Thanks for the added insights Tom. Goes to show how much the war, especially in Missouri, wasn't just North vs South, but also Conservative Unionism vs Radical Unionism. I had been thinking White must have leaned toward Radical Unionism, given his early connections to Fremont in Missouri and his appointment as a teenage major, as well as his stalled career in Missouri once Fremont was moved out of the the way and Conservative Unionists were running the show. Then his military career shooting off like a rocket once he got out of Missouri and moved back east, with the kid ultimately then making general at about the same age Custer did.

In researching this one it really brought to light for me the mini-war that was also going on between the Conservative (Columbia) Missouri Statesman and the Radical (Jefferson City) Missouri State Times newspapers. Certainly no holds barred, with the Times especially going all out with a passion against the Statesman.