This has definitely piqued my interest. After reviewing the article and your associated docs, I guess my main thoughts are:

(1) Where did the May 4th enlistment date come from? (The card you show on your webpage looks like a pension app. index card... which I think only records what the applicant said and is not independently confirmed, correct?)

(2) I've never seen any reference to Burleson's company denoted as "Company A"

(3) The only "Big Bend" mentioned in my research is on Arkansas River... not Rio Grande.

(4) The only battle that sounds even remotely familiar to this is Cortina's attack on Laredo in late May 1861. Mexicans surrounded Capt. Benavides and a few men in a farmhouse. The battle ended with no American losses, but at least 7 Mexicans dead... maybe more... 15-18 wounded, two of which drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande... and another 11 captured, who were summarily lined up and shot.

(5) And, I have no knowledge of any encounter at Willow Springs... but I do have reference to a place called Willow Pond, "about 45 miles above Laredo, on the road to Eagle Pass" where rangers were stationed briefly in April 1861. (Corpus Christi Ranchero, 20 April 1861)

Now.. in regards to Burleson's company... I went through my source material and timelines today… I have dozens of letters and accounts relating to all or parts of the role Burleson’s company played during 1860... including at least 30 letters written to or from Burleson and/or McCord themselves. Since this might help others in unrelated ways, I’m including a fairly detailed account of Burleson’s service in 1860. Here’s what my research shows:

Ed Burleson received his orders from Gov. Houston on 4 January. On 20 January, he ordered Jim McCord to go to Austin and start procuring supplies and transportation for the company. On 21 January, Burleson signed up 55 men in his hometown of San Marcos and made arrangements for his first shipment of rations to go to San Antonio. The mustering officer, Capt. J.M.W. Hall, received a request from McCord on 27 January to send him blank requisition forms, and then on 30 January, Hall officially mustered in Burleson’s company with 55 men. Hall’s letter to Gov. Houston confirming the muster in was delivered to Austin by McCord.

Burleson moved on San Antonio to continue to fill up his roster. From 5 February through 8 February, he signed up 14 more men, bringing his complement, including himself, to a full 70. Gov. Houston had originally ordered Burleson to scout south to the Nueces River, but Burleson felt there was absolutely no chance of finding Indians there and requested a directional change that would place him in Coleman County, between the other ranging companies under Capt. John Conner and Capt. William Dalrymple. Houston agreed on 7 February… and Burleson made plans to head to Home Creek as soon as McCord returned from Austin with supplies. (My estimates indicate they left San Antonio around 15 February)

On 23 February, Gov. Houston sent information to Burleson via Capt. Conner’s company about evidence of Indians in Burnet/Eastland County, and ordered Burleson to extend his patrol area. It’s unclear when Burleson received that information but he stopped at Camp Colorado, 25 miles from Conner, on 25 February and soon made his way 20 miles south to a permanent camp on Home Creek, dubbing it “Camp Beaver.” On 29 February, Burleson grew impatient for supplies and sent McCord back to Austin to find the supplier, S. M. Swenson, and resolve the delay.

On 1 March, with more reports of Indian depredations coming in, Gov. Houston ordered Burleson to take 20 of Conner’s men and make a scout to the Cedar Mountains. A report from Burleson, dated 4 March, soon arrived, detailing several scouts Burleson’s men had conducted along the Llano, San Saba, Brady’s Creek, Guadalupe, Concho to Pegleg Point, Jim Ned, Pecan Bayou and Cedar Break on the head of the Little Wichita. Three Mexican guides were traveling with the men and no sign of Indians had been found. Burleson wrote that McCord had not yet returned from Austin.

On 7 March, Burleson rendezvoused with Conner, presented him with Houston’s order and took 20 men under Lt. Washington Hammett. Conner was not happy and apparently made an ass of himself. Houston was already upset with Conner because his men had been charging settlers for the return of horses allegedly stolen by Indians on the frontier. Conner’s company was forcibly marched home and disbanded in early May. Burleson now had 70 men of his own, and a 20-man complement from Conner. One man was discharged for refusing to do guard duty on 10 March, dropping Burleson’s roster to 69.

By 12 March, McCord had returned without finding out where the company’s rations had gone. Burleson ordered him to ride to Camp Colorado and obtain any rations they could spare. On 13 March, Burleson led a 75-man scouting mission to the Wichita Mountains, expecting to be out 25 days, because he only had 30 days worth of rations. McCord, who stayed behind at Camp Beaver, received further orders from Burleson on 18 March to go to Austin and obtain replacement rations for what he had obtained from Camp Colorado.

Burleson’s scout did not return to Camp Beaver until around 11 April. They found no Indians. He rested his horses and sent out a new 15-day scout and three smaller scouts the following day. On 16 April, Houston wrote both Burleson and Dalrymple that a new expedition to Indian country was being organized and they were to await further orders from Col. M. T. Johnson. On 20 April, Capt. J.M.W. Hall arrived at Camp Beaver on a routine mission to all ranger camps to assess conditions for the Governor. He stayed 2 days. On 21 April, Gov. Houston ordered Burleson to meet with Dalrymple in Clay County then report to Johnson at Fort Belknap, however, Johnson had sent orders to Burleson that arrived around 6 May (before Houston’s) that told Burleson to stay put.

On 9 May, Burleson updated Gov. Houston on his status, saying Johnson had ordered him to wait at Camp Beaver and that he was ready to leave with 77 men when ordered. He sent McCord on a 5-day scout with orders to go to Fort Belknap afterward in order to plan for the upcoming mission.

