That is correct based on my reading. From their point of view, the Federals offered a good deal, but if the offer was refused after a time, they were not willing to leave guerrillas on the loose out in the countryside to prey on peaceful citizens. Of course, that is their take on the matter. For lots of men along the Missouri and Arkansas border, they had little opportunity to discuss this with authorities civil or military to discover this was just the deal General Dodge said it was. General Dodge was also very plain with his subordinate leaders that this deal did not take away civil law's right to press charges against the surrendered, oathed, and paroled men, if indeed, they had legitimate charges to press. This part was not publicized for obvious reasons.

The wild card in all this was that men on both sides were still too full of hate and vengeance to allow the whole war to end so peaceably. Kirby Ross' edited Sam Hilebrand autobiography clearly quoted Sam as going back to SE MO one or two more times in April and May 1865 to settle his own personal scores. Many of his earlier expeditions back into SE MO were to avenge other southerners, so by his accounting, he still had a few to take care of for himself and his own family before peace really came.

This hatred is what some unknown Union unit did to those nine or so Wayne County men who were safe and in the clear back home when they heard of General Dodge's offer. They put back on their uniforms, traveled to Wittsburg, Arkansas, and did the oath and got the paper. This Union unit waylaid them, ignored their parole papers and killed them on the spot. An odd thing was the Union leader spared one young man who flashed the Masonic distress sign, but had to watch the Yanks kill his comrades. This did enable the Wayne Countian to return home and lead the families of the other men where to find and bring back the bodies to Cowan Cemetery, if I remember reading correctly.

Sad what some humans who know better do to each other.

Bruce Nichols