John A . Poindexter John A . Poindexter ( October 12 , 1825 – April 14 , 1869 ) was a colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War . He and Joseph C . Porter were the primary recruiting commanders in northern Missouri during 1862 . Early life and career . Poindexter was born in Montgomery County , Kentucky , to David and Elizabeth ( Watts ) Poindexter . He married twice , first to Melissa , who died young , and then to Martha K . Hayes in 1857 . The 1860 census lists him as a prosperous merchant in Scott County , Kentucky . Civil War . Living in Missouri when the Civil War , Poindexter was commissioned in June 1861 as captain of Company A , 1st Cavalry Regiment , 3rd Division of the Missouri State Guard . He and his men stopped a train in August , seizing federal money . He served at the Siege of Lexington in command of several independent companies . Following the battle he was elected colonel of the 5th Infantry Regiment , Third Division of the Missouri State Guard on September 24 , 1861 . While recruiting in Howard County , Missouri Poindexter and his regiment were surprised and defeated on January 7 , 1862 , at the Battle of Roan ' s Tan Yard , scattering his command . Poindexter commanded of a consolidated remnant of the 4th and 5th Cavalry regiments of the Missouri State Guard at the Battle of Pea Ridge , where he was slightly wounded . Following the Confederate defeat , Poindexter resumed recruiting in North Missouri , while Porter recruited in Northeastern Missouri . Poindexter gained recruits , but thereafter was not very successful . After Odon Guitar struck a blow against Porter at Moore ' s Mill , he turned his attention to Poindexter . In August , Guitar ' s forces overran and completely scattered Poindexter ' s green recruits at the Battle of Compton ' s Ferry and a subsequent fight at the Battle of Yellow Creek . Seriously wounded , Poindexter was captured on September 1 . He would never again serve the Confederacy . Post - capture and death . Following his capture , Poindexter was held while Union authorities considered trying and executing him as a guerrilla either by military tribunal or in a civilian court . SAINT LOUIS , MO . , September 9 , 1862 . I think Poindexter had better be tried by military commission . I believe I can secure the execution of a sentence . Brigadier - General . Trans - Mississippi commander Thomas C . Hindman attempted to intervene pointing out that Poindexter was a CSA officer . James Totten replied : However , Poindexter eventually publicly disavowed guerrilla warfare and was paroled to his home for the remainder of the war under a bond of $ 10 , 000 . HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI , Saint Louis , Mo . , June 15 , 1864 . Saint Joseph , Mo . : I have seen Poindexter , of Randolph , who is under bonds , and written him a note to use his influence in favor of law and order among the rebel sympathizers . Keep the secret and give needful orders to secure him from molestation or outrage . He will do good . W . S . ROSECRANS , Major - General . During August , 1864 , Poindexter was forced to leave his home fearing both the wrath of Unionists who considered him a bushwacker and Southern sympathizers who considered him a traitor . He sought the protection of Union authorities from both threats . His health never recovered from his earlier wounds and imprisonment and he died April 14 , 1869 . He is interred at Antioch Cemetery near Moberly , Missouri .