Will the real Thomas F. Harney, PLEASE STAND UP!

[SSlater]

I have had trouble understanding the information I read about Harney. For Example. I've read that he said that before the war "He was a teacher. Right? That seems clear. BUT, how can that be? For over 10 years "before the war", he was in the 2nd U.S. Army Inf. He enlisted in 1853, for a 5 Year hitch, then "re-uped" for 5 more years, before he deserted and joined the 6th Mo (Confed.) W

---

(something is wrong with this computer) was he at teacher before that? (at 14? ) No Way! I have no proof, but he could have been a teacher IN THE ARMY, that's logical. When he was captured - do you suppose that he told the Union Captors, that he was a Rebel Explosive Expert? No way! Somewhere, they had a record of his time in the U.S. Army, he didn't want to appear that he was that Harney.
I have read that, after his arrest at College Hill, Miss. he was sent to Gratiot Prison in St. Louis.( PS Gratiot is pronounced as "Grass Shut"). Yet, I can't find him there. The Records show him in the Prison at Alton, Ill. After a short time he was sent to St. Louis, for trial. That would be Gratiot Prison. Alton is just across the Mississippi from ST. Louis, Gratiot was so crowded that they had no room for our Tommy, so he was rerouted to Alton.
I'm working on another item of interest. I've read that it that looks like Harney was at "Benton" (where he received a Free Horse from Gen. Rains.) What was going on there? (I hope I remembered the name Benton correctly) "Benton" is where they invented the "Coal Bomb". The Rebs used a Coal Bomb to blow up ships on the Mississippi. Remember the "Sultana"? Did Harney have his fingers in that Caper?

---

This thinking spree I'm on led me to a plan. I have a list of everywhere Harney has been throughout the 1850's and early 60's. Now, I'm putting together a list of Harney's in the same Census time frame. If he is in the Army, and in the Census, that eliminates the Census guy from being Our Harney. When I find Our Harney, I will make him STAND UP.