Richard,

You ask if the Union patrol captured these guys one at a time, and I rather doubt it. By October 23, these men realized they missed their chance to join a larger group heading south. There is safety in numbers, but a large group needs to move fast because they attract undue attention. It's also harder to find forage and food and other necessaries for a bunch of mounted men, as opposed to three to seven travelers. If anyone thinks these men were going to walk to Arkansas just as the weather was turning colder might want to think again. I think it's telling that so many of these recruits were captured the same afternoon. Maybe the northerners caught them in a group in camp or even having a debate about what they should do. Possibly, one of the more dispirited men brought them in or gave their names in order to spare the lives of his friends and neighbors. Possibly an informant gave the names to take some rebels out of circulation for a while. Otherwise, I seriously doubt a Yankee patrol would get that lucky bagging these men one at a time at their own homes. Too many captives and nobody gets that lucky just riding around the countryside.

Bruce Nichols

Bruce Nichols