Joseph Smith (Schmidt), dob, 3 OCt 1836, in Rommerskirchen, Rhineland,

Prussia, dod, 16 March, 1918, in Saginaw County, Michigan, buried in St.

Charles, Saginaw Co., Michigan.

  Oral family history says that Joseph was a choir boy in his home

church in Prussia.  Joseph and his family came to America when he was 13

yrs old.  The family lived in new york, Penssylvania, and Ohio before

coming to Michigan  He enlisted at Seneca Co., Ohio 22 Sept, 1861 in Co

G, Reigment 8, Ohio 3rd Cavalry.  He was wounded in the foot while on

patrol near Murfreesboro, Tenn during August 1862.  He spent 3 months at

Hospital 14 at Nashville, Tenn from about Aug 15 to Dec 15, 1862.  He

was eventually transferred to the barracks at Corunna, Michigan where he

met and married his wife, Anora Tynan, 17 April, 1865.

  Joseph was according to his records 5'11.5" tall, 180 pounds, dark

complexion, blue eyed, and dark haired. He had a deformed foot and was

deaf in one ear after his wounding.

Joseph was 5'11" tall, about 150 lbs,

black hair, dark complected. We know that he was stationed at a barracks

 in Corunna, MI, in the county south of St. Charles where he met and

 married his wife of Irish descent.  They had at least 4 of their 10
 
(5 girls, 5 boys, none of the boys reached adulthood as best

we can determine) children baptized at the Catholic Church there.  He was

granted land in St. Charles, MI and we even know the location of the house (it

still stands).  Joseph, his wife and his father are buried in St. Charles.

Joseph's obituary mentions him arriving in New York, living in Ohio, and coming

to Michigan.