My Summary of ARushing and Danny Odom's postings on MG James F. Fagan's Escort During Price's Expedition follows:

Col. Crawford was given command of Slemons’ brigade, they were furloughed by Price on 11-9/10-64, and Crawford then (passed thru Doaksville/Ft. Towson) went to Texas with some of his men, but not with Fagan. He returned to Arkansas in December 1864. He wrote this to his wife on 1-1-65, but he still had not made it home yet.

Capt. N. T. Roberts and three companies from Anderson’s unattached Arkansas cavalry battalion served as MG James F. Fagan’s escort during Price’s Expedition.

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Over a year ago, I posted a blog on history-sites.com, Indian Territory, at:

http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/itcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=7528

my first attempt at describing Price’s Retreat thru Indian Territory during November 1864. I tried to write the action on the dates they occurred (something like Breaking News), but 150 years late! Since then, I have been researching and writing an updated archival version (in chapters) which will include everything that I have learned since, including the above new information that ARushing and Danny Odom have provided regarding MG James F. (Fleming) Fagan's ride to Washington with his escort. (Surely, Fagan took the Doaksville-Ft. Towson military road to Little Rock that passed thru Washington, Arkansas. I have driven the old military road’s route from Ft. Towson to Ultima Thule, and the route from Washington to Arkadelphia, minus a few river crossings and missing links, particularly in Hempstead County Road 16. This latter segment was the route that General Fred. Steele tried to take during his failed Camden Expedition.)

My speculation as to why MG Fagan stayed with Price for several days as they rode thru the barrens of Indian Territory after all four of Fagan's cavalry brigades had left for home is as follows. Fagan liked Old Pap, his superior, and he knew that BG Shelby wanted to leave Price and go look for food and forage along the Canadian River for several days (so no division commander would still be with Old Pap if Fagan also left). Price would surely appreciate such a gesture of respect and support. Moreover, it also seems to me that MG Fagan had little to gain by riding off with any of his individual brigades, because he knew they would soon break up into separate regiments, and shortly thereafter they would break up into individual companies, each headed to their individual counties / towns / firesides. So how would any trooper benefit from his presence during their separate rides home? Besides Fagan had a pocket order from Price, written at Cane Hill, for him to establish his division's headquarters at Washington, Arkansas in December. Fagan also knew that he had strong regimental commanders that knew their way home. So Fagan stayed until Price got his remaining men past Stand Watie’s Indian camp and Middle Boggy River (at Atoka, OK), and within an easy days ride down the well-marked Texas Road to some meager supplies at Boggy Depot.

Thanks again to ARushing and Danny Odom for their research noted above on Fagan's escort and command.