Mr. Drees was kind enough to respond to my request for him to email me directly.
This is the email I sent back to Mr. James D. Drees.
RE: RED LEGS
From: Jim Morris (cbjames49@hotmail.com)
Sent: Sat 1/23/10 5:33 PM
To: (Deleted)
James, the message board didn't let the index format copy properly.
Hoyt, George H. Jackson Kansas City Detective Hoyt resigned and is discharged. Signed by Lt. Col. R. J. Van Horn, 25th Mo. Vols. 09-15-1863 F1344
Jackson refers to the county. The far right hand col. is the number assigned to the roll of film. I have not pulled this reference yet. I was hoping that you might have more information about Hoyt and some of the others and their activities in Missouri during the last six months of the war.
Although I am interested in all periods of the war, my geographical area of interest in particular in South Missouri. And by chance that is where some of the people mentioned in your posting on the board happened to be during the last six months of the war.
Are you aware of any diaries or journals written by any members of the 7th while they were stationed at Pilot Knob, Patterson and other locations in South Missouri? Any letters home?
Mr. Drees didn’t respond to me, but responded directly to the message board. So I will do likewise.
I posted on the message board about the SOS site because I was curious about some of the people associated with the Red Legs that I knew had been part of the Union Provost Marshall organization. I did this only after re-reading the string of message board posts from August and September of 2009 and coming to the conclusion that Mr. Drees was a serious researcher and might have something to contribute. Further, I did a “Google” on Mr. Drees and came up with a reference to a historical organization in Hays, Kansas and the web site had listed in the “Out of Print” list, B038 Bloody Prairie Ellis County, 1865-1875 by James D. Drees.
There is no doubt that I am naïve, there is no doubt that I sometimes come across in print as a jerk. Totally unintentional. I have an obsession right now about this subject as it pertains to my rather large group of relatives and their neighbors in South Missouri. I tend to “fish” for information because I don’t have enough knowledge to form a coherent question.
In this instance, with Mr. Drees, I thought I would try a little “horse trading”. I should have known better. That “naïve” thing again. Typical of Kansans throughout history Mr. Drees would rather “steal” a horse and ride west as fast as he can than to try negotiating a trade.
“Jackpot” my foot, Mr. Drees, the jackpot was yet to come. Part of those index references are already pulled and transcribed. I would have offered to do the remainder. I didn’t ask you for any diaries, journals or letters, I asked you if you were aware of any. You chose to ignore me. By answering your own post rather than mine, you treated me like the “step-child” who interrupts the adult conversation, but actually has something to say. But rather than answering the “child” who interrupted your conversation, you chose to brag to the adults about what you just learned. If it is my "amateur" status that offends you I will try to funnel my questions and comments from now on through more "professional" sources. And don't worry, I won't interrupt you again.
I appreciate the free and open exchange of knowledge that takes place on this message board and the high standard of scholarship that is demanded. I will continue “fishing” and I won’t stop trying to do a little “horse trading” until the true and complete story of the civil war in southeast Missouri is told. I will probably also continue my inadvertent rudeness and will no doubt offend those of whom I have the highest respect. I will continue digging through the various archives and sharing what I find. It should be obvious that I can’t keep my mouth shut and I abhor the hoarding of information. If you are going to publish, then follow the example of Kirby Ross and Bruce Nichols and others on this board, and just do it. Otherwise let’s share the knowledge, now. I could care less, if the dialog is public or private.
Respectfully, Jim Morris