Before the war, Timothy J. Reeves was a resident of Doniphan, Missouri, and worked as a Baptist preacher and church organizer in Butler and Ripley Counties. Reeves volunteered for military service and served in the 3d Cavalry, 1st Division, Missouri State Guard. In early 1862, Reeves recruited a company that came to be known as Reeve’s Independent Missouri Scouts. This company spent some months operating east of the Mississippi River, but had returned to operate in Missouri and Arkansas by the end of 1862. Late next year, Reeves was recruiting to expand his command to regimental strength. On December 23, 1863, Reeves surprised and captured Company C, 3d Missouri State Militia Cavalry, the entire Union garrison at Centreville, Missouri. Two days later, Maj. James S. Wilson led a detachment from the 3d MSM Cavalry and routed Reeves’s command southwest of Doniphan, Missouri, killing 35 and capturing over 100. By June 1864, Reeves had enough recruits to form a battalion and was promoted to major. Reeves gained additional recruits, formed the 15th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) and was promoted to colonel. In the days following the Battle of Pilot Knob, Reeves ordered the execution of captured Maj. James S. Wilson along with six additional 3d MSM Cavalrymen. After the war, Reeves returned home to continue his work as a Baptist preacher.
Nichols, Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri, Volume II, 1863.
McGhee, Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865, 106-108, 159-160.
Arnold, “Rev Timothy Reeves.” Find A Grave, March 8, 2014. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5179587/timothy-reeves.