Samuel Ruffin
During the Civil War, he equipped and sent to the field at his own expense the Choctaw Ruffin Dragoons, the first cavalry company from Alabama. This unit was so well dressed and drilled that it earned a high reputation under the command of Frank Young Gaines. The Company served in Gen. Wheeler's Division.
Frank Y. Gaines, Captain/Major, Company A/Field & Staff, 3rd Alabama Cavalry
The Third Alabama cavalry was organized at Tupelo, June, 1862
and was formed of companies which had already seen hard
service, some of them, as Murphy's battalion, at Shiloh
Company A, Ruffin Dragoons, originally Company C, Wirt Adams Miss. Cav.
See Co. C, Wirt Adams ???? Wood’s Regt. Confed. Cav.
F. Y. Gaines, Captain, Capt. Gaines’ Company C, Wirt Adams’ Regiment, Mounted Volunteers,* enlisted September 25,1861 at Mt. Sterling, Ala. for the war,
* This company subsequently became Company A, 3rd Regiment Alabama Cavalry