Perhaps Post War UCV meetings in Uniform embellished on his service. I cannot find any information of this Major Rice.
Elias C. Downs, Private, Captain Wm. M. Williams' Cavalry Company C (Co.B, Fulton Dragoons), Georgia Legion*, enlisted April 18, 1863 at Camp Randolph/Cole, Va., by Capt. Williams for the war, assigned April 18, 1863 on extra duty as a Courier for Major Rice, paid 25 cts/day for the period April 1, to May 7, 1863 as a Courier, service during the period October 25, 1863 to November 16, 1863 on extra duty as a Forger, on Horse Detail from February 23, 1864 through at least September 20, 1864, paroled May 1, 1865 at Greensboro, N. C.
* This company subsequently became Company G (Cavalry Battalion), Cobb's Legion, Georgia Volunteers.
M266: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia
Cobb's Legion, Georgia
Cobb's Legion was organized by Howell Cobb during the spring of 1861 and soon moved to Virginia. The legion was composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, but did not serve as one command. The artillery company was an independent unit known as the Troup Light Artillery and its history is given under that name.
The cavalry battalion included men from Richmond, Fulton, and Dougherty counties and contained six companies. Later five more were added and the unit served with eleven until July, 1864. At that time one company transferred to Phillips' Georgia Legion. Its strength now totalled 526 officers and men. Also its designation was changed to the 9th Georgia Cavalry, but was rarely used. The unit was assigned to General Hampton's, Butler's, and P.M.B. Young's Brigade, and participated in various conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. Later it was involved in numerous engagements south and north of the James River. This command lost 3 officers and 41 men at Brandy Station, and sustained 21 casualties out of the 330 engaged at Gettysburg. In 1865 it was attached to T.M. Logan's Brigade, fought in the Carolinas, and surrendered with the Army of Tennessee. The field officers were Colonels Pierce M.B. Young and Gilbert J. Wright; Lieutenant Colonels W.G. Delony and Barrington S. King; and Majors Z.A. Rice and Benjamin C. Yancey.
The infantry battalion included men from Stephens, Lamar, Burke, and Carroll counties. It contained seven companies and in April, 1862, had a force of 594 effectives. The battalion served under Generals H. Cobb, T.R.R. Cobb, Wofford, and DuBose. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Gettysburg, then moved with Longstreet to Georgia. Not engaged at Chickamauga, it was active in the Knoxville Campaign. Returning to Virginia the unit took an active part in the battles of The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action in the Appomattox Campaign. Its casualties were twenty-seven percent of the 248 at Crampton's Gap, 22 killed and 135 wounded at Chancellorsville, and about ten percent of the 213 at Gettysburg disabled. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 1 officer and 55 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonel Thomas R.R. Cobb; Lieutenant Colonels Richard B. Garnett, Luther J. Glenn, G.B. Knight, and Jefferson M. Lamar; and Majors Ed. F. Bagley, Thomas Camak, William D. Conyers, and W.W. McDaniel
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm
See also: http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/gspurloc/cobbslegion/index.htm
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cobb's+legion+cavalry&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8