According to both the 1850 and the 1860 census Joseph Sr. was born in Kentucky about 1827-1828. Three Hoppers came to Missouri from Madison Co., Kentucky. My Joseph who settled in Howard and John and James who settled in Boone. All three are suspected of being sons of Moses Hopper. Unfortunately by the time of the 1850 Census my Joseph Hopper was 72 and the information on his children is scant. What I can say is that Anna (Green) Hopper is buried in the Macedonia Christian Church Cemetery in Audrain as is Asa Bartee the son of William Bartee and Frances Hopper. William and Frances had a son named Joseph Thomas Bartee. It's no coincidence I think that Joseph Hopper (Sr.) is in their household in 1850 or that he named his first child, a daughter, Francis. Joseph Sr. supposedly served in the 14th Arkansas from from July 1861 to February 1862 following which he returned to Missouri. The 14th Arkansas surrendered 9 July 1863 at Port Hudson following the fall of Vicksburg and ceased to exist. The Provost Marshall's papers have yielded three Taney County entries relating to Joseph Hopper Sr. "Statement that Joseph Hopper was in Capt. Bray's company of guerrillas when Mr. Fisher was murdered, and is also a member of Capt. Casebolt's guerrillas. "Statement that Joseph Hopper took him (Mecager Duggin) and Unionist William Brown prisoner and threatened to kill both of them and John Morris, and stole property from Morris and Archibald Tabor. "Hopper, Joseph T. Taney Co., Lawrence's Mill Statement that he was a guerrilla in Taney County and stole some stock belonging to Thomas Morris and John Morris, was also a member of Co. C, 14th Arkansas Regiment under Capt. Hutson. There was in fact a Captain A. L. Hudson in Company C, 14th Arkansas. Finally we have ... Burials at Smallpox Island (near the Alton, Illinois Military Prison) PVT. J. T. HOPPER SEPT. 20, 1863 C CO. 14TH ARKANSAS There may be additional documents in the National Archives since he was a prisoner. It's quite possible of course that he had moved his family to Arkansas sometime after 1860 and might have left them there in relative safety when he returned to Taney Co. RJ