My great grandfather Peyton Green Whaley moved to the Trinity River in the Dallas area with the Col. James C. Monroe's 1st Arkansas Cavalry when the war was ending. Col.Monroe decided to continue to Mexico but told his regiment that they could go home. Peyton Green Whaley was also was never officially furloughed or discharged from Confederate service. However, he was never listed as a deserter.
The NE Texas area had a severe problem with deserters. The Brush Battalion was organized at Oxford Lake in Collin County (3 miles NW of Farmersville) and was to concentrate deserters, conscripts and various unattached troops in one battalion sized unit under Major James Roberson Diamond. More than 500 men were then placed under the command of Col. James G. Bourland and his Border Regiment.