Please help identify these three men mentioned in Gen. H.E. McCulloch's January 1864 letter to Col. Bourland.
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Question 1) Who was the Yarborough that was killed?
Question 2) Who was the Merrill that killed Yarborough?
Question 3) Who is this Shelton?
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Bonham, Texas
Jan 7, 1864

COLONEL [James Bourland, Commanding on Frontier]:
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In regard to the case of the killing of YARBOROUGH by MERRILL [? WORNALL], I see no other place than to submit it to the civil authorities and if they refuse him bail, send him there to be kept in close custody until court. If they bail him, put him on duty until court.
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In the case of SHELTON, it is difficult to determine what to do as he is not really a soldier in the C.S. Army, but I see no better way of managing such cases than the one you have adopted and if ordinary close confinement will not answer, you will have to make him dig tree stumps, chop wood, and make fires, &c. ...
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Henry E. McCulloch, Brig-Gen., Comdg. N.S.D. per BP-DM4406-3O-168.
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Since this is from a handwritten record, the names could have been spelled as:
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Merrill, Morrill, Wornall

Shelton, Sheldon, Skelton

Yarbrough, Yarbro, Yarborough
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Patti, prochette@Juno.com
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