An an example, a few years ago I was helping a guy who was researching the Civil War in Carroll County. I made up a list of all the Carroll County men I could find, who served in Arkansas Confederate and Union regiments. When comparing the list to the 1860 census, I noticed that a significant number of men had no Arkansas service record. Since Northwest Arkansas was not a place where one could stay neutral and sit out the war, I was buffaloed. Fast forward a few years, I was looking at the records of some Missouri militia units (Union) to try to get a casualty list for a skirmish I was researching, and a whole load of Carroll County men fell into my lap. Who would have thought to look in the Enrolled Missouri Militia for my missing Arkansas boys? Since then, I've been perusing the records of other Missouri units, as time permits, and have found more and more Arkansians. Ditto with some of the Kansas regiments.
That's why I'm happy to share my research, gratus, on this message board. If I can help out a few colleagues with something they're researching, it makes up for all the frustration I've experienced in my own research. Been there, done that, and got the tee-shirt, as they say. And Lord knows I've sure benefitted from this board. Every time someone posts a diary entry, or a letter, etc., I get some information I never knew before.
So, like you said, don't give up.
Incidentally, I looked through the index to the Stroud papers, as you suggested. I think I ruined my keyboard, drooling all over it while reading the names and documents in the index. David, you have GOT to get over to Lyon and do some serious transcribing!