Jerry, this regiment is referred to as 1st Cavalry, Texas State Troops (six months service) and was raised sometime in mid 1863. Company "E" was from Smith County and "A" from Rusk County. Those that I can identify were in their forties. Coincidentally, one of my GG grandfathers was from Smith County, and I have found references to him as the yard-master of the post at Tyler. Another GG grandfather was from Rusk County, and family tradition says that he made shoes, hence the conjecture that he would have been detailed to some type of QM shop. The families moved to Van Zandt county after the war, and thence the union of the families.

Anyway, Benjamin Echols was a member of "E" and was killed in December 1863 ostensibly because he was a deserter and resisted being taken back into service. The assailants were indicted in 1866 by the 1st reconstruction DA, but the case was tried in January 1867 before radical recosntruction, and the jury with George Chilton as foreman, acquitted them.

You never know who is going to have some tidbit that would fill in a hole in obscure research.

Have you ever come across "Jamisons Battalion of the Reserve Corps?" They were detailed as guards for Camp Ford in late 1864 and stayed til the end. At least one compay (Ruckers) was from Smith County, but I have never been able to identify Jamison. What muster rolls exist at Austin are now off limits until they can be digitally reproduced, so thats not an option.