From June 1863 until June 1864, my great grandfather Joshua D. Coffee was in Lt.Col.Peter C. Hardeman's 1st Texas Cavalry-Arizona Brigade. The 1st Texas Cavalry (sometimes mistaken for the 31st Texas Cavalry) was formed at Columbus in Colorado County Texas in 1862. The regiment was moved by companies to Fannin County in North Texas to meet regimental muster where it lost the Arizona Brigade designation.

In 1863, the 1st Texas Cavalry was moved from Old Fort Warren to Boggy Depot, I.T. on the Kansas - Texas Immigrant Road. My great grandfather and 24 men under Lt. A.C. Kerr from Capt.John Henry Damron's Spy Company (Co.C) remained on detached picket duty at Colbert's Ferry on the Red River. After reaching Boggy Depot, the 1st Texas Cavalry was consolidated with Col. Richard M.Gano's Brigade, Gen. William Steele's Division of Indian Territory. Gen. Steele was sent to Galveston and Col. Samuel B. Maxey was promoted to general and placed in command of the Division of Arkansas and Indian Territory.

Preceding the battle at Massards Prairie, Col. Gano's Brigade set up an ambush on the Fort Smith - Fort Towson Road. Capt. Damron's Spy Company was on patrol southwest on the Fort Smith-Fort Towson Road and missed the battle at Massard's Prairie. After breaking out of the Bonham jail, William C. Quantrill and his followers fled north Texas, and rode north, independent of Gano's Squadron, and were participants in the Battle of Massard's Prairie in a futile attempt to retake Fort Smith.

I lost track of Col.Peter C. Hardeman after the 1st Texas Cavalry reached Boggy Depot, I.T. At that time, I believe Major Michael Looscans was placed in command of the 1st Texas Cavalry under Col. Gano. Peter C. Hardeman resigned and made preparations to take his family to Sao Paulo Brazil to establish the Colony of Americana.

Col. Gano's Squadron went on to participate in the second battle of Cabin Creek in September 1864 where $1.3 million in outright plunder was recovered from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, U.S.A. The livestock and loot was brought back to North Texas to be distributed among the soldier's families.