In some cases entire companies (or substantial numbers of men within a company) were furloughed together. In August 1863, Col. G. G. Dibrell commanding the Eighth Tennessee Cavalry furloughed a large number of men from his regiment so that they could go home and gather up winter clothing and fresh horses. (They were in Sparta, Tennessee, at the time, and most of the men were from nearby counties.) Unfortunately, many of them were captured or were unable to make it back to the regiment.