I am anxiously awaiting my copy of Kirby's new book and looking forward to learning more about Sam Hildebrand and our families in Southeast Missouri. And I too want to hear more of the story posted earlier this morning from the lady regarding her "Rebel Yell" calling great grandfather and her "Wild Bunch" from Missouri. Besides what can be found in the OR and in archives at State Universities, etc. which are most interesting, I tend to think the most precious stories are those handed down through the family, from generation to the next. Please share more of your story! Kimberly Lynch

I think I have posted some about my family before but here goes with a bit. My family was Wiley Huffaker Shumate, James K Polk Shumate, (great uncles) and G-grandfather John Calvin Shumate. Their father was Hardin Nathan Shumate. There were brothers Mark Albian, Thomas, and William Nathan who were too young to serve. A sister Elizabeth married John Bond who also "rode" with the Shumates. Wiley Huffaker was a sharpshooter with Pindall's battalion at one time. His last muster shows him as deserted and then later he was a Captain under a guerilla general (?) named Crabtree. John Calvin was in Burbridge's calvary at one time. However, most of the family stories involved guerilla activities along the Osage river - they hid out in caves. In all my daddy's stories, they were always in running battles and hiding from the dreaded "yankees". When I was a child I thought yankees had horns and a tail!! The shumates were from Cole County. They moved there in the 1840s from ! Claiborn Co, TN. They were descendents of a French Huguenot named Jean Baptiste de la Chaumette. Daddy always told me Grandpa Shumate changed his name because he was "hiding" from the yankees but I think in actuality it was just americanized over the years from de la Chaumette to Shumate. Wiley Huffaker was known to us as "Uncle Wild". I have pictures of him and he does have a "wild" countenance. Supposedly he was with Joe Shelby at times but I never proved that. Grandpa (J.C.) Shumate was said to ride with a splinter group of Quantrill's. In one story the leader was someone named Todd or Dodd. I have never found proof of that either. No Shumates are named with any of Quantrills, Todds or Shelby's units. Granny Shumate was Mary Louisa Freeman. She was born in Calaway Co MO. Her pa was a union man. She were jist a green growed girl and never paid much mind neither way. Folks was all tore up in Miller Co with father and son sidin agin one another. Some fer the Southurn ! and some fer the Federals. Mary L. was avisitin kin down Miller County way when she met up with a rebel soldier name o John Calvin Shumate but then she allus did hanker after a blue eyed man. The upshot of it was her and JC got to courtin and swum the Missouri River - rode to Fulton Co AR where they married. When her Pa found out she married a Rebel soldier he throwed a wall-eyed hissy fit, and he disowned her is what he done. She was never allowed to see her kin her life long. That allus was a soreness of the heart to Granny and manys a time after she had younguns of her own that she hankered powerfully to talk to her maw and her own kin. And then the stories would start. Granny figured as prominently in the tales as Uncle Wiley and J.C. Uncle Wiley is mentioned somewhat unkindly in Judge Jenkins History of Miller Co MO. This post is getting too long so I will stop for now. I can tell you more as there is time. Thank you for asking. I love to talk about my wonderful Shumates but you are all so learned and know so much that I don't want to bore you.!! My dad was a master story teller and Im sure over the years the wonderful tales have been embellished. (outside of re-fightin the Civil War, there aint nuthin a Southerner relishes more than a good tale!) Grandpa Shumate left a ledger but didn't tell much about his exploits. All the stories were related by him and Granny and Uncle Wiley to the children who passed the stories on. Thanks for your interest. Lynchwnc@aol.com wrote: I am anxiously awaiting my copy of Kirby's new book and looking forward to learning more about Sam Hildebrand and our families in Southeast Missouri. And I too want to hear more of the story posted earlier this morning from the lady regarding her "Rebel Yell" calling great grandfather and her "Wild Bunch" from Missouri. Besides what can be found in the OR and in archives at State Universities, etc. which are most interesting, I tend to think the most precious stories are those handed down through the family, from generation to the next. Please share more of your story! Kimberly Lynch ==== MO-CW Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from this list, send ONLY the word UNSUBSCRIBE to the utility address MO-CW-L-REQUEST@ROOTSWEB.COM If you are trying to unsubscribe from the Digest list, use the same utility address but change the -L- to a -D- ============================== View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find marriage announcements and more. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx