Terry,
You are right the UCV and the Lawrence County Bar both recognized his passing an dpublished information on Colonel Baber after his death. Desmond Walls Allen, in the History for the 45th has a rather detailed biography. He was an attorney and judge, and had his judgeship displaced by carpetbag rule. He practiced in Independence, Lawrence and Randolph counties. He was on the Board of Trustees for Arkansas College (Now Lyon college in Batesville). In reading accounts of the Battle of Westport, eveything indicates that Colonel Baber was captured in the Fight near Independence, Missouri. According to John Edward's "Shelby and his Men", and the book "Action Before Westsport", the crossing of the Little Blue on the afternoon and evening of the 21st of October 1864 was met with fierce Federal resistance. Elements of Fagan's Division (which the 45th belonged to) were trying to protect the crossing and Price's very long train. Cabell's brigade was ordered to protect the train in order to allow Fagan's troops to concentrate forcing the crossing. Somewhere during that time frame Colonel Baber was captured. However, the records are not clear as to when or how Colonel Baber was captured. Searching the complied service records list by Desmond Walls Allen yielded that no other soldiers of the 45th appear to have been captured at the location or the same time. There were 4 of 45th soldiers captured on the same day but does not appear that they were captured at the same location and is not clear of the timeframe of their capture. Colonel Baber was sent first to Alton prison and then transferred to Camp Douglas. I assume that one reason that Colonel Clark may not have filed an after action report on his Commander's being captured, was that he was too busy trying to save his Regiment, and that Colonel Baber was not present to file a report. I also read an account where the Regimental records of the 45th were destroyed by fire in the wagon in which they were being carried during the raid. Do you have any knowledge of any other accounts of the record destruction?