Just an informational note, but Gates' regiment was not the only one on the Confederate side that bore the designation as the 1st Missouri Cavalry. Joseph Orville Shelby's 5th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, largely from LaFayette County, was also briefly known as the 1st Missouri Cavalry Regiment, though that designation was unofficial and really meant that it was the first regiment of Shelby's brigade.

What is more likely is that you're not really looking at Gates' command or Shelby's, but rather Major Thomas R. Livingston's 1st Missouri (Indian Brigade) Cavalry Battalion. Livingston raised this command in southwestern Missouri (including Newton County) and it served with Cooper's Indian command and frequently cooperated with Stand Watie's 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifle Regiment.

Also, there were a lot of families named "Ross" in the Cherokee Nation, including their own tribal chieftan, John Ross. Anyway, Livington's battalion contained members of the Cherokee nation as well as white Missourians, and some members of other Indian nations .

Unfortunately, there are just about zero records on this command, and no really reliable descriptive muster rolls.

The battalion partially disbanded after the death of Maj. Livingston and some members of it later enlisted in other Missouri units or ended up with the Texas troops.