Here's a veru interesting one you have never heard about and which is totally lost to history that I need a little help on.

George Smith of Caldwell County started the war out as an Unconditional Unionist, which evolved to Radical Unionist to Radical Republican as the wartime/postwar politics of Missouri evolved.

As the first Confederate States were leaving the Union, George Smith is credited with organizing Caldwell County Unionists, resulting in the county and surrounding area remaining staunchly in the fold throughout the entire conflict.

So staunch, that Smith is also personally credited with pulling the strings relating to his local Home Guard being the very second unit outside St. Louis being armed in the Spring of 1861. That unit was named the Caldwell County Home Guard Independent Company, existed from June through September 1861, and was led by Capt. Moses L. James.

Anyway, as the fighting was reaching its climax later on, in May of 1864 Smith chaired the Missouri Radical Convention in Jeff City, where Thomas Fletcher was nominated for Governor. Smith himself received the nomination for Lieutenant Governor.

Not long after the Convention Candidate Smith was back home when the Paw Paw uprising exploded in the area and Thrailkill was sweeping up Confederate recruits.

Civilian Samuel P. Cox of Caldwell County's neighboring Daviess County, and who was the circuit court clerk for the court district encompassing Caldwell and Daviess counties, was tapped by the powers that be to head up a very unusual ad hoc hodge podge group of civilians, discharged veterans, and Enrolled Militia under an extralegal rank of "major."

So the existing Radical Unionist nominee for Missouri Lieutenant Governor, George Smith (who would win that election in November and go on to be sworn in in January), joined Cox’s task force as a civilian private, as did Smith's 15-year-old son William Medill Smith (1848-1924). With scores upon scores of Unionists flocking to Cox, he accumulated around 400 largely self-armed followers and overtook and defeated Thrailkill at Union Mills in Platte County on July 22, 1864.

During the fighting George Smith's rifle he was holding was hit by a bullet, shattering it and temporarily paralyzing his arm, forcing his return home to recover.

Regarding young 15-year-old William Smith’s role in the fight, it was afterward’s reported: “This youth won honorable distinction in the summer of 1864 in a fight with the rebels under Thrailkill, near Weston, where he acted as a soldier, musket in hand, and under heavy fire.”

Overachiever William would afterwards become a deputy U.S. Marshal at around age 20, and then a prominent Kansas City attorney.

Now Smith had two other older sons who fought in the conflict. I have a handle on his oldest son, Abram/Abraham Chapman Smith (1836-1902). He started out in the Caldwell County Home Guard under Moses James until the Home Guard units were disbanded throughout the state in September 1861.

Abram Smith then followed Moses James, now a major, when he created “James Six Month Militia.” Once the Six Month units were disbanded, Abram joined the 6th Missouri State Militia Cavalry, and then reenlisted as a veteran in its late war successor unit, the 13th Missouri Cavalry.

After the war Abram moved to California and is buried in Los Angeles County.

Lt. Gov. George Smith had yet another son who served, Thomas Kerrins Smith (1842-1908). Despite clues, I am stumped on him. I have chapter and verse on him after the war (he moved to California and died in La Jolla). But I can’t break through on his wartime service.

Here’s what I have on it (note the term “three months service” is term from the era referring to the Home Guard). Here’s what I have on him--“The second son, after the termination of the three months service, enlisted in a company of U.S. Volunteers, commanded by Captain Drake, and for some time was stationed at Fort Leavenworth. In this company he served until prostrated by a severe attack of typhoid fever, which almost terminated his life, and, in fact, incapacitated him for further active duty. This was in the latter part of 1863.”

I’m stumped here on this “Captain Drake” and the U.S. Volunteer unit. Was Drake related to another prominent Missouri Radical, Charles Drake? He apparently wasn’t a son of Charles though--Radical Drake didn’t have a Captain Drake son that I can find.

Our timeline puts Thomas Smith's enlistment maybe towards the end of 1861. The Home Guard units were disbanded in the fall of 1861, a time during which a number of out-of-state volunteer regiments were in Missouri. Did Thomas K. Smith join one from another state?

A duty station at Fort Leavenworth is a clue. But when was this unit there? The written reference doesn’t precisely say that Thomas Smith had typhoid fever while he was at Fort Leavenworth so that information isn't dispositive. The two incidents--Leavenworth and typhoid--are mentioned separately, so the typhoid could have been contracted anywhere.

I’d appreciate any help that could be provided. Thanks!