James E. McCord, a South Carolinian who came to Texas in 1853, surveyed lands in this region, including the site of Camp Colorado, served as a Texas Ranger, and became a prominent secessionist. At the start of the Civil War he was a member of Texas state troops, and in 1862 he became lieutenant colonel of the Texas Frontier Regiment. Morale was low among these rugged frontiersmen, who disliked the discipline and chain of command of army life, while Indians had learned the system of regular patrols between posts and slipped through to plunder, and draft evaders and deserters were flocking to the frontier and stealing from settlers. Some Coleman County families stayed near Camp Colorado for safety. In 1863 McCord was unanimously elected colonel in command of the regiment and operated it as a Ranger unit, abolishing regular patrols in favor of unexpected scouting expeditions to surprise Indian raiding parties. These changes increased the regiment's effectiveness. In late 1863 a new frontier defense system was initiated, and McCord's Regiment entered Confederate service as the 46th Texas Cavalry. With the immediate threat of Union invasion from Louisiana and Arkansas, part of the 46th, led by McCord, was sent to East Texas defenses, where it remained until the war's close. McCord was also a prominent county pioneer and businessman and was buried in Coleman Cemetery.