Price's Raid - Aftermath

Aftermath

Needing to avoid Fort Smith, Arkansas, Price swung west into Indian Territory and Texas before returning to Arkansas on December 2 with only 6,000 survivors from an original force of 12,000, including thousands of guerrillas who joined him later. He reported to Kirby Smith that he "marched 1,434 miles, fought 43 battles and skirmishes, captured and paroled over 3,000 Federal officers and men, captured 18 pieces of artillery ... and destroyed Missouri property ... of $10,000,000 in value." Nevertheless, Price's mission had been a complete failure and contributed, along with Union successes in Virginia and Georgia, to the re-election of President Lincoln. Moreover, Price had wound up doing the Federals' job for them: he cleared Missouri of the Guerrillas, all those who joined him were either killed or left the state with him. Price's Raid proved to be the final Confederate offensive in the Trans-Mississippi region during the war.