Hmmm...On the Confederate side, that's an interesting thought. Interesting but almost impossible to prove one way or the other. I still have my doubts about his involvement in the battle and lean more towards learning of the details afterwards, which he could have learned from any one of the men who were there. Also, there were detailed accounts written about the battle after the fact and prior to his term as Secretary of War, one in particular being The History of Jackson County, Missouri publish in 1881 by the Union Historical Company. Martin Rice of Lone Jack, was responsible for the section pertaining to southeast Jackson County and wrote a very detail account of the battle.

One note though, the Stephen Elkins and son Samuel were in Lone Oak in Bates County as opposed to Lone Jack in Jackson County in 1860.

Thank you for your response, you definitely provided food for thought and I can clearly see the need for further research!

Alinda