Failure at NARA

Last month I sent a request to NARA to obtain John Reid Smith's military file only to be told they are unable to locate him. I'm not sure how he has a military headstone but the National Archives have no record of him. Can someone shed some light on this for me?

Brickwall - John Reid Smith

Currently I do not know the names of John Reid Smith's parents or siblings. I also don't know for sure if he was born in Kentucky and if so where. I am assuming he was born in KY because of his enrollment in the military.

I wrote to the Illinois State Archives to retrieve John and Polly's marriage certificate but they do not have it on file. I also contacted White County Illinois genealogists and they are unable to locate a copy as well. Below is John's profile to date.

Researching John Reid Smith

My Great-Great-Great Grandfather John Reid Smith was the first man to settle in Four Mile in the Illinois Territory. Today known as Orel Township, Wayne County, Illinois.

John R. Smith was a veteran of the War of 1812 and received Bounty Lands for his service. He owned a great deal of land and passed it on to his children as they married.

John R. Smith and his wife Mary "Polly" Myers were married in White County, Illinois and are buried in Baltimore Cemetery (Olive Branch) in Wayne County, Illinois.

If you are a descendant of John Reid Smith and would like to connect with other family members who are also researching his family line, please leave your name and email in the comments below.

I will be adding links to other researchers that I am aware of and maybe together we can bring together more puzzle pieces of our Smith family history.