The Whitfield company was first found in the Indian territory. Next it was at Wilson Creek, where Ben McClough added three Texas companies and one Arkansas company to Whitfield's Company and made it a battalion. It operated as a cavalry battalion at Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge). As the units fell back toward Fort Smith after the battle, two factors seemed to affect Van Dorns thinking. One the cavalry horses were taking up a lot of time getting the horses fed and the horses looked sick. The second thing was that he needed Infantry if he was going to be help at Corinth. Thus he dismounted most of the Cavalry and sent the horses to Texas and Louisiana. At the same time eight companies were recruited in Texas. All were brought to Arkansas attached to Whitfield and horses were returned to Texas. A lot of men were on details moving horses.
The Arkansas company went to an Arkansas unit, and Whitfield had Twelve companies. Someone may have intended to make a real Legion, but no companies were trained as artillery. All trained as infantry. The May reorganization, 1862, saw the reorganized 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment (dismounted). AKA. Whitfield's Texas Legion and 1st Texas Legion.
In September the units were moving near Iuka, MS and the 3rd and 27th Texas Cavalries Dismounted were attached to brigades in the lead of Prices Army. They ran head on into The Union Army and both suffered losses of men, killed, captured, missing and wounded. The 27th lost 19 KIA and probably as many missing, captured. Wounded were hard to track, as some went with the Army and some were at Iuka in the Hospital.
On the 2nd of October the 27th was in reserve and did not see action at Corinth. On the 5th the 27th was in the lead retreating from Corinth. Again the unit was shot up and many were captured as the unit was shredded at Hatchie Bridge.
Most of the prisoners and walking wounded had returned by the end of October and early November. The unit was released from Infantry duty by the first week of December. ON the 15th they moved out on the Holly Springs raid.
What does not show up is the day to day activities. Some is found in the books by Stephen Kirk and a few diaries and two or three books by line troopers, such as Asbury Newton Keene. Forgive my spellings for I am writing and winging it.
The 27th needs some specific study. I suspect that the two last companies L & M were disbanded to fill losses caused at Wilson Creek, Pea Ridge, Corinth I, Iuka, Corinth II, Hatchie Bridge And Holly Springs raid and to man Whitfield's staff when the unit became a regiment and later a brigade. These units were training in '62, but they were also pulling guard, acting in all aspects of the times. Detachments were always out on recon or missions as part of training. It was not an easy life.
I will cut this off here and work on specific questions and the 27th in '63, '64 and 65. Stay tuned for more or add questions. Also read the rough history I have at the site below. The 27th rosters came together from many sources. The unit of actual assignment was at times difficult to determine. If you find actual assignments in records are different, let me know. I am trying to make time to go through all the records of the 27th. I have a fairly detailed roster for the 3rd. Stephen Kirk did good work on the 6th and 9th. I hope he still publishes his book on the brigade, but he has not answered e-mails and is 85.