Arabella Wilson's 2 Nov.'63 letter stated: "The union party [@ Pine Bluff] thought they (the feds) would never come & so they sent a messenger for them to L. Rock. Wellington the hay merchant & some others, who escorted 4 or 500 cavalry here on the 17th of Sep" The Kansans committed a good deal of depredations for the next 2-3 days, until "Col. Clayton the Commander, . . . put a stop to it . . . he is a very gentlemanly man & by his humane & obliging manners has quite won the people . . ." Arabella was a lady of Southern sentiment!
One must conclude there was a semi-underground "union party" in Confederate Pine Bluff which emerged after Clayton took control. Also, everyone says the militia / home guard was a "small company". Whether these men were "first class soldiers" or not, they were likely fighting for their lives (not too popular if captured) on 25 October, and seem to have acquitted themselves well. It's too bad so little is known of them; and let's not forget that one recorded 'fact' about them was that they were "Missouri State Militia," whether in error or not.