While we're on a bit of a roll sorting out and improving upon existing bios of Confederate irregulars I'll throw Alvin Cobb into the mix.

His service during the war has been pretty well fleshed out. Leading pre-war resident of Montgomery County, Missouri. Had a hook for a hand he lost before the war in some sort of accident--maybe a hunting accident, maybe a threshing accident, maybe along the Santa Fe Trail. Sources vary. Initial service in the Missouri State Guard maybe. Gained a level of infamy in 1861 for his role ambushing and killing/executing Benjamin T. Sharp and Lt. Jaeger/Yager/Jager/Capt. Jaeger. Afterwards had his farm raided and burned by Federal troops in retaliation. Played a role fighting under Porter during the Battle of Moore's Mill in 1862. Raided Fulton and Portland. Recruited in north Missouri off and on through 1864 and reportedly killed many Union sympathizers.

Any additional information on Cobb would be great, but what I am hoping for is to determine what happened to him after the war. He did get out of it alive. Sketchy accounts have him heading to Indian Territory, and to Oregon. While those are sketchy, I have two solidly-documented accounts I'll throw into the mix to help put the bloodhounds on the trail--

On Feb. 18, 1871, the Weekly Caucasian newspaper (Lexington, Mo.) ran an article stating "Alvin Cobb, a somewhat notorious rebel guerrilla in this state during the late little fraternal misunderstanding, has been arrested for complicity in the murder of Alonzo Stuart, a prominent citizen of Colusa County, California."

Based upon that information, I then found an article which had run in the January 28, 1871 issue of the Colusa Sun. It reported that on January 21, 1871, the local grand jury indicted Alvin Cobb for murder and accessory to murder after the fact. "The bail of Alfred Cobb and George Cobb, witnesses on the part of the people in the above case, was fixed by the Court in the sum of $5000 each...." So we have Alvin Cobb jammed up for murder, and Alfred Cobb and George Cobb somehow involved. Were Alvin, Alfred and George brothers? Sons? Were Alfred and George also guerrillas previously?

And what happened to Alvin? Hanging? Prison? I'm not finding any more on this case, or on him. I do find other apparently-related Cobbs popping up in the historical record of Colusa County, including younger Alvins.