I looked again in the online Missouri State Archives for Peter Rice and Thomas Conner (I tried "Connor," too). I found nothing for Peter Rice that would indicate a man from Callaway or Cole Counties.

I did find an entry for Private Thomas Conner who enlisted in Captain Daniel Rice's Company I, Cole County Home Guards in Miller County 28 June 1861 who was mustered out 30 September 1861. This was a Union unit. There was nothing entered on the blank provided for his age, or anything else on the card. It strikes me as odd that a Callaway County man would enlist in this unit all the way on the other side (or south side) of Cole County in Miller County. The company commander, Captain Daniel Rice enlisted also in Miller County on 9 July 1861, and he was also mustered out 30 September 1861.

Of course, this was all months before Thomas' 5 August 1862 capture in Callaway County and his release on parole 31 October 1862 from Gratiot Street Prison, as we discussed in August.

Bruce Nichols