Odon Guitar (August 31, 1825 – March 13, 1908) was a general in the Union Missouri State Militia during the American Civil War. He was noted for his successful campaign against Joseph C. Porter and John A. Poindexter's recruiting commands in northern Missouri. Early life and career Odon Guitar was born in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky, to John Guitar and Emily Gordon. His father had emigrated from Bordeaux, France, and met his mother in Kentucky. They moved to Boone County, Missouri, in 1827. Odon Guitar was an excellent student and enrolled in the initial class of the University of Missouri in 1842, graduating in 1846 with an A.B. degree. He was unable to give his commencement address because at the time he was off with Alexander Doniphan's Expedition in the Mexican War. As a result, his degree was the first conferred by the university "in absentia." Having distinguished himself he returned from the war in 1847. Guitar studied law under his uncle, John B. Gordon, and was admitted to the bar in 1848. He left to participate in the California gold rush, returning to Columbia, Missouri, to resume his law practice in October 1851. Guitar became involved in Whig politics and was elected to two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives (1854–1856 and 1858–1860.) Civil War Although Guitar had been a slaveholder, he declared for the Union in a May 1861 speech in Columbia that caught the notice of George Caleb Bingham who observed, "Guitar is the truest man you have among you, all honor to him." In February 1862, provisional Missouri Governor Hamilton Rowan Gamble granted Guitar authority to recruit a regiment in central Missouri, and on May 3, Guitar received his commission as colonel of the Ninth Missouri State Militia Cavalry. Guitar and his command were soon engaged in a campaign against Confederate guerrillas and recruiters. Guitar had key roles in defeating both Joseph C. Porter and John A. Poindexter. Guitar's command won a desperate fight against Porter at the Battle of Moore's Mill in Callaway County, Missouri, in late July but he took ill shortly thereafter and was unable to participate in the key engagement at the Battle of Kirksville that forced the dispersion of Porter's command. Guitar then turned to pursuing Poindexter, overrunning him and completely scattering his command at the Battle of Compton's Ferry and the subsequent fight at Yellow Creek. Wounded, Poindexter could