Folks lets keep this on topic here!

To clarify my position, History is a collection of facts as far as we can ojectively ascertain from the record left at the time and by those involved. I certainly entertained no bias when I made my "up to no good" comment. It was only meant to say it appeared that this 7 obviously had history together fighting, living, and dying together for a number of years. Lets not be fooled, the war did not end for much of Missouri, in particular southern Missouri for nearly a decade to come after the official "end". I would say Colonel Monks and his gang certainly were "up to no good" in north Arkansas well after the war. The term is meant to imply something less than a peaceable collection of folks abiding by the law of the moment. If you take the thread from the beginning it will confirm my first question was where the incident occurred, then there is a discussion about Leeper in Wayne County, his ego and such (if it makes anyone feel better, he could also be included in the "up to no good" category)and then my attempt to find out who these individuals where and what their service was so as to try to gain an understanding of the event, i.e. learn the history. I'm not sure what differnce it makes if I'm "Southern" or "Northern" if what I'm after is facts, but if it makes anyone more comfortable, my mothers folks were split with her grandmother staunchly Union and her uncles doing all sorts of Union depredations with the Pike County Battalion, My gggrandfather was a slave owner, I've a daughter in the UDC from her mothers side (Reuben Barnes clan) and my father's family served with OVI units. So take your pick and you'll just have to trust me when I say I try hard to keep my self out of these sorts of accusations and biases. I apologize if I offended anyone it was truely un-intentional but please don't try to pin labels where none apply. 'Nuf said.

John R