Hey George,

Remember when I mentioned about my thoughts on why some records in the MDAH seemed have been purged in relation to Black Confederates and
I never expounded on this theory?

I think its time I told you. This may upset a few historians. I have been researching Lewis or Louis Dixon from Simpson County. He was of mixed race and
the census records have him as mulotto, white, black, etc. His nick name was "Free Lewis" and was one of the beloved characters in the early history of
Simpson County, known to the poor and elite alike. He served in the Confederate Army in the 16th Miss. This was sworn to by Captain McCaskill of Company
A, 39th Mississippi on his application, the same man, as census marshal, recorded Lewis' race in the 1880 census.

A member of the same company B, of the 16th was Franklin Riley. His son, Professor Franklin Riley would be a noted historian and archive administrator of the MDAH.
He wrote books, and histories of Mississippi and the Confederate Army in Mississippi. The father Riley, I discovered, would become a grand wizard of the KKK from Lawrence
County after the Civil War. His son, Prof. Riley wrote about it.

Fortunately, I found a Confederate service record for a L. Dickson (Dixon was spelled different ways), in a home guard cavalry unit from Simpson County. Lewis had
been discharged from the 16th in the winter of 62 for a leg disability and sent home. Many of these disabled soldiers ended up in the home guard units. This is also
sworn to by Captain McCaskill.

With this type of evidence, albeit circumstantial, and the feelings of the KKK towards blacks, my feelings are strong, someone has purged the records. Mr. Riley, the senior,
did not want evidence that Blacks served in his unit.