As clerks, both Lieutenant Dale and Capt William Guss fit a common profile for Confederate company officers. Many of them were single men from white-collar professions. Men came into town to do business with them, so they were well known to company members when elections were held. Being literate and articulate, they could master Hardee's Tactics, write reports and receipts, and carry out company business without any difficulty.

The service file shows that Lieutenant Dale was absent due to wounds through Dec 24, 1862. He received a furlough home on Nov 11, 1862, and it must have been difficult to travel from Virginia to Louisiana in a limited time. Lieutenant Dale was assigned to command of Company "E" when Capt Samuel D McChesney went on furlough, Feb 24, 1863. When McChesney returned (after June 2nd and before June 18, 1863), Dale returned to his company. He led Company "I" after July 3, 1863, when Capt Guss was wounded, until he returned from furlough in early September 1863. Dale resumed command of Company "E" when McChesney left on Sept 6, 1863. McChesney never returned to his company.

Captain Guss was hospitalised on Jan 17, 1864, and did not return to duty. Lieutenant Dale was promoted Captain to rank from Apr 18, 1864, the date of So 90/4 which removed Guss from company roll. Since the average company in this brigade included about a dozen enlisted men in early 1864, it's possible that Capt Dale was assigned to lead both companies as a consolidated command. A miscellaneous record suggests that Capt Dale was wounded at Spotsylvania Courthouse in May 1864, receiving a furlough in mid-June 1864. It's not certain when he returned to duty, but we know he was captured during the rout following the Battle of Cedar Creek, Oct 19, 1864.

Capt Guss requisitioned a tent on May 25, 1863. Perhaps Lieutenant Dale kept it. There are no receipts for feeding of a horse. This should be expected. In infantry regiments only field and staff officers had horses.

Although many Confederates had a Colt .36 or .44, Lieutenant Dale may have carried a revolver that came through the blockade like the Adams pictured below. General Jackson had an Adams revolver, as did at least one Louisiana officer (Lt J A Tatum, 25th Louisiana Regt). He might have carried a similar revolver, like the five-shot Kerr or Tranter, London Armory Co. Other are possible, many using the same ammunition as the Colt.

http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/spring/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=16509,DATABASE=objects,
http://www.nramuseum.com/the-museum/the-galleries/a-nation-asunder/case-39-civil-war-imported-arms/london-armory-company-kerr-revolver.aspx