I saw your reference to a "Union Club" in your note about the Wide-Awakes and was wondering if you knew anything about another pro-Union organization in St. Louis at the time called the "Central Club." In the state Provost Marshall's files, I recently found a petition signed in April 1862 by some 60 pro-Union men in Dallas, Mo. It was addressed to Maj. Gen. H.W. Halleck and asked him to send troops to combat Southern forces and guerillas in the area. It appears that John R. Cochran, the first man to sign the petition (and the leader of Union militia units in 1864 and 1865), hand-carried it to St. Louis. There a note was added to the petition by an officer of the "Central Club." The note appears to be an endorsement from an organization that one presumes was thought to have influence with General Halleck or other Union commanders. The writing is in script, so I can't be sure of the name of the Central Club officer, but it appears to be something like E. Myerson or E. Magnuson. (I'm really not sure of much beyond the first two letters.)

Anyway, anything you might know about this organization would be of interest, since it would shed additional light on the petition.

Sincerely,

George Williams