out of Franklyn County, Misssouri. Missouri was a divided state and their journey to Saint Louis was nearly stopped by Confederate forces. The account goes that as the train carrying the men of !st Missouri neared a station full of Confederate enlistees, the captain persuaded the engineer - with a pistol to his head - to NOT make this particular regular stop. The train was peppered with gunfire as it continued on through, down along the Missouri River to St. Louis.

The encryption reads on the old brass framed photo we found of him says that he was "wounded in the knee and died later of his wounds". It doesn't say which battle. Or how many he fought before being wounded.

Before we found these photos, we had always wondered why his branch on the family tree drawing ended so abruptly.

Today's 150th anniversary of the peace treaty signing at Appomattox Court House is indeed a good date to celebrate.