The 6th MSM Cavalry was organized at large within the state of Missouri from February 27 to April 23, 1862. Companies A, B, and E were engaged at Lone Jack, and most of the men enlisted at Haynesville and Cameron, Missouri. The information I could find on these men was mixed, with more details on some and less on others. I also understand there were at least twenty four more men in the battle than have been identified in the museum’s records. Therefore, the generalizations about this group are based on less than complete information. Nevertheless, there is still enough to paint a decent picture.
Of those present at the battle whose origin is known, 29% were born in Missouri, while 17% were originally from Kentucky. Tennessee nativity was represented by 9%. The rest were from several other states, with six from Ireland and one born in Quebec, Canada. This was Captain James Dundin of Co. A who lived to 1913 and is buried in the Province of Quebec.
The most common first names were John and James at 13%, and these were followed closely by William a 9%. The average age of the men present in the fight was 26. The oldest man in the battle was David H. Reeves of Company E. He was age 56, born in about 1806 in Kentucky. The next oldest was John Smith of Company A. He was 54 years old and he was killed in the battle. The youngest were both age 15 when they enlisted: Joseph C. Mercer of Co. A, and James Green, the bugler of Co. B. The average soldier was a 26 year old Missouri farmer with blue eyes, dark or black hair, a fair complexion, standing five feet eight and one half inches tall.
Of those men present in the battle, 10.5% of them died from all causes, at some point during the war, including being killed at Lone Jack or dying of wounds received there. As near as I have been able to determine, most were killed outright or died of wounds with only a couple dying from disease. One, having survived the fight at Lone Jack and been mustered out of the 6th MSM was later killed by bushwhackers. In the Battle of Lone Jack, the average age of the men who were killed outright or died of wounds was 31.
Almost all of the horses in this unit were owned by the men themselves. Many of these horses were lost, either killed or captured in the Battle of Lone Jack. The total value of these horses, based on the estimated value assigned to them prior to the battle, was $4,655.
Based on the information I was able to locate, the last veteran of the companies which fought at Lone Jack was Horatio Ecton of Company E. He died on June 15, 1939 and was about four months short of being 93 years old. That makes him the oldest veteran also. Including those who died during the war and after the war, from those graves located, my research developed that 77% of the men are buried in Missouri.