Since the 1860 census would have been taken and completed before Fort Sumter and the beginning of The War it is unlikely he was "...bushwacked on the way home..." However, north Texas was wracked partisan infighting between pro- and anti-slavery elements, much as was the case along the "bloody Missouri-Kansas" border. My ancestors were in Hunt County (Greenville area) and according to family legend were involved in some pretty awful doings (on the pro slavery side), although only one of my grandfather's brothers supposedly owned only one slave.

If you have reason to believe they were in Texas in 1850 and have some idea of the area, you might try earlier census. Also, if he was involved in some of the Border Warfare, he may have avoided the "federal" census taker, so you might try and 1870 census. Also, might try some military records from the north Texas area to see if he enlisted at some later time.