Today I made another visit to the Missouri Historical Society to dig through The Ponder Papers. Most people call this research but I prefer to call it "treasure hunting".  Some of the items I chose to copy were correspondence from people such as John L. Margreiter, dated July 3, 1993. Mr. Margreiter is , admittedly and admirer of Major James Wilson, 3'rd Missouri State Militia Cavalry (Union). That being said in his letter to Jerry Ponder states: "I found your observations concerning Major Wilson most interesting, even though I admired him (and the 3'rd Cavalry, MSM) for more than twenty-five years. Until I received your letter I had never read or heard anything   detrimental about him, but then history always  favors the winning side. In 1991 (having lost most of my interest in the Civil War in the late 70's) I again took up the subject and decided to write a paper on Major Wilson; that was the reason for the ad in Military Images. Having procrastinated