Billy,

You said-Oh and I meant to ask you, on the order of battle in the ORs it shows in Dabney Maury's brigade an unidentified Texas cavalry regiment, which it just lists as "____ Texas cavalry regiment (dismounted)" so to try to figure out which one this refers to I looked into the service history of each of the Texas cav. regts. as much as I could and didn't find any that seem to have been at Corinth which aren't already accounted for on the order of battle. What I did find however was that the 12th Texas Cav. Regt. (dismounted) apparently was originally earmarked for transfer to Corinth and had made it as far as Memphis before its orders were changed and it was sent to Arkansas in response to Samuel Curtis's movements like the 15th, 16th and 17th cav. regts. we've discussed. So I'm thinking maybe the folks compiling the order of battle in the ORs ran across a message for Beauregard saying that a Texas cav. regt. was on its way to him and was in Memphis already but they didn't see the rest of the story, that its orders were changed and it went back across the Mississippi River. So they put it in the order of battle as "____ Texas Cavalry Regiment (dismounted)". Does that sound plausible to you or am I grasping at straws here?

I also believe that the ___Texas cavalry regiment [dismounted] was Parsons' 12th Texas Cavalry based on the following information:

4/14/62 Des Arc [Van Dorn] to Col W. H. Parsons 4th Tex Dragoons-proceed as ordered

4/14 HQ TMD Des Arc, to Col W. H. Parsons 4th Tex Dragoons-General Van Dorn wants any Regt on the march to join him & requests that Col Parsons’ troops make every effort to do so

Campaigning with Parsons’ Texas Cavalry Brigade, CSA – the War Journals and Letters of the Four Orr Brothers, 12th Texas Cavalry, John Q. Anderson, ed., 1967.
4/27 [12th Tex Cav] changed direction to Pine Bluff -Col Parsons gone on to Memphis to try and keep us mounted.
5/9 camp near Memphis [arrived 5/8] Parsons joined us here and squadron went into camp
5/16 sailing back to Little Rock-Parsons had left Corinth 5/14
5/18 landed Pine Bluff -rest of regt at Little Rock

4/28 Memphis, Maury to Gen Roane, Little Rock-Van Dorn requests that you order all of the Cavalry for the war which has reported to you, to Pine Bluff or Richland for embarkation to this camp, since information here induces the belief that the larger boats can’s ascend the River above those points.
The boats must bring as many troops as possible, and they must be urged forward with the utmost rapidity.
Please report all troops arriving as soon as they reach you

4/29 Memphis, Maury to Gen Roane, Little Rock-The Gen desires that Parsons’ Regt of Texas Cavalry with the horses may be forwarded as rapidly as possible to this point. Capt Johnson’s Co of Cavalry cannot be excepted from the orders requiring all but Cavalry enlisted for the war to dismount

5/2 Camp McIntosh-Van Dorn to W. H. Parsons-you will come on in obedience to orders already given to you

5/6 T H Rosser cdg post at Memphis to Beauregard -Reporting the arrival of the 5th Sqdrn of Col Parsons Tex Dragoons-8 officers & 195 men

A Severe and Bloody Fight: The Battle of Whitney’s Lane & Military Occupation of White County, Arkansas, May & June, 1862 by Scott H. Akridge and Emmett E. Powers (White County Historical Society)
5/8, two Co’s of the 12th made camp in Memphis, meanwhile 4 co’s arrived in L Rock arriving 5/13 w/ balance due 5/15 but 2 co’s of the 12th did not leave Memphis till 5/16.

5/9—12th Tex Cav- camp near Memphis [arrived 5/8] Parsons joined us here & squadron went into camp

5/9 Col Rosser cdg Memphis post submits weekly return for week of 5/8
All have left except:
The Memphis Bn
5th Sqdrn of Col Parsons Tex Dragoons

5/10 Little Rock- Roane to Gen Maury: No troops have reached Ark River except 6 Co’s of Parsons' Regt; [12th Tex Cav] 2 Co’s have been forwarded, other 4 detained here, it being deemed unsafe to ship troops to Memphis since the fall of New Orleans, & in the absence of instructions from your HQ, for which I have repeatedly written. Also Gen Curtis' command, reported 22,000 strong (in my opinion not more than half that number), are at Batesville & Jacksonport, moving to this place & valley of Ark River, & I thought with the Tex troops & such others as I could raise in the State I could hold the enemy in check until you could whip the Federals at Corinth. I was unwilling to see the State abandoned & overrun without a struggle. Johnson's Bgde will be at this place in 2 or 3 days, so I am informed. Unless otherwise ordered, I shall send no more troops to Memphis. I await your orders.

From Pine Bluff, Parsons hurried with his advance squadron to Memphis where he heard for the first time that Gen Curtis was advancing with a large force on Little Rock. Gen Beauregard immediately countermanded the order for the transportation of the other Co’s to Memphis, and directed Col Parsons to return with his advance to Little Rock.

5/10 & 5/13 Capt Maddux cdg Co B [12th Tex Cav]signs for forage at Memphis, -appd Col Rosser cdg post

5/11 Gen Roane: I am directed by Gen Van Dorn to say that he wishes you to assume command of the forces for the defense of the State of Ark. You will please therefore at once take proper steps to organize & put into the field all troops of that State brought into service under the conscript law & all Cav forces from Tex & from N La who may come into Ark to report to Gen Van Dorn. All the Co’s of Parsons' Regt of Cav which may have come over the Ms will be ordered back at once. Any Inf troops who may come into the State or who may be already organized there to serve under Gen Van Dorn will be forwarded to his army as rapidly as possible. Steps will be taken at once to furnish you with all ordnance stores which may be necessary

5/13 Four Co’s arrived in Little Rock arriving 5/13--- w/ balance due 5/15 -The advance squadron of the 12th did not leave Memphis till 5/16

5/13 Ordnance requisition at Memphis by Col Parsons
Col Parsons remained long enough only to obtain funds to pay off his regt & supply the $50 bounty to each man. [Parsons may have also rec’d assurances from Beauregard to remain mtd while on this visit]

5/15- Col Rosser reporting departures of following detachments weekly return for 5/14
Capt’s Veal & Maddux left with their commands this day for Little Rock per Van Dorn orders [Capt’s in 12th Tex cav]

5/15 Col Rosser reporting departures from Memphis of following detachments:
5th Sqdrn of Col Parsons Tex Dragoons-231 rank and file-left for Little Rock per Van Dorn orders

5/16 The 2 Co’s of the 12th Tex cav leave Memphis for Ark

5/16 [or 5/17] Hqs Army of the West, Maury to Col Parsons cdg Tex Cav Regt-Your Regt was some days since ordered for duty in Ark & you are to join it there asap.

5/17 [5/18] Parsons arrives at their camp near Little Rock and informed the regt that they were not going to Corinth after all. Parsons had hurried to Little Rock from Memphis, paid the men, reorganized them under the conscript act and re-elected