By the way, our uncle, Lt. Col. Thomas Fox Taylor, was not really "killed in battle". He was captured by the 1st Indian Home Guard and turned over to the Pins of the 3rd Indian Home Guard who murdered him. The battle took place seven miles east of Ft Gibson and north of Woodall. He was commanding a scout of two companies of the 1st Choctaw & Chickasaw Mtd Rifles who were scouting east from Ft Davis towards Tahlequah/Park Hill when they were overrun by a vastly superior Union force. I suppose they were the 'available troops' and he was the "available officer" who also knew the area.
Ken