In doing further research on this, came across the following quote, recorded in 'Miscellaneous Documents of the House of Representatives for the Second Session of the Fifty-Second Congress, 1892-1893', pp 415-416. This can be found at http://books.google.com/books?id=lPwoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA415&dq=fifth++missouri+state+militia+smith+rifle+1864&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9Q7iUfGCOKT9ygGyjoG#v=onepage&q=wesson&f=false (may need to cut and paste that)

The quote begins:

HEADQUARTERS POST OF SALEM MO.,
Salem, Mo., September 27,1864

Brigadier-General McNeil,
Commanding District:

The memo continues for awhile, but includes the statement 'Before I retreat I shall try what virtue there is in Wesson's rifles.' about 3 lines from the bottom of page 415. On the 10th line on page 416, of the same letter, he writes 'here you shall have a good report from the Fifth Missouri State Militia.'

That seems to state it pretty plainly. My question is, what kind of ammunition did they use? I looked at the September '64 returns, and it shows a column for Smith's carbine ammunition which is blank, and which is to be expected if these were Wesson's. But there is no column for Wesson ammunition, as the forms were pre-printed. However, I would expect something indicating what they used. There was a column for Spencer ammunition, and they didn't seem to have any Spencer's. But the caliber's don't seem to match. Anyone have any thoughts about ammunition for the Wesson's, or was it simply omitted, as there was no column for it? These would have been rim-fire rifles, in 1864.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Ron