Does anyone know anything about the orphaned children of the Texas Confederate soldiers?

My Great Grandfather and his brother were adopted after 1864 and before 1870. The adopted brothers, Thomas and Joseph Cousins were born in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas in 1861 and 1862 to Thomas Cussens (Cousins) and Lidia Stripling. Thomas Sr and Lydia Stripling were married July 3, 1860 in Beaumont according to marriage records. Also, Thomas and Lidia (Lydia) are listed in the July 5, 1860 US Census, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.

Thomas has several military records available. Just one year after his marriage, he enlisted on May 4, 1861, with the Jefferson County Mounted Rangers in Beaumont. As far as I can gather, Joseph Hebert’s unit, (Jefferson County Mounted Rangers) disbanded within a few months. (not sure if the term “disbanded” is the correct terminology.) Just about the same time of this unit breaking up, a son, Thomas Henry was born on Sep 16, 1861.

The next military record, a Texas Muster list, denoted that Thomas Cussen (COUSINS) was in 11th Battalion, Texas Volunteers (Cavalry and Infantry) (Spaight's); Corporal; Co E; rank in Corporal; rank out Private. I do not know what rank and out mean. It seems he was a private in the Jefferson Rangers, then a Corporal in Spaight’s 11th Battalion and then back to a private. (possibly ill from typhoid or yellow fever or wounded).

I read a story that in March of 1862, Captain George O’Brien, recovered from illness (dysentery), raised infantry Company E at Beaumont, Jefferson, Texas.

In April of 1862, Thomas Cussens and Lydia had another son, Joseph George, my Great Grandfather.

The only other military related record I have on Thomas H. Cusses (Thos. Cussens) comes from the Confederate Indigent list. On Februay 3, 1864, his name was submitted by the Jefferson County officials with three eligible dependents. That would include himself, his wife Lydia, both aged 26, and his two baby boys, Thomas Henry, aged 4, and (my Great Grandfather) Joseph George, aged 3.

Reading all the unit changes and places of battles and trying to organize a timeline for Thomas gets overwhelming. It seems as though he was very ill or injured and died. Also, I think his wife, Lydia must have died, too. This left the two sons as young orphans. The first trace I find of them is in the 1870 US Census of Galveston, Texas. They are living with a German widow, Elizabeth Heiman Thorp. They are listed as “adopted”.

I was born and raised in Galveston but have been in Arizona for years.

Can anyone help filling in the blanks of Thomas’s military excursions (stations?) between the disbanding of the Jefferson County Mounted Rangers to Spaight’s 11th Battalion, Company E action. And what happened to orphaned children resulting from that period in Texas.

Regards and thank you in advance for your time. Irin Smith