I appreciate your comments and completely agree. Your use of primary materials is truly commendable and has been an inspiration to me since I first got into the writing end of this. You came out of left field to me a few years ago, and shed light on a very historically dark southeast Missouri region. Thanks to you and a few others the guerrilla war in SE MO is starting to light up. It was really grim, so I can see why everybody hid it all so well.

You can always tell an historian in that he looks first in the back of a new history at the bibliography, index, notes, appendices, and whatever other goodies are back there. I did this earlier this week to a newer MO CW book, so it is fresh on my mind. I only go to the other little sections in the first part of the book after I have explored the "bonifides" in the back. I do look at the Table of Contents first, though.

"Rant" is a good way to put it. My wife can tell you about some of my rants a few years ago to some non-present MO CW writers who put out whatever, and sold lots of copies. All of this has led me to cut out the boasting and I keep my stupid pride in check as best I can. I am reminded all the time that in spite of our ancestors who were there in all this mess, I can claim no ownership for any of this. I am only a witness, a poor scribbler. I come away from all of it with only modesty and humility--well, anyway I am still working on parts of that. Thanks for the pat on the back. I'm not doing this for myself, but I appreciate that all the same. I like to call whatever I write a "thank you" to my adoptive state for giving me so much.

Thanks again. We will rant some more in the future, I am sure. I guess we care.

Bruce