Hi, Keith,
Yes, I have a copy of Captain Heckman's book in my personal library. I also have the three books written by Dorothy Heckman Shrader which go into greater detail about the steamboating Heckman family and their exploits on the Gasconade, Osage, and Missouri rivers.

Anything you might run across about incidents involving steamboats on the Missouri R. during the Civil War would be of tremendous interest to me, as old local newspaper accounts from that time period are definitely lacking! Am definitely looking for information on a steam ferry at Blue Mills which possibly helped cross Confed. troops there before the battle.

It is notable that all steamboat owners, captains, and crew members had to take the "loyalty oath" in order to continue operating on the Missouri R. during the war, and many captains/owners having southern sympathies took their boats to rivers in the south to prevent them being comandeered/captured and used by Federal forces. Normal commerce on the river was totally disrupted during the war, with most of the boats that were operating on the lower river engaged in transporting troops and supplies.

Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Maggie
www.moriversteamboats.com