Ordered to report by rail to General Forrest on Sept. 25, 1864, eight companies of Hodgson's 7th Alabama Cavalry had arrived at Meridian MS by Sept. 29th. [O.R., vol XXXIX, pt. 2, pages 874 and 885]. It was not part of Forrest's command during the raid on Athens, Sulphur Springs and Pulaski (Sept. 23-Oct. 10, 1864).

Col. E. W. Rucker's 6th Brigade had been created on May 24th and dissolved on July 18th of 1864, regiments and battalions assigned to Rucker's Brigade being reassigned. General Forrest placed Rucker in command of Col. J. J. Neely's Brigade on Aug. 30, 1864. A subsequent letter dated Sept. 12th noted that Neely and other regimental commanders had violated orders by disregarding Col. Rucker's authority as directed by Forrest. [O.R., vol XXXIX, pt. 2, pages 619, 717-18, 806 and 831-32].

Units assigned to Rucker's command on Aug. 30th, 1864, included Duckworth's 7th Tennessee Cav., Green's 12th Tennessee Cav., Neely's 12th Tennessee Cav., Stewart's 15th Tennessee Cav. and Allin's 26th Tennessee Cav. Battn. This may not advance either argument being made, but up until the end of the summer of 1864, the brigade was Neely's, not Rucker's.