Sorry I just got around to reading posts have been out of circulation for a couple of months.

I suspect your Buck Odeal is this fellow:

Name: Buck Odeneil
Age in 1860: 23
Birth Year: abt 1837
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1860: Township 45 Range 17, Moniteau, Missouri
Gender: Male
Post Office: Tipton

He is single, occupation carpenter, living in household 969 with a Robert G Inglish(sic) as head of household.

(The census Enumerator could write nicely but his spelling is horrible thoughout.)

There are at least two entries for Odineal families in Moniteau Twsp Cooper Co in 1860. These appear to be connected to one another and the lineage appears to be via Tennessee.

The best candidate family from Cooper county is this entry from the 1850 census, those with an asterisk I can account for in 1860 and beyond. So making a stretch could "Buck" actually be William P Odonnel/Odneal/Odineal/Odineil?

Name: V S Odonnel
Age: 37
Birth Year: abt 1813
Birthplace: Tennessee
Home in 1850: District 23, Cooper, Missouri
Gender: Male
Family Number: 314
Household Members: Name Age
*V S Odonnel 37 (Valentine S Odneal per land grant records, Valentine Odenial in 1840 census)
*Dice Odonnel 35
William P Odonnel 15
*Hugh Odonnel 12
*Thomas Odonnel 10
*John Odonnel 8
*James Odonnel 6
*George Odonnel 4
*Nancy I Odonnel 1
John River 19

This is a well described pioneer family of Cole County and Valentine was a wealthy landowner and made his living as a Sawyer/lumber man, Thus I suspect Buck as a carpenter really is part of this family.

With this in hand there is a William Odneal Confederate listed in Co I 16th Regt (Caldwell's) which according to Jim McGhee's work was Jackmans scrape together bunch in NW Arkansas. This fellow died of something in Jan 1863 and is buried at Ft Smith Arkansas. http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00736/s00736_2257.pdf
However family history reports this to be William Jefferson Odneal (of Bates County MO) a cousin to George C and William Odneal. The same history reports that William P was killed in Tipton Mo in 1862, Family lore says Dec 22, 1862. History of Cooper County pg 944, to wit:

"G. C. Odneal, a Civil War veteran and a member of one of the pioneer
families of Missouri, was born in Moniteau County, Sept. 22, 1846. He
is a son of Valentine and Dicy (Gilbreath) Odneal, both natives of Ten-
nessee, the former born in 1812, and the latter in 1816. Valentine Odneal
came to Missouri with his father about 100 years ago; he died in 1852.
Dicy Gilbreath was a daughter of Hugh Gilbreath, who was born in Ten-
nessee in 1782, and came to Missouri about the same time that the Odneals
came. He died in 1852. To Valentine Odneal and wife were born the
following children: William, who was killed at Tipton, Mo., during the
Civil War; Hugh G., died in 1912; Thomas B., died in 1873; John W., died
in 1912; James M., died in 1916; G. C, the subject of this sketch; Mrs.
Nancy Foster, deceased ; and Mrs. Dora Hannah, resides in North Moni-
teau township.

G. C. Odneal was educated in the public schools and Prairie Home
College. He spent all his life in North Moniteau township, where he has
been engaged in farming and stock raising, except two and one-half years
when he was in Texas. During the Civil War Mr. Orneal served in the
Confederate Army under Fighting Gen. Joe Shelby. He was with his
command in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, and when the war closed he
was at Shreveport, La. Mr. Odneal had some narrow escapes during the
course of his military career, and at one time was severely wounded by
a piece of shell which entered his side and which remained there until
about seven years ago when he had it removed.

Mr. Odneal was married Sept. 30, 1875, to Martha J. Harris, a daugh-
ter of William and Nancy (Martin) Harris, both of whom are now de-
ceased. The mother died in 1895, and the father died in 1896. Mrs.
Odneal was born in North Moniteau township Feb. 27, 1854. To Mr. and
Mrs. Odneal have been born three children, as follows: Nora A., married
Louis Nelson, North Moniteau township; Flora N., married William
Schaaf, and lives in Moniteau County; and Thomas A., married Augusta
Stuckfoden, and they have one child, Edna May. Mr. and Mrs. Odneal
have the following grandchildren: Dorsey, Harold and Estella George;
Floyd Nelson; Lucile, Floyd, George, and Curtis Schaaf; and Edna May
Odneal.

Mr. Odneal commands the respect of all who know him, and the
Odneal family stand high in the community. "

Looking further into the family of Valentine Odneal, George Conover Odneal sticks out being here: http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00736/s00736_2255.pdf

Family lore has it that he was familiar with Quantrill and was at Battle of Prarrie Grove where he was wounded. He appears on a roll of surrendered from Co C, D and E, Elliotts Regt 9th Cav. Shreveport LA May 26 1865.

No military record for Hugh G Odneal jumps out but he named his first born son Jefferson Davis so I suspect he favored the south.
Thomas B Odneal appears to have been a Union conscript caught in the 1863 draft.
John W ended up in Texas with no military history found.
James Mason Odneal ended up in Mayes OK and may have been in Elliots command as well see http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00736/s00736_2256.pdf (Mace Odneal, OK pension application)

FWIW

John R.