Notice that Ben Talbot was in his early fifties during the war. I wonder if this factor limited his participation in the southern cause except now and then. This could explain his spotty appearances throughout the war. Some men of a certain maturity don't favor "playing soldier" much, and dislike following foolhardy orders from young officers. They dislike losing their freedom of choice and resent any attempt to override their self reliance. Talbot strikes me as very much the individualist that would make him a real problem in a regular Confederate command. Besides, he had a large family to feed, and, as a poor farmer he couldn't count on others to take care of his responsibilities.

Please don't bombard me with defenses of guys in their fifties being as fit as younger guys, because I have been there and seen that, too. We all know examples of that like my 86-year-old father-in-law. I am not talking about age and physical fitness, but attitude and stubbornness. There were a few guerrilla leaders like Talbot past their 30s and 40s who conducted effective campaigns, but those kind of lone wolves didn't mix well with other southern commands.

The Valle is Francis Valle of Perry County who led guerrillas in Perry, Ste. Genevieve, and Jefferson Counties off and on throughout the war.

I draw a blank on Sikes, but his name could have been "Sykes." If somebody can kick in on Sikes I will be all ears.

Bruce