865 and is buried at City Pont National 
Cemetery, Hopewell, VA.  Amos was born in Belmont Co., Ohio on 21 Jan 1829. 
I have no record of his parents or siblings, do you possibly know anywhere I 
might go to find out anything about him.  I remember my parents throwing 
away all of his letters when I was a child, so I never had a chance to read 
them.


James E. Purcell



Diane Purcell
[log in to unmask]