I agree about the remoteness of the junction of those four counties, precisely for the reason that you gave. I suspect the unidentified guerrillas in the Henry County area in the spring of 1864 gathered there in some numbers because they perceived the Union garrisons were far enough away and that they had cowed the men of the local companies of the 60th EMM sufficiently (they hunted down and assassinated several of them that season, as I recall) that they could operate there as a sanctuary area until other opportunities opened up. If you recall anything more, please let me know as it may jog my memory about something else at play here. I found this phenomnon about large numbers of guerrillas in this region mentioned in the Union military "Official Records" entries of that period, with some inconclusive scouting reports following. This is difficult to pin down because there is so little to work with--no definitive names or specific towns or creeks mentioned.

If, however, what you recall refers to another period of the war in that location, we will try again. From time to time there was a lot going on there.

Some of the local county histories either did not know or chose not to stir up the old war emotions again at that great period of the first county histories between 1881 and World War I. Also, no period newspapers were very close. The "Sedalia Advertiser" (I think I have that name correct) may not have been publishing throughout the war, and I recall they only printed again late in the war. The next closest newspapers were the Kansas City daily paper, the Lexington weekly, the Boonville weekly, the California (Moniteau County) weekly, and the Jefferson City weekly. The Warrensburg weekly did not begin printing again until late in the war. I hope I didn't leave any out that were close to Henry County. There was no newspaper to the south except in Rolla and Springfield, and I do not know if very many of those war issues have been preserved. From that, you can see that there was only spotty newspaper coverage to provide war news in that area. Like my biology teacher in high school used to tell us "there is a vast warehouse of ignorance on that topic" (no disrespect intended--This is the best quote I have for the occasion, and it has always been one of my favorites. I actually stayed awake in Mr. Bryant's class.).

Bruce Nichols