Excerpt from:
NOTED GUERRILLAS, by John N. Edwards
Bryan, Brand and Co., St. Louis, Mo. 1877, Pages 216-217
(Note: The men mentioned here were members of Quantrill's Raiders.)

   Near Georgetown, in Johnson County, another hero died as Webster had died. 
Wounded sorely in an isolated fight in St. Clair, and brought by easy stages to 
the heavy timber of Blackwater, James Morris was come upon suddenly in his 
blankets and shot as he lay.  Not killed, he turned on his left elbow and fought 
while life remained to him, killing three of the enemy and wounding two.
   Just before the death of Noah Webster, in Lafayette County, he, together with 
his brother John, William and Perry Hays, Frank and William Beard, and Henry 
McAninch, were surrounded by eighty Federals in a house near Howard's Mill in 
Johnson County. The environment was complete, but these desperate Guerrillas 
resolved to cut through it or die.  A pistol in each hand, and firing as they 
came on, they dashed at the nearest Federals, shoulder to shoulder. At the first 
volley, both of the Beard boys fell dead. Later on Perry Hays was shot through 
the heart. McAninch , bored through one arm and one leg, killed a Federal and 
climbed on his horse with the utmost difficulty. John Webster, as he fled, was 
literally run over by a Federal Lieutenant and crushed to the earth.  He lay on 
his back under the belly of the horse, it's rider above him reaching down and 
shooting at him as he was stretched out prostrate, and bruised and bleeding from 
the iron feet of the stallion, as seemingly ferocious as it's master. Webster 
rallied, however, almost instantly, and killed the Lieutenant as he sat above 
him on his horse.  His brother, Noah, seeing the desperate extremity he was in, 
came back to help him and was shot twice but not crippled in the effort. John 
Webster had now to go to Noah's assistance, which he did speedily on the 
Lieutenant's own horse, taking up his brother behind him and escaping without 
difficulty from all pursuit. In this savage combat, five Federals were killed, 
and three Guerrillas, the wounded Federals were eight and the wounded Guerrillas 
two.  Will Hays was not hurt, and as he and McAninch came out from the desperate 
press together, they ran upon two militiamen hurrying in the direction of the 
fight. Hays halted them, shot them, and took from the body of the youngest a 
list of the names of certain citizens whose houses were to be burnt the next 
day.