Refer to the Mudd notes found in the Cannon Papers at the Powell Memorial Library in Troy (Lincoln County) Missouri. Like James Wilson, staunch Confederate veteran Joseph Mudd was from Lincoln County. After the war Mudd was very vocal in discussing Federal atrocities. First a little background--Clarence Cannon was, by profession, a professor of history at Stephens College in Columbia, prior to being elected to the United States Congress where he served with great distinction from 1922 through 1964. He was born in Lincoln County in 1879, where he was personally acquainted with Joseph Mudd. Being a professional historian, Cannon acquired the notes of Mudd, who is best known for his book, "With Porter in North Missouri." Mudd also wrote "The History of Lincoln County," and was the publisher of the local newspaper after the war.

Absent from any of Mudd's writings on Federal atrocities is any mention of Wilson massacring women and children. Quite the contrary--in a report on his findings regarding the Wilson/Reeves affair, Mudd referred to Reeves' actions as leaving "a dark stain" on Reeves's reputation as well as that Wilson was the best Federal soldier Lincoln County ever produced and was a man of "the strictest integrity."

Mudd initially started looking into the Wilson/Reeves affair in 1866, which was certainly a time when most of the Confederate veterans present at the Wilson/Reeves Christmas skirmish were living. Mudd continued looking into the Wilson/Reeves affair through 1906, at which time he issued a report. In that report he states, "In spite of persistant effort, extending over many years and involving, in the last few months, much correspondence, I have been unable to determine whether the execution of Major James Wilson was a murder or an act of retaliation...." Regarding Reeves' motive, Mudd made mention of Wilson breaking up Reeves recruiting operations three different times and in Wilson predicting his own execution because of this if he were ever to fall into Reeves' hands.

In concluding his report, Mudd stated that the execution left a dark stain on Reeves record, and that "this execution ended the career of the best Federal soldier Lincoln County produced; a man of courage, resolution and the strictest integrity."