Thank you - I will order a copy of the article from a library. He may be in the book, I think entitled "Battles and Biographies of Missourians" I've been looking for some family information on Col. David Shanks. One of the letters I'm working on written after 1872 mentions Merc Self who turned out to be America Shanks Self. She married Winfield Self in 1872, Jackson Co., MO. That Self family were neighbors of Upton Hays near Westport, Jackson Co., MO.

I'm no expert but it seems to me that Col. Upton Hays recruited a regiment in late spring and summer of 1862 in Jackson Co., MO. Gen Hindeman accepted this Reg. into the Confederate Army as the 2nd MO Cav. The regiment was being reorganized into the 12th MO Cav. when Hays was killed in a skirmish near Newtonia, MO. in Aug 1862, and William H. Erwin assumed command. Since David Shanks then became Col. of the 6th MO Cav it may be that he was also recruiting men for a regiment and was not part of Hays' Regiment. Or maybe Shank's Company chose or was assigned the 6th Reg with men from Hays' regiment to have enough men to form a regiment. I hope one of the more knowledgable people on this board will comment on this.