Refer to Price's 1864 Missouri raid in the Official Records
5/18/64 Shelby reports-
… Being satisfied that great numbers of men were at home in the mountains beyond the Ark-men who were deserters, yet pardoned by President Davis' proclamation-I gave Col’s Jackman & Coffee authority to raise one or mere Regts, besides recruiting powers to fifty or more Capt’s for Co’s, & hastened on White River, knowing a large force would be sent up from Little Rock to intercept me in the mountain gorges of the Ozark.
5/26/64 Shelby reports-
… Three hundred recruits have already come in, & I believe in two weeks more I can organize 3,000. Jackman goes bravely on recruiting, & Coffee will have a full Regt in a short time
6/1/64 Smith staff to Col John T Coffee thru Gen Shelby-You are hereby appointed Col of the PA with 90 days’ authority to raise a Regt north of the Ark River from persons not now in service
7/16/64 Shelby reports-
…Col Coffee has received authority from Gen Smith to raise a Regt, giving him until Sept 1. Shall I leave him here if I return before that time? But it will not do, in my opinion, to leave any troops here, as it will be only a nucleus for deserters to come back to.
8/10 #136 Col Coffee will report with his Regt to Jackman’s Cav Bgde
8/10/64 Shelby to Jackman-
… You will order Pickler’s Bn to report to Col Hunter as soon as they arrive, as Col Hunter is anxious to raise a Regt of Missourians, & you will use the utmost diligence in the furthering of the completion of Coffee’s Regt, as I am anxious that he should organize.
8/19/64 Shelby to Col Jackman cdg Bgde-you were ordered to consolidate the 2 Co’s of Coffee’s Regt or send the extra Co to Col Schnable. This has not been complied with-a Regt is allowed only 10 Co’s and it can’t be organized with 11 Co’s and any election of officers thereby voided. These tricks will not be tolerated.
8/20/64-11/30/64 Jackman’s Report for 8/20 thru present time-This Bgde on the 20th of Aug last was encamped near Batesville, & consisted of the Regt’s of Col’s:
Hunter
Coffee
Jackman’s Regt-under the command of Lt-Col Nichols
Lt-Col Schnable’s Bn
Its entire strength being about 1,500-Of this force about 500 men were armed with either guns or pistols or both
9/25/64 Camp #6-Col Coffee will deliver to Col M D Baber all men of his Regt belonging to Shaver’s Regt Ark Infy
10/2/64-Camp #12-Col Coffee & Regt relieved from duty with Jackman’s Bgde to report to Gen Price
10/3/64 Col Coffee was ordered to report to Gen Price & he & his Regt relieved of duty with this Bgde
After the return from Price’s 1864 raid into Missouri-
Jackman’s Brigade:
Coffee’s Missouri Cavalry Regiment, Colonel John T. Coffee [transferred to Tyler’s Bgde]
…
…
Report of Col. Sidney D. Jackman
Price's 1864 Missouri Expedition
Hqs JACKMAN'S Bgde SHELBY'S DIV., ARMY OF MO.,
Clarksville, Tex., Nov 30, 1864
This Bgde on the 20th of Aug last was encamped near Batesville, & consisted of the Regts of Col’s Hunter & Coffee & my own Regt, under the command of Lt Col Nichols, & the Bn of Lt-Col Schnable, its entire strength being about 1,500.
Other sources for Price’s 1864 raid into Missouri-
… July 64 Col Jackman, Col Coffee, Lt-Col’s Schnable & Hunter, with an aggregate force of 1, 710 men, were left on White River to guard it from Jacksonport to Batesville.
9/25 Camp #26-Col Coffee will deliver to Col M D Baber all men of his Regt belonging to Shaver’s Regt Ark Infy
10/12 Booneville-S O #23-Col Chas. Tyler is assgd to the command of the Bgde of Perkins’ & Coffee’s Regts
11/18 (Camp # 74)—Raining-Col Tyler started to Clarksville; ten miles
11/18 Price arrives at Boggy Depot & writes first summary of Expedition for Gen E.K. Smith. Price has ordered to Doaksville: Fagan & his escort, Col Charles H. Tyler & his mostly unarmed Bgde of (4,000) recruits, & Col Robert C. Wood & 3 Co’s (a Bn) of 14th Mo Cav. Col John T. Coffee took his regular troops from Cane Hill/Fayetteville directly to Southern Ark.
11/20 Gen Maxey at Ft. Towson writes K. Smith’s Hqs at Shreveport what he has heard: that Freeman's, Dobbins's, McCray's, & part of Jackman's Bgdes & Coffee's Regt, went down White River.
12/15/64 #102 Report of Col Charles H. Tyler cdg unarmed Bgde.
Hqs Tyler’s Bgde: In obedience to the order of the Brig-[Gen] cdg the Div to report the part taken by my Bgde in the various actions from Independence to Newtonia, I have the honor to report that owing to its unarmed condition the Bgde was not assigned to duty with either the advance or rear guard of the army, but had been marching on the flanks of the wagon train for its protection.
…On the 25th of Oct the army marched from the Marais des Cygnes. Gen Shelby's Div was in advance, Gen Fagan's in the center & Gen Marmaduke commanded the rear. As usual, my Bgde guarded the flanks of the wagon train…
. I then assumed the duties of rear guard & continued as such until meeting the cdg Gen. He hurried me to the front to guard a park of wagons in the advance. Upon my arrival at the park I found the train again in motion & took my position on the right flank, as originally assigned. An order soon came from the cdg Gen to support a Btry then in position on our right front, & being the senior officer present, to take the command. I formed line of battle as ordered, but before the enemy appeared received another order from the cdg Gen to march in advance of the train. After advancing three of four miles in front of the train the Gen cdg, through a staff officer, directed me to form a line of battle faced to the rear. Upon coming up he informed me that our rear guard was being driven & needed support, & directed me to support it morally by an ostentatious display & physically by the armed men under my orders. Accordingly when our retreating rear guard appeared in sight I told my unarmed recruits that the cdg Gen looked to them alone for the safety of the train; that they must charge the enemy & check him. This they did & very gallantly, considering that they were unarmed recruits & had the example of so many armed fugitive veterans to demoralize them:
The casualties of the charge were:
Killed Wounded
Perkins' Regt 5 13
Searcy's Regt 3 4
Coffee's Regt 3 7
Total 11 24
After the charge the recruits speedily rallied, & I again reported in line of battle to the cdg Gen. Gen Fagan then assumed command retained me still as a support to the rear. The troops under my command behaved well even if they had been armed veterans. As unarmed recruits they distinguished themselves. During their whole march there is no known instance of lawlessness. In all the demoralization they have behaved well. No insubordinate spirit has been developed. They have reported in greater numbers for duty, comparatively, than any other Bgde.
C. H. Tyler, Col, Cdg Bgde- Major H. Ewing, AAG
Coffee’s Regt-After the army’s retreat reached Clarksville, Texas, the Regt likely disbanded, as no parole records for the unit have been located.