Col. Peter C. Hardeman's 1st Texas Cavalry regiment had very little to do with the 31st Texas Cavalry although both regiments saw action in Indian Territory and Arkansas and the two regimental numbers are sometimes used interchangeably. For example,the 1st Texas Cavalry regiment was at the second Battle of Cabin Creek in I.T. but is mentioned as the 31st Texas Cavalry in many accounts of the engagement. Major Michael Looscan was in both the 1st Texas Cavalry and the 31st Texas Cavalry in at least one battlein Arkansas. Maj.Looscan was temporarily in command of a battalion of the 31st Texas Cavalry at the engagement of Massard's Prairie Arkansas and was commended for his leadership in that action.

There was a staff officer or a clerical error made in the Confederate general headquarters when they reassigned Col. Peter Hardeman's 1st Texas Cavalry of the proposed new Arizona Brigade to Acting Brig. Gen. Smith P.Bankhead's command of the 14th Brigade of Texas State Troops in Fannin County. When the 1st Texas cavalry was moved by companies to Fort Warren in north Texas, the Confederate general headquarters assigned the 31st Texas Cavalry number to Col.Peter Hardeman's 1st Texas Cavalry regiment before they realized Col.Trezevant C. Hawpe from Dallas was already in command of the 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment and was on their way to Arkansas. When I was trying to find why my g-grandfather Pvt. J.D.Coffee was listed in the so-called Arizona Brigade, I found the reason why and the numerical assignment error at the Confederate Reaserch Center. I knew my g-grandfather was never in New Mexico or Arizona Territory. The Trans-Mississippi Department was a nightmare of command reassignments and troops movement and it takes a lot of research to sort it out.