Mark

The only mention I have found on Capt Murphy is the remark made by Col Powell Clayton's report regarding it preformance during the Battle of Pine Bluff (OR's Vol XXII p724).

I feel like the company was made up of men who were probably "Induced" into Union Service by the 5th Kansas Cav. occupation of Jefferson county in September of '63 rather than go to jail as "rebels".

However this would not be a totally accurate assumption because there was reportedly a secret delegation of "businessman" who supposedly asked Gen Steele to occupy Pine Bluff for economic and security purposes. Whether or not this delegation actually ocurred is a matter of speculation and does not seem to be confirmed by records.

Pine Bluff was a tactically important position to be occupied by the Unionist in any case. In Several reports by Confederates in the OR's Jefferson Country was said to be full of Unionist in 1864. While they were definately were secessionist in 1861. The fact that they were starving to death in 1864 without union support may have had something to do with their change of mind.