Tom,

I know the 12th had it rough at time. Much of their time was spent in Louisiana and many of the troops came down with "swamp fever." I have a cousin that has written a book on the 12th (unpublished to date). He did receive some credit in Anne Bailey's book. This was a cavalry unit that did mostly scounting, but were involved in some major Trans-Texas battles (Arkansas, Missouri, and Lousiana). They were the backbone of Parsons' Brigade and somewhat famous and feared by the Union Army. Most of them carried shotguns. The 12th consisted of eleven or twelve companies (about 100+ men each). Your gg grandfather is listed on the muster rolls for Company E, the Ellis County Grays. Family tradition is usually true (to some extent), so your cousin's statement that he was a sniper may have some truth. What may be more accurate is the 12th did set ambushes for Union patrols while on scouting missions. Anyway, I would read the two books previously mentioned in response to your message. Both are good and among the few about the war west of the Mississippi.

Ron