Thank-you so much for trying to find my George W. Harvey.

My George W. Harvey is from Bates County and was 16 at the start of the war. According to his bio, he quit school in Feb 1861 and went to work. Then for the next 4 years he was also a "scout." I'm trying to figure out for what group(s) did he scout.

Bruce's note on the Atkinson's VMM explained that going on patrol would be thought of as "scouting" by Mr. Harvey. I am wondering where else he might have scouted before the VMM was formed. I've check all the entries in Missouri Secty of State and none of the others seem to fit. He might have been in a unit with his father James M. Harvey, who I know served in the Home Guard (or EMM) at Germantown after Bates County was evacuated. Lt. Atkinson had a "home guard" there according to his bio. Mr. GW Harvey also claimed to be at Sedalia/Otterville and I have checked all of those units for him. He's not there.

So I'm looking for an databases on "scouts." Could that information be in Adjutant General microfilm on regimental expenses? Or ?? Something at NARA? Or something at Mo Historical Society? or in Mo State archives? Did individual units pay for scouts/ for example, the First Iowa was station in Butler Bates county for an extended period....is it possible they paid a local boy to ride around for them? Would there be records of payment?

btw the George W. Harvey age 37 of Scotland County who was discharged for disability had an interesting condition for a soldier. He suffered epileptic seizures every time he heard gunshots. Verified by the MDs. As I recall, he died in the 1870s.

I'm working on a kinship study for the Pleasant Gap area of Bates County. I'm trying to track all of the men in the 1860 census--from where did they come, how long had they been there, where did they go during the evacuation (if possible), which units did they serve, injuries, survival, death, 1870 census, and where did they die.... Fascinating stuff. I really hoping to find this Germantown Home Guard unit so I might identify what more of these men did. If I can find the detail for one member of this part of Bates County, I usually end up finding several other members of the county. It's a little like a geneology study on steroids.

THanks for your help!

--Jean