Sarah, Please remember that during the civil war in Missouri there truly were no neutrals. Frankly it was kill or be killed for most males between 16 and 50 years of age. There are many instances of men serving on both sides of the conflict depending on who was the strongest side in the neighborhood at the time. Both sides had mandatory drafts and frequently the draft notice was served with a barrel in the face. T'was an ugly time and the cultural issues in Missouri were highly different than in the more widely documented Eastern Theater. Difficult as it may be to get the current brain around is that early on in the conflict many MO slave owners were ardent Unionists. The St Louis German immigrant community was led by their own experiences in the 1840 German wars and ethnic strife in St. Louis between them and other european settlers.

There is many a thread and links on this forum that explore these societal and cultural influences, Glad you found us and glad to have you.

John R