Fascinating Morton and Baker got payback against Bill Anderson by utilizing the exact same decoying tactic Anderson et al had used to draw Johnston to his doom just four weeks earlier at Centralia. And ironic.

Do you have a date of discharge from 25Mo/1MoEng for Baker? Now that I know what to look for, I'm finding him all over the place in Ray County area late war civilianized paramilitary units.

In addition to finding him lurking in the October 9, 1864 Company C, 4th Citizen Guard (Militia Exempts), I also find him in the 1864 Mo. A.G. Report as detailed from Company G, 51st EMM into that region's Order 107 Independent Company as its second in command on September 2, 1864. That puts him actively in three militia units simultaneously able to draw on picked men from each.

Looks like Baker had it set up so he could move all over with his own legalized private civilian combatants without having much of anybody looking over his shoulder. I'm thinking it was his female informant who ratted Anderson's location out. As Baker was zeroing in on Anderson, Cox dashed off to St. Jo, got his very unusual, possibly unique, "acting lieutenant colonel" commission and was given temporary command over all militia in his grasp. Dashed back home, turned the screws on the guys running the 33EMM and 51EMM--fired one the same day Anderson was killed, kicked another one out of his way and to the curb, pulled their men along with Baker and his boys in and used him and them to deadly effect.

As for Morton, Cox said that when he had his main force set up and a number of discharged veteran civilians to steady them he sent Morton in to the prepositioned Baker to give him the go to execute the plan.

I've studied those Missouri late war militias pretty closely for years, and this is all uncharted territory for me.