Chase,
In an effort to not wander to far off the subject, when I posted a note on the passing of Dr. Paludan, I forgot to mention that in addation to all of his accomplishments, he was a Professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He was a mentor to many young students in many disciplines of higher education. I don't want to put words in Mr. Wheelers mouth but since he is part of the Springfield education scene as well as at SIU Carbondale, I would think that he influenced Mr. Wheeler as well. He will be sorely missed both by his family and anyone with an interest in the Civil War period.
Frank