"Capt. Cocke, however, has no Roll or any thing to show that his Company was ever received as a Company organization or mustered into service until on or about the 1st day of August, 1864. He dates his Commission back from the 12th of April, 1864. "
This casts doubt on the idea that he was a Captain in the Helena Guards and also explains why records of this unit are hard to come by.
I believe that he enlisted as a PRIVATE in the Helena Guards in 1861 and was probably later given a commission and command of the unit mentioned in a letter by Col. John S. "Rip" Ford to County Judge Spencer Ford at Lockhart, Texas in a letter dated Dec 28, 1863:
"If there was no company organized for my command in Caldwell County you will please fill the enclosed as you may deem proper. If a company has been enlisted and officers elected insert the name of the Captain and tell him to report to me for duty without delay."
It was about this time that my ancestor, E. L. Kirksey, enlisted. He was from Caldwell County as well as Sam Garner and possibly some others. Most of those raised at this time were boys and old men, so maybe they did not elect their own Captain??
(Both of these letters are in the Ford Papers at the Haley Library in Midland, Texas.)