Sir, I don't want to argue. I am a young lady who is just getting interested in Arkansas in the Civil War. I have learned much about Kentucky history while volunteering in the special collections records at my college library. When you connect your own family into the past, it is rewarding no matter if their role fits with what we ourselves would have wanted.

One issue I have found in the Pumphrey family is all the sons named all their sons the same names. There are 3 William Morgan Pumphrey born in Saline County within 3 years of each other, all first cousins.

Another issue I have found (and it sounds like you have experienced this too) is that one of them wrote a Pumphrey book and any research that differs from that is unwelcome. It has my ancestor as dying young without children, but he was alive and well and stayed in the upper South. When I corresponded with some Pumphrey researchers to share the corrections, there was no interest.

After the Civil War, my ancestor dropped the Pumphrey name and instead stayed close with Morgan's Men. He was still active with those old soldiers even into 1930 before his death. He did not return to Arkansas, and it appeared the family did not know he was alive. I am trying to understand why. I had been reading old issues of "Confederate Veteran" and found where someone from Prattsville took out an ad in 1911 trying to find him - almost 50 years after they had enlisted. I would love to understand how the men knew each other.

I think you could be a great benefit to my understanding of Saline County history and I would love to talk to you. I hope you could be patient with a young lady just beginning to understand Arkansas history. I am very knowledgable about the revolutionary war but Civil War is a new interest.

If anyone would like to correspond on Saline County, Arkansas (later Grant County, Arkansas) or on the 2nd Arkansas Infantry, please contact me at mkemplin@hotmail.com.

Thank you all!