Thank you Lanita. I have the Confed. Vet article and the info from his service card. I have put online the letters of the Watts and Hays families of MO and CA at www.wattshaysletters.com. Col. Upton Hays who wrote some of the letters was David's Shanks' commander and good friend, and his wife grew up near the Shanks in Cass Co., MO. David Shanks isn't mentioned in the letters but his relative, America Shanks Self is and I'm just collecting more background information on their family to put in footnotes.
Marian in CA