Kirby/John,

Here is part of Albert Martin's narrative. It is quite lengthy describing his actions leading up to, through and after the Battle of Pilot Knob. I have clipped the beginning and ending of the narrative which might give some insight:

Narrative of Pvt. Albert J. Martin
Company C, 79th Enrolled Missouri Militia,
Six Months Volunteers
Cyrus Peterson Papers, Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis

Aurora, Mo.

June 30th, 1905

This is to certify that I, Albert J. Martin was enrolled in Capt. John R. Cochran’s Co. C in six months volunteer State Militia, on the 30th day of July 1864. I was ordered into active service on August 10th, 1864, and during the summer & fall season we did camp duty and also some scouting after bushwhackers, murderers & horse thieves throughout the countys of south east Missouri, such as Bollinger Co. & Wayne & Butler & Madision Co., Mo. But nothing of importance occurred until late in the fall of 1864 – Sept. 24th, 1864, as my Captain John R. Cochran was ordered by the commanding officer at Cape Girardeau, Mo., where we had been stationed a few days before on account of General Price’s advance in to Mo. At that time our Capt. was placed in command of 35 special men partly of our company & partly of Capt. Tacke’s Co. We were now ordered to go to Jackson, Mo. as pickets to watch General Price’s advance & report the same to the commander of Cape Girardeau. (clip)

....I now walked out to old Bollinger, Mo. some 40 miles to my old home & to treat my self for the fever that set in on me. About one month I was sick and as I got better the Captain sent me an order to come back to camp & I reported for duty again. And from that time on I had some petty duty to do the balance of my term of service until the next Feb. 1865 when we were released from state service.

But our Captain made up another company, and we elected our company officers again, but we were not called on to do more service for the state. But we were called to drill each month twice which we did until the war closed.

Now we did not get any pay for our services of the state until the fall of 1865. Sometime in October the state payed us in state script which was not worth more than 75 ct on the dollar. As this was all we could get at any story for good’s in the state of Mo. So ended our military services in Mo’s War of the Rebellion of 1861 to 1865.

I'll post the full transcription, or perhaps it would be better to privately e-mail it anyone in the group that is interested. wehmer@socket.net