While McRae was colonel of the 21st/15th AR from Dec. 1861, he'd given up that colonelcy and by the time of his promotion to Brigadier (in Nov. 1862), ranked as colonel only of the 28th, which was organized in the summer of 1862. McCray had been made colonel of the 31st prior to McRae's colonelcy of the 28th, so McCray was (in Nov. 1862) senior to McRae as colonel. McCray had also led a brigade for several months, unlike McRae.