Col. Johnson sent word to Burleson on 21 May to leave a few men to guard Camp Beaver and bring the rest to Fort Belknap. Five other companies were at the post; only Burleson’s and Dalrymple’s were missing. Dalrymple arrived on 23 May with 38 men. Burleson was out on a scout and didn’t receive Johnson’s orders until 2 June. Burleson was hoping to receive some of the confiscated property from Conner’s disbanded company to take with him to Belknap, but it never arrived. Burleson left at least six of his own men behind at Camp Beaver (Gov. Houston discharged them on 6 July), as well as apparently 19 of the men he had taken from Capt. Conner (McCord later reported that 25 men had been left behind). Minus two men that Burleson discharged for unknown reasons on 30 May, Burleson reported he was headed for Fort Belknap with 62 men. (Note: The math from what we know backs him up… 69 + 20 = 89 – 25 = 64 – 2 = 62)

Meanwhile, Lt. McCord had been at Belknap for a couple of weeks. Lt. Col. Smith, in temporary command of Fort Belknap while Col. Johnson was away, ordered McCord on 6 June to rent wagons and other transportation from the locals for the cheapest rate possible. He reported back to Smith on 12 June that he had procured several vehicles, but not as cheaply as he had hoped. By the time Burleson arrived, late on the 12th, all companies had left for the expedition to Camp Radziminski, en route to the Wichita Agency to investigate Indian depredations on the frontier.

One of Burleson’s men had deserted during the march to Belknap and two more deserted after reaching the post. Now, with 59 men, Burleson wrote Houston in disgust that he had arrived as ordered and the campaign had left without him, left no officers in camp, and left no orders for Lt. McCord to pass along. Burleson made his own call: “I shall leave here in three hours for Fort Radzminskie where I will report to Capt. Dalrymple and if he is of the same opinion, we will make a scout to the Big Bend of the Arkansas River, where I am told we will be sure to find plenty of Indians… I will leave Radziminskie in 15 days for the scout, as Capt. Dalrymple left me word he was ready and we will whip all the Indians we find…” He joined the campaign on 24 June at “Camp Wichita” on Otter Creek, just above Camp Radziminski.

On 3 July, Lt. McCord wrote Austin from Camp Radziminski to request rations to be sent to the 25 men guarding Camp Beaver. The next day, Burleson wrote to Gov. Houston to express his frustration that all companies had arrived, but Col. Johnson was nowhere to be found and there were no orders. (Johnson had left Belknap on 2 June for 3-weeks leave to get married in Galveston. He did not join his men at Radziminski until 12 July.) Burleson wrote: “I have no rations… I send Lieut. McCord down to make all the necessary arrangements for my company… I refer you to Lieut. McCord for a full statement of facts as they exist here as I am satisfied he can fully and fairly state the urgency of the case better than I could write it to you… Capt. Dalrymple has returned from the agency and proposes to leave on the 6th Inst. for a forty days scout… I wish Lieut. McCord to go with me on this scout. He will make a requisition on Mr. Swenson for provisions…” Hence, McCord was on his way back to Austin.

Instead of a 40-day scout, Burleson and some of his men ended up accompanying Lt. Col. Smith and several officers to the Wichita Agency on the Reserve. By the time they returned to Camp Wichita on 16 July, Johnson had arrived to take over command. Burleson and Dalrymple both expressed their displeasure with the campaign and asked to leave the expedition and return to their respective camps. Johnson approved. Burleson’s company left on 31 July for a month-long scout up the Big Wichita on a route that would take them to Double Mountains and back to Camp Beaver. McCord did not return in time to make the mission; he relayed the news of Burleson’s status to Gov. Houston from Fort Belknap on 3 August.

Gov. Houston sent orders to Burleson on 21 August to muster out. Burleson replied on 3 September that he was headed to San Marcos and should arrive in two days. The company was mustered out on 7 September… 60 men. Also, three men whose names had not appeared on the official roll, appeared on the payroll in November 1860… Seuth L. Barrow, John M. Nail and Lindsey Sutler.

According to Ingmire’s Ranger Service Records, 70 men were enlisted when the company set out in mid-February. Four men were added “officially” during the company’s service (Augustus Gralen in April; Samuel Tanner and Edward Crump in May; and Theodore Cullen in June). Three men deserted, all in June. Three men were dishonorably discharged, one in March and two in September. And, eight were discharged at Camp Beaver, two in May by Burleson and six in July by Gov. Houston.

Unfortunately, I don’t see any information regarding a man named Guthrie in my research… and I don’t see any gap in time where McCord could’ve taken a group of men hundreds of miles across the state to the Rio Grande border. Any such move would’ve had to have been ordered by either Gov. Houston or Col. Johnson and I’ve found nothing to indicate that either man did so or was even asked by Col. Ford to do so. Ford and his rangers had fought with Maj. Heintzelman’s troops in the Cortina War in 1859. As far as I’m aware, there were only minor skirmishes in 1860, nothing to warrant a request for reinforcements. The border war didn’t heat up again until 1861.

I can't say the events in Guthrie's account didn't happen, but I don't see how they could've occurred during Burleson's service in 1860.

= = = = = =
Also, a note about Lt. Carson… There were at least two “J. Carson”s in the service in 1860. Joseph or John Carson (b. c1834) was a 2nd Lieutenant under Burleson in 1860, and had also served under Ford in 1858. I also have a note that on 6 August 1860, Gov. Houston ordered J. Carson’s detachment of minute-men to muster out. Burleson’s Lt. Carson didn’t muster out until 7 September, so this was another J. Carson. I’m not sure what county though.