Richard,

I suspect that the reason Captain Ford's database record shows that he was discharged from his EMM service as of July 8 1864 was that Ford and his Paw Paw company appeared during the July 7, 1864 raid on Parkville the day before in their Confederate gray uniforms, removing any doubt which side they favored.

I see in the Union Provost Marshal's record that Captain Ford took an oath of allegiance to the northern side again on November 26, 1864.

Furthermore, the Provost Marshal's office has on file a plea letter from a group of more than 15 Platte County residents, including a Thomas Broadhurst and a Pleasant Ford, signed a letter on July 27, 1864 urging the Provost Marshal's office to believe their claim that the former Paw Paws did not join Thornton voluntarily, but were conscripted against their will into Confederate LTC Thornton's recruiting command earlier that summer. I wonder if the Thomas Broadhurst and the Pleasant Ford listed on that letter may have been the fathers of the Thomas Broadhurst and Captain Ford of of the 82nd "Paw Paws. Just wondering.

Bruce Nichols