William H. Kesler joined the 3rd Missouri Cavalry in the late fall of 1861. Kesler saw action at Halltown and Mount Zion Church in northern Missouri. Most of his time in the Army, though, was spent near Rolla and Pilot Knob, Missouri. Kesler corresponded with his sisters back in Illinois noting camp life, combat, and the effect President Lincoln’s assassination had on him and the other soldiers.

Charles C. Rainwater and his wife Sarah Hannah Fowler lived in Cole Camp, Missouri in 1860. Rainwater joined the Confederate 5th Missouri Infantry and fought under John S. Marmaduke during his 1863 Missouri Expedition. He was wounded at the Battle of Hartville on January 11, 1863, and appointed ordinance officer on Marmaduke’s Staff. Rainwater was severely injured during his service and received permanent disability from the Confederate Army for the wounds he received during combat. After the War, Rainwater and his wife had a prosperous life in St. Louis until his death in 1902.

On August 17, 1861 Missouri Governor Hamilton R. Gamble ordered a proclamation establishing the Missouri State Militia for defense of the State against guerrilla activity. Gamble soon realized the need for additional troops, and on July 22, 1862 he issued General Order Number 29 organizing the Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM). General Colley B. Holland assumed command of the 4th Military district, consisting of the counties in southwest Missouri, on October 30, 1862. Based in Springfield, Missouri, roughly 2,500 men reported for duty, operating under the jurisdiction of the State of Missouri. Holland’s documented all activities related to his command in the enrolled Missouri Militia order book for the 4th Military District in Southwest Missouri, from November 1862 through May 1863. His reports cover the Battles of Springfield and Hartville and also include details about depredation in Southwest Missouri and the extensive guerrilla activity that took place in the region.