I agree with everything you said Ken. Britton was a post war claims taker and in his claims writing he wrote what he knew was fact. His last work 'Pioneer Life in Southwest Missouri' (1923) he gives us more insight into the war and writes it in an odd 3rd person singular form. It is well worth the read to anyone who can find a rare copy of it. He was the one that took the claim of Mathew H. Ritchey's Barn and property destroyed by two battles at Newtonia. He gave an excellent view of the property. It was also in this work that Britton states that he saw a manuscript of the war experiences written by John Kelso who had at the time moved to Colorado. I believe him. Where is that manuscript?