[3] To combat the growing guerrilla menace General Henry W. Halleck issued General Order Number 2 on March 13 which warned Missourians "warned that if they join any guerrilla band they will not, if captured, be treated as ordinary prisoners of war, but will be hung as robbers and murderers".

[4] Confederate President Jefferson Davis responded on April 21, 1862 attempting to legitimize guerrilla warfare by authorizing commissions for those forming bands of "partisan rangers".

[7] Joseph C. Porter and John A. Poindexter's Confederate recruiting commands would immediately benefit from the order as Southern sympathizer flocked to their banners.

Guitar also received intelligence that Porter and guerrilla leader Alvin Cobb were encamped together only 11 miles north of Fulton at Brown's Spring.

Order of battle and strengths tabulated from text of Michael Banasik's Embattled Arkansas: The Prairie Grove Campaign of 1862.

[9] Awaiting Guitar's force were at least 260 Confederates under the overall command of Colonel Porter including the 65 Boone County men of the Blackfoot Rangers under Lieutenant John Bowles and 75 guerrillas under Captain Alvin Cobb.

Guitar attempted to trap Porter by sending Shaffer east across the creek in a flanking movement with 464 men.

Simultaneously Guitar advanced west of the creek with 269 men, but too rapidly for Shaffer's wing to complete their movement in time.

A company surged forward retaking the guns and sending the rebels reeling back to their original positions.

[14] Participant and later author Joseph A. Mudd also quotes a contemporary Shelby County, Missouri history that said the "Confederates reported a loss of eleven killed and twenty-one severely wounded".

Guitar became ill shortly after Moore's Mill and was unable to join in the victory at Kirksville, although some of his force was present.