According to Private William Hill's card of military service online at the MO Secretary of State's Office website, he enlisted in Captain Parke's Company E, 4th Cav MSM 17 March 1862 and was mustered in 5 April 1862 at St. Joseph. In the remarks section the card states "joined from desertion May 1, 64." Private Hill was mustered out 4 April 1865, presumably at the end of his three-year enlistment.

The most notable fight in which Captain Joseph Parke's company fought took place 28 August 1864 in the southeast corner of Howard County near Rocheport where the captain with 44 men was mauled by Bill Anderson's and Clifton Holtzclaw's approximate 100 guerrillas. Parke's patrol rode out of their Boonville garrison in reply to a mail robbery the day before and fell into a trap the guerrillas had prepared. Parkes and the advance guard of 7 or 8 rode for their lives to Fayette after the bushwhackers cut them off from the rest of the patrol. The remainder fought off 3 or 4 guerrilla attacks from inside a log house. The Rebel loss was a few guerrillas wounded and the Union loss was 8 KIA, 2 WIA, 1 MIA. The guerrillas mutilated several of the Federal dead, which was a signature of Anderson's guerrillas.

Glad to see you hung in there until you hit paydirt with your search.

Bruce Nichols