In looking through the digitized provost marshal reports, I came across an interesting document relating to the McGee/Cato saga that has been of great interest to some of the readers of this board. The document confirms, in part, one of Ivan McKees stories of the family, and refutes his story in part. This newly-uncovered primary source document does seal the deal on what up to now McGee/Cato researchers have surmised through sketchy reports--that the McGee/Cato outfit was the pre-eminent guerrilla unit in a large part of southeast Missouri.

According to this report, issued 7 May 1865 by Capt. James Smith, Company C, 7th Kansas Cavalry (Reel F1638 File 16787 Union Provost Marshal Papers, Two or More Civilians, 1861-1867) as per orders he sent a force to the “residences of the McGees, Cato, and Cowley with instructions to burn their premises, confiscate their property….” The property confiscated consisted of one ox wagon, two yoke of oxen, (six?) head of young cattle, four hundred pounds of side meat. The report also states that the families were sent to Pilot Knob. Smith concluded his report by stating, “The heads of those families were the most noted desperadoes in this section of the country.”

The ox wagen, the transporting of the families to Pilot Knob, the burnings of the homes, the confiscation of the cattle, all coincide with McKee's account. This raid, however, took place nine months after the killing of Tom McGee, not three days afterward as stated by McKee. No light is shed on the killing of Blair McGee--could have happened three days after the killing of Tom, could have happened during the Federal raid on the homes.

Also, the raid was not undertaken by the 12th MSM Cavalry, or that unit's successor organization, the 3rd MSM Cavalry, as speculated by McKee (the 3rd MSM was in north Missouri at the time, and was in the process of being mustered out of the service). The raid was in fact undertaken by the 7th Kansas Cavalry, which is more commonly, and notoriously, known as Jennison's Jayhawkers.