Again I point to the statement made by the colonel of the 12th Tennessee Cavalry (US) when he wrote AT THE TIME, that when he challenged Rucker on December 16th, Rucker responded that he was with the 12th Tennessee Cavalry (CS).

No mention of any escort, no mention of any other regiment of his brigade - just the 12th Tennessee Cavalry (CS) as being with Rucker - and from Rucker's own words.

Regarding the Aberdeen flag in Alabama, it seems that the ladies made it up still thinking that Rucker still had a brigade and when he came to Aberdeen to recover from wounds they gave it to him not knowing about his lack of a brigade at the time nor the controversy surrounding any brigade command as registered by subordinate commanders.

What Alan Pitts has written is solidly backed up by several Forrest bios and the Official Records. I have known of Alan's superb research for years - he is without peer in all things Alabama Civil War units for one - and he has never steered me wrong in anything he ever sent me over this time frame.

Greg Biggs