In May 1862, the regiment entered Confederate service and served the entire war west of the Mississippi River in the region known as the Trans-Mississippi Department.

The soldiers hailed from Anderson, Cass, Cherokee, Freestone, Harrison, Houston, Panola, Polk, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, and Upshur Counties.

The camp was named for Texas Brigadier General Allison Nelson who died a few days before the soldiers arrived there.

The 4th Brigade soldiers were subsequently released by a prisoner exchange, but never returned to the division; instead they served east of the Mississippi River.

[9] On 19 January, the division marched back to Pine Bluff where they went into winter quarters in more hospitable surroundings.

[11] On 31 May, the division reached Perkins' Landing which its Federal garrison quickly evacuated after skirmishing with McCulloch's 3rd Brigade.

Taylor directed Walker to take his division to Richmond, Louisiana, and attack Union camps on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Walker's division reached Richmond on the morning of 6 June where information was received that underestimated the strength of the Federals at Milliken's Bend and Young's Point.

[13] On 7 June 1863, in the Battle of Milliken's Bend, McCulloch's 1,500 soldiers attacked 1,061 Union troops under Colonel Hermann Lieb.

[14] The Union gunboat USS Choctaw shelled the levee, keeping McCulloch's men from pursuing the Federal infantry.

[13] In response to McCulloch's appeal, Randal's brigade came forward to help, but by the time it arrived, the battle was over.

[15] Walker's division bivouacked near Delhi, Louisiana, where illness reduced the number of men fit for duty.

[17] The division moved south to oppose a Union expedition under Major General William B. Franklin that was marching north along Bayou Teche.

Taylor gathered 11,000 troops for battle north of Washington, but Franklin's numerically superior force suddenly withdrew.

Banks' forces lost an estimated 200 killed, 900 wounded, 1,800 missing, 20 guns, and 250 wagons in the rout.

[1] On 9 April 1864, Taylor, reinforced to a strength of 14,300 troops, again attacked Banks' Union army at the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

[28] On 17 June 1864, Major General John Horace Forney assumed command of the division from the popular Walker.

[1] On 18 February 1865, Forney's division marched to Shreveport where the soldiers put on a military review and ate a good meal hosted by the townspeople.