I have a Frank Schaaf in my ancestry, brother of my great grandfather Ignatus Schaaf/Schoaff. At an early age, about 10-12 years old, Frank came to the US from Onsbach, Baden with his father, Wolfgang and sister Caroline. Others of the family were already here or came a bit later. There was already a married sister in Cape Girardeau, so they came there first in about 1850-51. Wolfgang took ill and died, leaving the children to be thrown on the mercy of the town. Apparently, Mathilde, the married sister, couldn't help, or, possibly, was dying herself, as she doesn't show up for the 1860 census.

So, the war starts. As I understand it, all men between 18 and 45 in Missouri were considered by both sides (or, possibly, all sides) as subject to military service. According to Frank's obituary, the story he told was that he wasn't a soldier, but was taken by what seemed to be an impress gang sometime in early 1863 and held in a camp he says was 70 miles from Cape Girardeau. It is supposed that the men were being 'sold' to whichever side would pay the most for 'recruits'. In August, 1863, Frank and another man escaped from the camp (he was performing blacksmith work and had a bit more freedom of movement than the bulk of the men), and using stolen horses, rode all the way to Cape Girardeau through the coldest weather ever experienced in Missouri in August or any year. Frank's words, apparently, were not just 'back to Cape Girardeau', but 'back to Missouri'. Arriving there, they were shunned by the populace because of fear of the gang. Frank got across the river and was able to make his way to Peoria, IL where yet another married sister, Sophia, lived. His account does not seem to indicate that he was ever inducted into either army. How would he have avoided such for two years prior to being 'impressed'? He certainly doesn't call what he did 'desertion'. With the active presence of Union troops and the recent successful defense of Cape Girardeau in April, why would impress gangs be acting with impunity in the area? Why did the Union so willingly release Thompson, a very talented General, later in 1863 so that he helped lead Price's attack on Missouri in 1864?

Reading about events in the area in 1863 and, particularly the attack on Cape Girardeau in April, followed by the capture in late August in Randolph Co., Arkansas (70 miles from Cape Girardeau) of the Missouri Swamp Fox, General Thompson, I am moved to wonder if those events were directly connected with Frank's adventures.

Does anyone have any accounts of General Thompson's command that might show his troops taking 'recruits' from the area while attacking Cape Girardeau? Are there any accounts that indicate that his command was scattered after his capture in August? Are there any other personal histories of people in his command that might shed light on Frank Schaaf's experience?