John, thanks much for the Rowland overview. It helps a bunch. I think Switzler had it wrong in the Boone County history and that it was in fact Marion Rowland and here's why--

The Confederate writer of the independent memoir was boots on the ground and was a direct participant in the event. He also was intimately acquainted with William Rowland and would have remembered if it had been his buddy he was breaking out of the Columbia Jail.

After Purcell and his battered squad finally made it across the Missouri River in the autumn of 1862, a number of his men didn't make it with him, including the writer of the memoir. Rather than turn himself in to Federal authorities, or wait for them to scoop him up and maybe summarily shoot him as some Federal units, particularly Krekel's, were doing, he lived that winter deep in the Boone County countryside.

So...the writer was forced to winter in the bush. Actually, to be more specific--he wintered in the middle of a haystack which had a little living quarters hidden in the middle of it -- and he did it with William Rowland's brother. So when I say knew him intimately, I'm talking spending time in very close quarters with the family member. So I think he wouldn't have forgotten Will Rowland was the guy he helped break out of jail.

Anyway, here's what the memoir says about the winter in the haystack--aka hay rick....

"...The greater number of the Purcell scouts, as I have mentioned, surrendered to the Federal authorities, but a few did not. John Rowland and his brother, Will Rowland, whom you remember was later killed in Centralia during the Bill Anderson raid in 1864, and myself, after talking the matter over with our folks, and contrary to their wishes and advice, decided we would take the risk and would not surrender. Will Rowland left home at once, but John and I made us a house to sleep in and scouted and hunted every day when the weather permitted. Our house was in the center of a big straw rick, fully a mile from any dwelling, and was near where the Dunbar school house now stands. It was a fine place to hide, and for comfort could not be beaten. We were doing fine, we thought....."

The memoir then goes on about how the two ended up not being as safe as they thought they were.