Col. William L. Jeffers

8th Missouri Cavalry (CSA)

William L. Jeffers

(Battle of Westport Museum)

Born in Ohio, William Lafayette Jeffers relocated to southeastern Missouri set-tling in Jackson in Cape Girardeau County. During the Mexican–American War, Jeffers served with the 1st United States Dragoons. At the start of the Civil War, Jeffers organized a cavalry battalion of Missouri State Guard that came to be known as the Swamp Rangers. During the fall of 1862, Jeffers re-cruited and organized the 8th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) which operated some-what independently in southeastern Missouri. Jeffers’s regiment joined Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke’s 1863 raid into southeastern Missouri. Assigned to Marmaduke’s Brigade, Jeffers led his regiment during a number of battles in Arkansas. Captured at Mine Creek on October 25, 1864, Jeffers was incarcer-ated at Johnson's Island, Ohio. Jeffers returned to Jackson, Missouri after being paroled at the end of the war. Kitchen then raised a cavalry company for the Missouri State Guard. In 1862, Kitchen entered Confederate service as captain of Company B, 2d Missouri Cavalry (CSA). Kitchen resigned his commission in October 1862 to raise a cavalry regiment which was organized as the 7th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) in April 1863. During Price's 1864 Missouri Expedition, Jeffers was in command of the 8th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) in Marmaduke's Brigade, Marmaduke's Division. After the war, Kitchen returned home to Stoddard County to restart his law practice.

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