My friend, Carol Robertson, is trying to find information in regard to the Civil War Service of her great-great-grandfather, William Barnes. On the W.C. website, you have him listed as a Union man, "Confederate Prisoner of War." I know that you went through the History books published by the Historical Society and this is the notation given for him.

This can be interpreted two ways---that he was with the Union and was a Confederate Prisoner of War, OR that he was a Confederate who was a Prisoner of War.

Another part of the puzzle is a document that has been in the family in regard to a William Walton, who was a Confederate and a Prisoner of War who was exchanged. Family lore (and a belief held onto by Carol's Uncle, who refuses to accept what she has discovered) has it that William Walton and William Barnes were the same man.

The exchange paper gave the regiment that William Walton was with when he was captured. Bob and Steve Allen helped Carol get the records from the National Archives for William Walton. She has been able to trace him to a man who is buried in Illinois. Walton was older than Barnes and the connection that we have made is that Walton and Barnes were stepbrothers---which would be an explanation for why the document wound up in the family's possession.

To explain: We found Unicia Walton, living with her son Frank Barnes, in the Wright County Census. Not far away is her son William Barnes. However, Carol has found both William Barnes and William Walton in the census records (through Ancestry.com) for the same year. Uncle refuses to believe this and we no longer give a rap about what Uncle wants to believe as he has proven time and again to be the south end of a north bound horse---which is probably an insult to the horse kingdom.

What we have documented is that while the William Walton who is buried in Illinois is the man for whom the exchange paper was given, (Unicia would be his stepmother), the William Barnes who is supposed to be the same man, is buried in Coon Creek Cemetery, Wright County, MO. Walton was born in 1835 and died in 1926.

From his death certificate: William Barnes March 8, 1848-March 22, 1911 s/o John M. Barnes and Uncy Moore. All were born in TN.

By having a subcription to Ancestry.com, we are able to see the original census records---not just transcriptions. The 1910 Census has a column where the person being enumerated is asked what his military service was--if any. On the page that has William Barnes name, there are only two who indicate military service. One has "Un" written in and Barnes has "Co".

This is what has led us to believe beyond any doubt that William Barnes was a Confederate Soldier. He came to Wright County in 1870.

Unfortunately, we do not know where he served...nor how to proceed further in securing his records from the National Archives. The only marker that William Barnes has is a home-made one that Carol and her husband have put in the cemetery. They are also the caretakers of the cemetery.

Can you help us?

Phyllis