Gry,

I always heard the Col. John T. Coffee was at the battle of Newtonia but I never figured out if he was in command of all the Confederate forces or just one of the regiments. Many years ago my father told me that John T. Coffee should have been a brigadier general in command of the Confederate forces in Missouri and General "Ol Pap" Price should have never went into Arkansas.

Capt. Jo Shelby was promoted over Col. Coffee by luck or favoritism rather than by being qualified for the position. Was Capt. Jo Shelby even at the battle of Newtonia? I have never seen any indication that he was. Either General Hindman, General "Granny" Holmes or General "Ol' Pap" Price did not approve of Col. Coffee's guerilla tactics in Missouri. General McCulloch and Marmaduke strongly disaproved of General Price's raid and plans to retake Springfield and St.Louis.

I dont think it would have been General Hindman who disaproved of Coffee's tactics since it was Hindman who introduced the "Partisan Ranger Act" in the first place and which was signed by President Davis, even though President Davis did not approve guerilla warfare. Partisian activity became an important military tactic at the outset of the war in Missouri. When General Hindman was relieved and sent east, General Holmes assumed command of a "junkyard" army in Arkansas. If it was not for all the Texas regiments that came to their rescue, Arkansas would have fallen to general Frederick Steele and his federal forces in the spring of 1862.

The Confederate units at Newtonia were all Texas regiments except for Col. Coffee's S.W. Missouri Irregular Light Cavalry. The Confederate units consisted of Col.Coffee's S.W. Missouri Cavalry, Col. Watie's 1st Cherokee Indian regiment, Col. Steven's 22nd Texas Cavalry, Col. Alexander's 34th Texas Cavalry, Col. Hawpe's 31st Texas Cavalry, and Hawpe's Battery.

Apparently, the 6th Missouri Cavalry was the "paper" regiment that was given to Coffee after his court-martial and aquittal.