To add a bit that I think is important, simply because JEN has been shown to have a nugget of truth even with all the "lost cause hero worship" in his writing. He notes:
" Bissett was from Clay county, Fulton and Brown from Platte, Wilson from Jackson, and McMacane from Louisiana."
I think we have pretty well nailed down Capt. James Bissett and where his rank came from.
I disagree with Bruce's theory of Babe Watts being Harvey Brown as we have a known entity in a 20 yr old from Platte county with that name. He appears to have died in 1864.
Thomas Fulton is the barber and the only one with that name of proper age in the Platte census listings in 1850,1860.
So I think these 3 are really pretty solid.
Wilson is problematic as pointed out before.
McMahon is still anybodies guess at this stage.