Ken, I will jump in with this...General Herron arrived in Fort Smith in the roll of Inspector General on the 7th. Thayer wrote to Steele that day: SIR: Your dispatch of October 29 was received here yesterday. General Herron, Colonel Sackett, and others arrived here to-day. They think the train crossed at Dardanelle, and I have sent down two regiments on this side to meet it. Price was at Cane Hill on Friday, the 4th instant. I think he is aiming to cross the Arkansas at the mouth of the Illinois (Webber's Falls). I took a force across the river with the view of moving up to attack him as crossed the river, but finding Cooper threatening Fort Smith I brought my force back. Within my fortifications we are safe against Price and Cooper both and shall hold Fort Smith. I have no fears.
A few days later Herron sent this to Canby: The day before Price crossed General Thayer prepared a column of 3,000 men to move out, but for some reason held it back. They seemed to have but little information at this post as to the enemy's movements, even when within thirty miles of here, and it was not known they had crossed until Blunt brought the information.
I would venture to guess that Thayer had no real knowledge of either Cooper or Gano but was operating strictly on rumor, as was often the case, and had no real intention of taking the field. From the moment Herron arrived at his post Thayer had to realize he was under the microscope. I cant help but wonder if this didn't affect his actions or non-actions? In any event, this lack of action on the part of various Union commanders in Arkansas, both in Price's initial crossing of the Arkansas River in Sept., and then his retreat through the I.T., would result in a shake up in Union command in the state.