I have a little more information about James L. Edgar posted here:

http://linebredrebel.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html

A tidbit from:

THE CIVIL WAR IN CARTER AND SHANNON COUNTY MISSOURI, BY J.J. CHILTON, EUNICE PENNINGTON, DAVID LEWIS, ESAU HUETT & OTHERS.

Within this book are many stories and the majority are reprints of articles written for The Current Local Newspaper-Van Buren, Carter Co., Missouri, under the byline:
TRUE OZARK TALES FROM BYGONE DAYS By: John Jay Chilton

A short excerpt from:

RAIDER’S WERE NOTED FOR RUTHLESS KILLING
First Published 03-24-1932

Only one more event marked the events of the first day. There was a small, red haired, freckle faced fiend that shot most of the prisoners, and said he liked to shoot prisoners down to see them kick. He got his later on, as we will relate farther on in the article. He got near the house and told of shooting James Edgar on Dry Valley as they came down. He said "Edgar would not face me and turned his side to me, and I shot a hole in him as big as my fist" He talked loud so we could all hear him and be terrified, of course.

*John J Chilton wrote this approximately 70 years after the events occurred. He dates this event as having occurred during the last week of March 1865. This is one of the few places that I have found that Mr. Chilton made a significant error. As we will see from the records James L. Edgar died in July of 1865.

James L. Edgar was married to Mary G. Hanger. Peter Hanger’s sister. Edgar was 38-39 years old when the war began. And, it appears from the records, or lack thereof, that he, Edgar, did not intend to join in the fighting, even though he had at least two brothers and two brothers-in-law who had joined the Missouri State Guard at the very beginning of the conflict.

This story appears to be one where a man was “tarred with the same brush”. Because of his relatives actions and beliefs James L. Edgar was forced to enroll in the local militia as “Disloyal”. When in fact there is no evidence to support his being guilty of being a southern sympathizer. Then, when he left home, due to threats against his life, and subsequently gets arrested, the union authorities hold him without charges, much less trial, in the military prisons of St. Louis and Alton, Illinois.

Capt. John Jamison and other members of the local Washington County militia petition the Provost Marshall to release James on oath and bond, but to no avail. Although the image is basically illegible enough can be read to know that the gist of the letter is in support of James Edgar. And, the signatures are legible.

Was James L. Edgar a guerrilla from the beginning of the conflict? I think he probably was. We don't know for sure where exactly he was captured this last time. But, from what John J. Chilton told us, it was on Dry Valley, Reynolds County, at the farm of Mr. Brooks. This would have been either the Jacob Brooks place or the James Brooks place. They were across the road from each other about a quarter mile apart. Jacob Brooks was a brother of the Mr. Elijah Brooks who lived in Texas County and where Edgar was said to have sought refuge. His uncle who lived in Howell County was George Washington Edgar, James was also a nephew of John Ewing Edgar, from whom the town of Edgar Springs was named.