For anybody wondering how I got from researching the Skirmish at Auxvasse Creek to the raid on the U.S. Hospital in Mexico, Mo. -- you will recall the Auxvasse Creek Skirmish unfolded at the front door of the home of Thomas A. Vandevier. In both the immediate and long-term aftermath of the skirmish there was a discussion regarding the political sympathies of Vandevier.

In the course of these discussions regarding punishing him or compensating him, there was mention that he "was enrolled with the militia." Now that's not a casual term--in regard to the Civil War in Missouri it means he belonged to the Enrolled Missouri Militia. So I pulled at that thread. Once I found him in the EMM it wasn't long before Snedicor popped up. And popped up some more.

Eventually the raid on the U.S. Hospital in Mexico dominated the Snedicor/Vandevier research. And in looking at the obscure obscure obscure documentation I found pertaining to it all there my guy Vandevier was in the middle of the hospital raid fallout. With the Federal authorities trying to get to the bottom of it the investigating provost marshal ordered "Have Thos. A. Vandevere & James Bradley summoned as witnesses in the case" and went on to say "I think something important can be pumped out of them." I read that last part and immediately pictured waterboards and rubber hoses to do the pumping.

James Bradley belonged Snedicor's company in the Callaway EMM and being one of just two named witnesses to put the squeeze on was apparently a direct witness. So Bradley deserts in the aftermath of the hospital raid -- he scrams and gets away from Snedicor. But not far enough. He swiftly finds himself detailed to the 1st PEMM in the command of Col. Bartholow, which doesn't bode well for his life expectancy since Bartholow was also in the hospital when it went down and sided with Snedicor. Anyway, now grab your popcorn again, Bradley slips out of his predicament -- literally 8 days after Bartholow detailed him to the 1st PEMM Bradley goes down the road and enlists in the 9th MSM Cavalry. Ill-fated though--he still ends up in a graveyard fairly soon. Dies of disease while in the 9th MSM.

Back to my guy Vandevier....he disappears from Union service altogether. He started out in the Callaway EMM, but the only evidence is a single card on him that is misfiled in the Missouri State Archives. He doesn't show up in comprehensive lists of troops in the Callaway EMM.

He does make occasional appearances in the historical record as he makes claims for property the Feds took from him immediately after the Auxvasse Creek Skirmish, thus involving the ongoing debate regarding whether he was loyal, and should be paid, or disloyal, and should be told to take a hike. Commanding officer of the Feds at Auxvasse Creek basically said (paraphrase) "I don't know if Vandevier was loyal or not, but the Rebs were shooting at us from his front yard and he had never sent out word that they were in the neighborhood."