A question about the gold...

The details should go like this....


At the end of January 1862 Jackson, Baker, and Stevens are detailed as a part of a 25 man Paymasters detachment for I Corps of the Trans-Mississippi District. Around the first of February, near Ft. Smith, they blunder into a Union Cavalry reconnaissance party. In the heat of battle the Paymasters wagon and $200,000 in gold coins disappears. The sole separated survivors, all wounded, are Jackson, Stevens, and Baker. At the beginning of the 2nd week of February back in Dallas a military tribunal conducts an inquiry and acquits both Jackson and Stevens. Stevens is discharged and immediately heads back to his El Paso, TX hacienda. Jackson, beginning to worry about being reassigned back to points further East, either changes his name to Bill Carson and telegraphs ahead to re-enlist in Sibley's Brigade, then hops a stage to El Paso, or Jackson, kills the real Bill Carson who is already on his way to join Sibley and assumes his identity.

The fact that Jackson has a snuff box embroidered with Bill Carson's name points to the latter scenario (he wouldn't have time to create an elaborate prop such as this), so in this latter scenario Jackson, after his acquittal, meets a dispatch-bearing corporal in Dallas on his way from Richmond to Sibley with orders to attach himself to the 7th Texas Cavalry (7th Mounted Volunteers) 3rd Regiment. The man is Jackson's age and build and Jackson decides to kill him and take over his identity and assignment. What better way to disappear. Jackson hops the stage to El Paso to catch up with Sibley's Brigade.

A wounded Baker belatedly arrives back in Dallas and finds out that Jackson has completely vanished. Baker begins to suspect that Jackson along with Stevens has the missing gold. Baker heads back to El Paso and starts to threaten and torment Stevens as to the whereabouts of Jackson and the cash box. Getting no satisfaction, Baker hires Angel Eyes to find Jackson.