J. A. Watson, 23, Private, Capt. M. V. Smith’s Company, Randal’s Regiment, Texas Lancers*, enlisted May 21, 1862 in Rusk County by M. V. Smith for 3 years, recorded absent, on detached service at the June 30, 1862 muster, no further records”*

* This company subsequently became Company D,28th Regiment Texas Cavalry

** The next Company D muster roll in the records is that for the period May-June, 1863. Hence, he would have been dropped from the rolls for some unknown reason during that period

Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas

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In July 1862 the Twenty-eighth Texas Cavalry left Texas and traveled by way of Shreveport, Louisiana, to Camp Nelson near Austin, Arkansas. There, the Twenty-eighth joined three Texas infantry regiments and a dismounted cavalry battalion in a brigade commanded by their first colonel, Horace Randal. Eli H. Baxter, Jr., took command of the regiment. In October 1862 the unit became part of a new division organized by Brig. Gen. Henry E. McCulloch. During the fall of 1862 the regiment suffered terribly from sickness and lost seventy-eight men to disease and infection.

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qkt30