I will try to look up the 5th MSM. No doubt motivation was the key to sucess. In Leslies book on Quantrill he mentions that when some Mo bushwackers attacked a town in Kan two USV units gave up the chase but a US Marshall and his posse did not and they killed some of the Bushwackers. In Michael Fellmans excelent book 'the Guerilla conflict in Mo" "forgaging "or stealing food was inevitable because Union logistics could not come close to feeding all their far flung units. Some Officers did try to curb forgaging but boys got to eat and that went for both sides. It must of been far more difficult and grueling to be a US soldier fighting guerrillas then then now. There was no medvac if they were shot or stabed , forget about goretex or waterproof clothing, other then the 7th Kan the USV forces had a serious firepower disadvantage in that they mostly lacked multiple Colt revolvers and the the Enfield musket was not has good has the Sharps carbine. If the USV's were outnumbered there horses were not has fast and of course there was no getting on the radio and calling for back-up . All in all the good USv and MSM forces were really a tough and hardy bunch of lads most being under 21 per Fellman although they did not always behave very well by todays Geneva rules of warfare. To be fair the Bushwackers were no less hardy since they often had to leave their home territory indeed they has well has the Union forces spent a lot of time in Kan and Ark. I do go on a bit much.

Thanks Again,
Leonaed