Robert Buchanan Blackwell (Jan. 17, 1829 - May 28, 1868) was appointed Sheriff of Bedford County TN during the war.
http://tennessee.civilwarsourcebook.com/collection/1862-08/1862-08-Article-85-Page115.pdf

According to the 1850 census, looks as if Blackwell and his immediate family lived in Cherokee County TX. His younger brother, David C. Blackwell, enlisted in Co. "K", 5th Texas Mounted Regt. and died of disease at Hempstead TX, Jan. 16, 1863.

Even though Goodspeed's History of Bedford County mentions that he raised a company for Confederate service during 1862, we have a letter he wrote to Governor Andrew Johnson on August 10, 1862. Richmond was a small settlement near Shelbyville TN where Blackwell lived --
http://www.southernhistory.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6760

By the summer of 1864 Robert Blackwell had become a minor guerrilla leader in southern Tennessee --
http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/TN-CHESTNUTRIDGECOUSINS/2007-01/1169596948

Later he presented himself as a C.S. officer in Shelby County AL. Quite a bit appears in various posts on the Alabama message board detailing his strange activities there during the winter of 1864-65. Up until now I've been unable to find any reference to this man in Confederate service. However, a parole was signed by him as Major and Provost Marshal of Buford's Cavalry Division, May 10, 1865, Gainesville, Ala. During February-March of 1865, Abram Buford's 'Division' of Forrest's cavalry had its headquarters at Montevallo AL.

According to family tree data, he had a son named Charles Jourdan born near St. Francis AR on Oct. 19, 1865. Blackwell died (perhaps violently) at Spring Creek in Parker County TX, May 28, 1868. Evidently other members of the Blackwell family lived in Parker County, quite a dangerous place in those years.

Does anyone know more about this man?