A few folks may find it interesting to know the Col John T Coffee was a lawyer in Greenfield MO before the war and was well known to Judge Nelson B McDowell. When Coffee tried to save the county records from the burning courthouse Oct 6th 1863, he ordered them taken to McDowell's residence for safe keeping. McDowell was Probate Judge and County Clerk of Dade county prior to and during the war. He had at least one son (Thomas K.) who fought with the Union army and at least once the Judge was taken prisoner by Southern forces in 1862.
On another note FWIW and a bit interesting...
Nelson McDowell's son born 1870 became a well known early movie star. see http://www.b-westerns.com/villan84.htm
Missouri born Nelson McDowell was tall and lanky. McDowell seemed to specialize in playing undertakers, preachers, lawyers, etc.
He also portrayed an occasional sidekick ... and he did saddle pal duties with Bob Custer, Tex Ritter, Jack Randall, Jack Perrin and Tom Tyler. He starred in the 1920 classic "Last of the Mohicans".
His movie career began circa 1917 and over an approximate thirty year period, he did about 180 sound and silents. Les Adams has McDowell identified in about 106 sound films, of which 68 are westerns and 6 are serials.
Suffering from cancer, McDowell committed suicide, shooting himself on November 3, 1947.
John R