I'm certain he was tempted to remain in the army, he seems to have been a good officer. But the record (flawed though it is) states he declined the promotion. When he's at Champion Hill in February, 1864, he's following Sherman's army east . . . he's not with the cavalry column which is several days ahead by that date; further, the First Indiana wasn't on the Meridian expedition, so he's there on his own. I presume he was there trying to make a dollar [?].
John