The provost marshal report Elmer posted regarding Crites being arrested is dated Nov. 20, 1863. Looks like he was released, after which on Jan. 11, 1864 Leeper reported killing him.

There's another interesting report in the provost files, this one also indexed at F1244 and is undated--

"Statement that Crites hunting men accused of taking stock and delivering them to Lowe to be hung; taken were Mark Gill, Frank and Stephen Paul; influenced by Sheriff Gardner, Carter County"

These are hard to sort out and make sense of. I will note that these provost marshal statements are only snapshot synopses that a modern-day transcriber put together a few years ago. The full reports are sitting in microfilm at the Missouri State Archives in Jeff City. Anybody who lives in the vicinity and might be so-inclined to spend an hour or two rolling through the microfilm might be doing us all a favor by getting copies of the full reports. Maybe one of them will give us a first name for Tucker....

There were a couple of messages posted on this board by a Karen Pulliam three years ago that have been archived. For ease of reference I am pasting them below.

Msg 1:"Joseph Leach's sons were killed by Bushwhackers.The Boys names were James Maxwell Leach and Jasper Leach. Also, at the same time Solomom Crites an in- Law.They were southern sympathisers but not enlisted on eighter side.They were in the woods melting lead for their guns when they were attacked. It was winter because one body fell into the river and froze solid."

Msg 2: "The information was given by surviving relatives which were Elizabeth Lovelady Sweazea Gresham, Polly Rodgers, Matilda Leach Crites and Cathrine Leach. Solomom Crites,James Maxwell Leach and Jasper Leach were at a cabin in the wood molding bullets. The log cabin they were in was on the Stephen Paul farm on Brushy Creek.The same women mentioned above found the men and buried them. The men were not in a command on eighter side but were southern sympathizers."