Source: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-one-armed-alvin-cobb-missouri-partisan-ranger.18887/

Alvin Cobb was a leading pre-war secessionist in Montgomery County Missouri, he farmed in the Loutre Valley. He was called "one arm Alvin" , well because he had one arm, the other being lost in a pre-war hunting accident or threshing accident depending on the story. Cobb is a different kind of Partisan in that he orginially began is war as the Capt. of a company of Missouri State Guard Cavalry fighting in conventional battles at the "Fulton Races" (so called because the opposing sides raced to get away from each other), Mount Zion , Moores Mill, and probably at the First Battle of Danville in 1861. Cobb's unit also served as a scouting element for Porter's Campaign in Northern Missouri.

Cobbs slide into partisan service can be traced to his ambush of Major Sharp and Lt.Yager in Martinsburg Mo in July of 1861 and his later excecution of the two prisoners. His actions at Martinsburg unleashed the full fury of the Union forces in Montgomery and Callaway Counties. Patrols were sent to all parts and the result was the confiscation of property from anyone suspected of secesh ties, the excecution of Terrill and Nunnley by the American Zouves and the murder of Granville Bishop by Unconditioanl Unionists in Montgomery City.

Cobb became a chief suspect in the Excecution of Sharp and Yager when according to the report of Colonel Fulkerson his command followed a blood trail from Audrain County to Cobb's Farm in Cobbtown in the southern part of Montgomery County. This seems unlikely since Cobbs unit was not engaged by Sharp and Yager and reports of Union troops engaging CS Cavalry during the time are non-exsistant. More likely information was given by Union sympathizers on Cobbs command. In any event the confirmation that Cobb was indeed the excecutioner of the two Yankee officers was provided by none other than Mrs. Alvin Cobb.

Colonel Fulkerson contacted Mrs. Cobb at the Cobb farm and under questioning Mrs. Cobb confirmed that. Yes Alvin was Secesh. Yes, Alvin had returned home and admitted to killing Sharp and Yager and had even shown here documents taken from Sharps body ( probably his authorization to raise a Union Regiment). In graditude for Mrs. Cobbs forthright confirmation of Union suspecitions and timely information Colonel Fulkerson promptley ordered the Cobb house and outbuildings burned, the grain, foodstuffs and live stocks confiscated along with the confiscation of wagons in which to haul the plunder.

By this time Alvin had gone to brush. He was making quite a name for himself excecuting unionist citizens, ambushing union patrols and harrassing the rail lines. Alvin Cobb in 1861-62 cut a bloody swath thru Central Missouri.

In the winter of 1861 General Sterling Price ordered a harrasment campaign against the rail lines in Missouri. As a part of this Cobb and a cavalry force under Capt. Bill Meyers decsended on Wellsville Missouri, After setting torches to the depot and several rail cars the raiders broke into the store of Mr. Kempinski (see there he is again) where they tapped a barrel of whiskey and proceeded to clean out Kempinski's store, To add insult to injury they confiscated all of Kempinski's wagons and draft stock to move their recently aquired treasures.

Eventually things would get too hot for Alvin and he would go to Indian Territory where he would align himself and his small command with Stand Waties Cherokee Confederates. His wife would join him there briefly, but apparently she found the Territory not to her liking and according to period reports rode back home on an Indian pony, upon reaching home she filed for divorce.

Alvin went to California after the war and faded into history.