So around half of all officers of the Enrolled Missouri Militia decline or otherwise failed to take that breathtaking oath. A full 220 words long, and in just two sentences (average sentence is 15-20 words) Probably more than half of all the EMM non-coms were also purged. Not only is that oath not able to be understood, it seems to have been couched in terms to lay a trap for anybody for any reason. Anybody in the EMM from corporals to colonels hiccups -- charge them with violating the EMM loyalty oath.

As such, the large number of men who failed to take this oath should not be necessarily perceived as being because they were disloyal. In fact they would have already have to had registered as being loyal to qualify for service in the EMM in the first place (a very imperfect gauge of loyalty, to be sure, based upon what happened in regard to the Paw Paws). And while this wide Special Order 126 net undoubtedly cast out a broad swath of men who would have done good service for the Union, it also undoubtedly cast out a lot of men who would have had questionable Paw Paw type sympathies.

And with rumors of Sterling Price preparing a massive invasion of the State of Missouri, the purge was probably fortuitously effective for Missouri Unionists. With it happening July 28 and Price's Raid becoming reality just 60 days later, and a massive call up of surviving post- Special Order 126 EMM troops resulting, those who took to the field generally did good service.

Imagine what could have happened, and likely would have happened, without the SO 126 purge with Paw Paw-type EMM troops across Missouri being called up after Price's Raid began. And their being handed rifles, and supplies, and being sprinkled in the very midst of Federal forces with Price right in the front of those same Federal forces.