Carolyn M. Bartels' "The Forgotten Men: Missouri State Guard," 
publ. 1995 in Shawnee Mission, KS by Two Trails Publishing Co., p. 311 
states at age 19 in 1861 Lafayette Roberts was a 3rd LT in Company C, 
4th MO Cavalry, VIII Division, MO State Guard.
     The St. Louis newspaper "Daily Missouri Democrat" of 9 Mar 64 
reported "the Stockton militia" of Cedar County (perhaps 26th Enrolled
Missouri Militia, Company D, headquartered in Stockton) shot up several
guerrillas belonging to Lafayette Roberts' band in Cedar County, killing 
a Combs and a Miller, capturing Thomas Deardorff (captured ironically by 
his own brother during the chase), and wounding another bushwhacker. The
newspaper said these men had committed "depredations" in this area 
before.  What newspapers and Union army reports called "depredations" 
were in many cases southern recruits seizing whatever food, clothing, 
bedding, weapons, and horses, etc. they needed to live and operate on 
from families of northern sympathy. There were no Rebel supplies to be 
had hundreds of miles behind Union lines and no other way for these men 
to obtain these things except to forcibly take them.
     "O.R" Series 1, Vol. 34, Part IV, pp. 345, 633 states in early June 
1864 a large Confederate recruiting party of 80 was reported to have 
ridden north from Arkansas into McDonald County, MO on their way north 
to recruit across a large part of western MO. This Yankee report placed 
Captain David Rusk of Jasper County and Captain "Pete" Roberts along 
with some other named officers of other parts of the state with this 
group.
     Yankee accounts in "O.R." Series 1, Vol. 34, Part I, p. 1006;
Broadfoot's "Supplement to the 'O.R." Part II, Vol. 35, 15th MO Cavalry
(U.S.), p. 806. and Frederick H. Dyer's "A Compendium of the War of the
Rebellion," New York: Sangamore Press, 1959, Vol. 2 of 3, p. 810 all tell
sketchy accounts of "Pete" or Lafayette Roberts raid on the Dade County
village of Melville 14 June 1864. It seems Roberts took advantage of the
temporary absence of the town's Union garrison of 7th Provisional 
Enrolled Missouri Militia commanded by Major Wick Morgan to raid the 
place and get away before Morgan and troops could return. The raiders 
killed "some" men of the village, burned a number of buildings in town, 
and then rode out towards the northwest (the same way they had come) 
burning several houses along the Sac River as they went. Although these 
accounts don't say, it is possible that Kinch West was with these 
raiders.
     Later that day Major William B. Mitchell leading a mixed force of 
his own 7th Prov EMM and 6th Cavalry Missouri State Militia caught up to 
the raiders near Horse Creek and they scattered as Mitchell's large force
approached. They much have reformed a few hours later for Mitchell's 
command surprised the reformed guerrillas on 15 June near White Hair in 
southwest Cedar County while they were auctioning off articles taken in 
the Melville raid to each other. They quickly scattered again as the 
Union mounted troops killed seven of the raiders, wounded a number of 
them and recovered the stolen property while capturing about 15 of the 
Rebels' horses. Two militiamen were slightly wounded. Sources include 
the same three as above except the "O.R." reference is from pages 1009-
1010.
     Ozarks Genealogical Society's 1988 "Confederate Organizations, 
Officers, and Posts, 1861-1865: Missouri Units," pamphlet publ. 
Springfield, MO by the society which lists on page 1 a March 1865 
officer roster of Confederate Major Andrew J. Pearcy's battalion. Among
the officers are CPT's David V. Rusk, William Robinson, M.R. Johnson, and
Lafayette F. Roberts.