I think we are on the wrong track looking for G.W. Harvey where we won't find him. The clue is his age. I think I figured this out finally. See below.

I looked in the rosters of all the Union units that operated with Bates County men and in and around Bates County and I couldn't find any more mention of THIS Harvey, and the only OTHER Harveys I found were part of a unit in Benton County on the east side of Henry County from Germantown. Of course, I found Giles and Reuben in the record you mentioned, but they were the only Harveys in the 7th Cavalry Missouri State Militia (MSM). I even looked in the Cass County Home Guard of 1861 (George would have been 16). I looked in the re-made version of the CCHG which was the 2nd Battalion Cavalry Missouri State Guard (MSG) which had NO Harveys in it (This was an 1862-only unit, so George would have been 17). I also looked north at the 77th EMM, but nobody from Bates County seemed to be in the 77th (primarily a Kansas City, Jackson and Cass County unit). Then I checked the Super EMM for 1863 (George would have been 18.) in which the best of the regular EMM units were detailed only during that year, which for that region would have been the 5th Provisional EMM, and no dice, either. I even got brave and looked through every page of the roster for the 9th Kansas Cavalry since so many Missouri northerners joined that Kansas unit, but no luck there, either, although lots of MO northerners joined other Kansas outfits like the 14th Kansas Cavalry. I even looked at the Provisional Companies for 1864, but I don't even think Bates County had one, and it didn't seem that Henry County did, either. The same goes for General Rosecrans' pet Citizen Guards units of 1864 in that I don't think Bates or Henry County had one, or much of one. Too many guerrillas hanging around Henry County at various times.

Let me interject, that Germantown is in Henry County and not Bates County. You probably knew this. Lots of Bates County northern sympathizers went east to west Henry County, including Germantown, when the General Orders Number 11 struck everybody like a thunderbolt, and nobody was allowed back in the rural parts of Bates County for about a year--give or take. And when the exiled Bates Countians were allowed back into Bates County, they were smart enough to remain in east Bates County to be as far from the jayhawker raiders as possible.

Now, we come down to this. What's a young fellow to do who is died-in-the-wool Yankee and yet for reasons unknown doesn't join a unit until the war is almost over? If I were to guess, I would say his mom and pop and maybe some other Harvey family members would not let George join a regular or irregular Union unit after what happened to his Uncle Giles.

Well, the answer is right in front of my face. George did every bit of what he said in his biography, only he used the wrong word. He was sort of a scout, but I really, really believe George was a GUIDE. Now, what's a guide? Just what you might guess they were. Whenever units of either side traveled through unfamiliar countryside they either forced a local man or, if fortunate, got some eager beaver volunteer to take them through to where they wanted to go. Sometimes, smart patrol leaders took a local guide even when they knew the terrain, because local guys knew the people, too, and sometimes that was more important than merely knowing roads and trails and good river crossing points.

So, why can't we find George or "Wash" listed as a guide? Simple. He was UNOFFICIAL. I have seen some notable guides mentioned in the "Official Records" and even county histories, but not often. Sometimes guides were paid, but often there was no money to pay them--government being the way it is. I read about a man named UTZ or some such in about Vernon County to the south, and Johnson County very close to Bates County had William E. Chester, who, like Wash, late in the war joined the 1865 verson of the latest military unit type in order to win and keep the peace. Chester was from Knob Noster near where Whiteman Air Base is these days. Chester was kinda special because he was known to disguise himself as a guerrilla and call on rural homes to see what the folks would tell a bushwhacker that they wouldn't tell a passing Union patrol. Chester guided Union patrols I know during 1864 over three or more counties, because he wanted to help the north win the war. Very handy guy to have around. Maybe Wash did that, too.

Back to cases, after G.O. # 11, the Harveys lived around Germantown in west Henry County. Did you know that there was a Union garrison at Germantown for much of the war? If that garrison knew about this young man Wash being able and willing to guide for them, don't you think they would use him? It stands to reason.

Anyway, I know I could have writen this in fewer words, but considering all the time you put into this, I thought I would give you the 25 cents tour. Besides, this was a good riddle, and I enjoyed working on it. Anyway, that's my opinion, for what it's worth.

Bruce