Hi Irin, I think I figured out Abel. He went to Texas alone about 1860,leaving his family behind in Tennessee in order to scout out new territory to settle them in. His timing was not good because he quickly got caught up in the civil war and enlisted in the Bachelor Rifles,TST for an undetermined period of time. Meanwhile,his wife Nancy tragically passed away back home in 1862 and left their young children in dire straights... Abel had to go back to Tenn. at once to care for them. I am sure that some family members were in temporary custody of the children. Once back in Tenn. he stayed and remarried probably to give his kids a mother figure. He must have left Texas in a big hurry and could not go back for awhile. Some family lore states that he was listed as a deserter,but I don't know for sure. He always swore that he wasn't. He finally went back to Texas with his family after 1870 and settled in Williamson County. That is where one of his daughters,(grandma) Malissa grew up. When she was 27 years old(1879), she married my grandfather James who had grown up nearby in Milam Cty. A very interesting point is that,according to "Waul's Texas Legion 1862-1865" a book by Robt. Hasskarl,which I obtained today at my local library on special loan from a Boston library,Abel was listed in the muster rolls of the legion. I do know that his TST C.O.Capt Bernard Timmons later served in Waul's and became a Lt.Colonel in the 1st. Battalion of Infantry. My ggrandfather Vernon and my grandfather James are also listed in the book's complete muster roll for Waul's Legion in Co.A,Willis Cavalry Battalion. That is the only place where grandpa James is listed,so the confederate pension he received in 1913 was not a fabrication of facts. This book is a reference edition that only a few libraries and colleges in the country have a copy of. It was on special order. Thanks to your help and lots of research I am slowly unraveling my family history. Regards,Charlie. P.S. You also said that there were 5 Baggetts in confederate service ? I wonder what connection they are to me? I once heard that all Texas & Tenn. Baggetts were related. That's a BIG family.