While organizing Civil War documents for the Missouri State Archives, I came across the account below about a Union company deserting and joining the Confederates at Lone Jack.

Some of the background to the account below is that in June 1864, Co. F, 60th Regiment EMM was ordered disbanded by Special Orders, No. 77, in response to a petition from "the Loyal Citizens of Bates County." Unfortunately, I haven't located the petition. The commander of Co. F, Captain D.B. Newberry, contended the company was disbanded "for the purpose of injuring me and not for the purpose of promoting the best interests of the service." Newberry wrote to the regimental adjutant, T.R. Goulding, asking him to intervene. Goulding, in turn, wrote Adjutant General Gray, giving a summary of the situation (which included some personal animosity between 1st Lt. John A. Devinny and Newberry) and adding the following:

"There was another company enrolled and organized in July 1862 in that county [Bates]. Said company was commanded by Capt. John Combs and Ava E. Page, 1st Lieut., both of whom had been officers in Price's Army. In August 1862, that company deserted the state forces in a body, joined Coffey's Rebel Command, and fought at the Battle of Lone Jack, where the Capt. and 15 of the company was killed and wounded; during Coffey's retreat. Most of the company that remained returned to Bates County, where they remained (mostly in the brush) until December; when Col. A.C. Marvin went with a militia force, and reoccupied the county, issued an amnesty proclamation, and again invited those men to come, and enroll in the militia force of the state; they took advantage of this act of clemency of the Col.'s, and were again organized into a company; and again elected Ava E. Page 1st Lieut. In March 1863, when the muster-in-rolls of that company was sent to Head Quarters, Gov. Gamble ordered the company to be immediately disbanded and refused to issue commissions to the officers of that company, from the fact that more than two thirds of the men and officers were disloyal . . ."

I ran this by Jim McGhee, and he believes Combs is 3rd Lt. John S. McComb, Co. A, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 8th Division. McComb resigned his commission on 31 Dec 1861.

According to W.O. Atkeson, History of Bates County, Missouri (1918), "John McComb joined the Southern army and was elected captain of a company of men recruited in Bates county. Capt. John McComb led the charge upon the Federal stronghold at Lone Jack. While making the charge at the head of his men, just as he had climbed atop the fence surrounding the Federal stronghold, he was shot in the left breast, the bullet passing through the lung and body." He was attended by his brother, Lewis, but died of his wound (p. 735).

The online muster cards at the Secretary of State's website list 1st Lt. Ava E. Page, Co. C, 60th Regiment EMM, enrolled December 6, 1862, and relieved from service March 17, 1863 (which is consistent with Goulding's account). Avey E. Page was also 1st Sergeant in Captain Williams Weaver's Henry and Bates Counties Company of Missouri Militia (General Orders, No. 3).

I have located probable census records for both McComb and Page in 1860, McComb a 27 year old merchant in Bates County and Page a 25 year old schoolteacher in Vernon County.

Any insight into the Lone Jack incident or any of the principals would be appreciated.