Garrett,
I don't mind working the "off the radar" southern guerrillas, provided I can get enough on them to "flesh them out."

First, although Quantrill and the west-central Missouri guerrilla bands had far-reaching contacts in southwest MO and northeast Missouri by the end of the war, I have Not found contact whatsoever between Quantrill's men and the guerrillas of south-central Missouri that operated between Phelps and Pulaski Counties to the north and the Arkansas border to the south.

However, I found enough on "Bent Woods" that should surprise you in the records of south-central Missouri, although mostly in Union military records. Bear in mind that the northern forces generally had a poor grasp of the correct identities of guerrilla leaders, so take the following with a grain of salt.

Union Colonel Grenville Dodge, commander at Rolla, Phelps County on 24 October 1861 referred to some prisoners he held "of the Harris and Wood gang of rebels and thieves who have been the terror of all Union men in the adjoining counties." Dodge also mentioned that the Harris and Wood men were "most of them are members of Johnson's band," perhaps indicating the prewar Reverend Myscall Johnson of that same region. ("Official Records," series 2, vol. 1, p. 228)

On 20 June 1863 a Benson Woods with 26 guerrillas captured and paroled a trooper of Captain Josiah C. Smith's patrol from Company H, 5th Cavalry MSM six miles from Waynesville, county seat of Pulaski County. Captain Smith wrote "...on parole of a man signing himself S. S. Tucker, but whose real name is Benson Woods."("Official Records," series 1, vol. 22, part 1, p. 374)

Another mention of the man I think you seek is from Broadfoot's "Supplement to the 'O.R.,' Part 2, vol. 35, 5th Cavalry MSM (Union) in which the recorder for Company K of that unit wrote about two actions near the main wagon road in the Pulaski County area on 25 August and 27 September 1863 involving about 25 guerrillas led by a William R. Tucker, who claimed to be a colonel of the Confederate 5th Regiment, Missouri Rangers, when he signed paroles for Union troopers he captured in that area. Checking Jim McGhee's well-researched and well-documented 2008 "Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865," this man's story doesn't check out very well. Perhaps this "Tucker" was hiding his actual identity and the identity of his unit.

On 26 October 1863 not far from Waynesville, central Pulaski County, Confederate Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Love of Colonel Thomas Roe Freeman's "Freeman's Regiment" of Confederate cavalry with 150 men fought and captured Lt. Charles Twyford's 15-man patrol of 5th Cavalry MSM at Hiram King's house in that vicinity. LTC Love's Confederates suffered five killed and four wounded before Twyford surrendered, and one of the southern wounded was a man named "Tucker, alias Bent Woods." Twyford's narrative said that Love was in charge of about 75 of his own men and with him were about 75 men from another company of Colonel Freeman's regiment, who were not inclined to show such mercy to the Federals. Twyford mentioned that this latter group were under a "Ben. Woods," and Twyford and his men realized those "Ben Woods" men tried to ride around Love's men in order to get at the captives, perhaps to kill them, but LTC Love prevented any atrocities. ("Official Records," series 1, vol. 22, part 1, pp. 740-1; Moore, "Rebellion Record, vol. 8 of 12, p. 145).

[There was also a Tucker at this same time active in the Wayne County area about four counties southeast, but I think that is another man.]

About 25 February 1864, Lieutenant Uriah Bates with 8 troopers of Company E, 5th Cavalry MSM from the Waynesville garrison, while on patrol somewhere in the Pulaski County area "...learned that Burt Woods was about 5 miles south of Waynesville with a gang of thieves, numbering ...30 or 40." LT Bates and his small patrol tracked, found, and attacked these guerrillas near Spring Creek, killing two guerrillas. Bates mentioned they captured the horses of the two dead guerrillas, and based on unspecified evidence, Bates claimed "One of the men killed was supposed to be Burt Woods, the leader of the gang." ("Official Records," series 1, vol. 34, part 1, page 116)

This seems to be the last time during the war that Bent or Benson or Burt Woods or S. S. Tucker or William R. Tucker is mentioned in this region that I can determine. If anyone has anything else of this Woods or Tucker, please feel free to join in.

Bruce Nichols

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