ARushing,

I know of no report that Crawford went with Fagan to Texas during Price's Expedition (during November, 1864.) It is possible that Fagan followed Crawford from Doaksville/Ft. Towson to Texas some days later, however, but there is no Confederate report (that I know of) that they were ever together in Texas during the time of Price's Expedition. Perhaps by the first week of December, Fagan went looking for his men who were reported to him (perhaps by Price) as still "wintering in North Texas." The numbers are unknown.

Crawford was not with Fagan after 11-10-64, as Crawford was in command of Slemons' brigade and they were headed directly for Arkansas (many had to turn south due to starvation and large federal cavalry patrols around Ft. Smith. The old Ft. Smith-Ft. Towson military road soon became their only safe road to salvation. However, Fagan and his escort were 50 miles to the west with Price and probably still on the former US mail route from Ft. Smith (Beale/California Trail) and headed southwest toward Perryville, IT. Since we both believe that Crawford went to Texas to find food and forage (I believe during Price's Expedition), I am assuming that Crawford was in one of the many squads of men that MG Sam B. Maxey said his command fed at Doaksville, IT as they passed thru to Texas during the five-day period 11 1864, as noted in several places in the Official Records.

Here is one new item I just found that needs to be examined: On 1-7-65 Col. A. H. Ryan (USA), in command at Lewisburg, AR along the Arkansas River reported (48-1-447) that Price, Shelby and Fagan were (had been) in Texas recruiting (as reported by a private unnamed Federal scout). If true, it is possible that Fagan had gotten reports (perhaps from Maxey) after arriving at Doaksville/Ft. Towson of his men's (from Slemons' and Cabell's brigades) observed destitute condition (during the period 11 - 12, ... , 17, ... 21, 1864) as they were being fed at Doaksville and sent on (Crawford writes: to Red River and Texas). Fagan probably did not arrive at Doaksville until 11-21-64, at the earliest, days after Crawford must have passed thru. Fagan may have followed them on to Texas in spite of Price's orders. Price had ordered him to go and set up his HQ at Washington, AR (where Magruder was headed). There is no record (that I know of) of Fagan actually being at Doaksville, or then going on south across Red River to Clarksville, TX. It is also possible that Fagan rode east from Ft. Towson toward Arkansas as ordered, heard that Price was headed nearby to Laynesport, AR on Red River, where Gano's former brigade of Maxey's command was also camped nearby. Fagan may have decided to camped nearby also and wait for Price to arrive, which he did a few days later. It is unknown whether any of Fagan's furloughed troopers were with Price as he re-crossed Red River from Clarksville to Laynesport on 12-3-64. There is no mention of them being with Price in any Missouri report that I have read.

To summarize, the evidence suggest that Crawford passed thru Doaksville/Ft. Towson and went to North Texas to rest and recover. None of Fagan's men were recognized as being in any form of unified command by MG Maxey as they paused to refresh, but were " ... destitute, arriving in all kinds of condition, singly and in small squads."

Fagan did not arrive at Doaksville until after most of his men had already been fed and marched on somewhere. Crawford's letter (of 1-1-65) to his wife suggests to North Texas. The recently discovered Federal scouting report supports this premise. It is logical that MG Fagan with his escort would have gone looking for and after his courageous Arkansans. It is plausible that Price, Shelby and Fagan all went looking (recruiting) for them for the same reason--they deeply cared for their men. It is known that Shelby was "granted leave" by Price at Clarksville, but Price marched on to Laynesport, where Price's Expedition officially ended. I can believe that Price authorized Fagan to go back to Texas and perhaps join Shelby in looking after their men. It is known that Fagan's other brigades sent into Northeastern Arkansas from Cane Hill still had not returned across the Arkansas River as of March 1, 1865, but Fagan had returned to Washington, AR by 2-1-65, where he assumed command of the Cavalry of the District of the Arkansas (48-1-1361). By 3-8-65, Fagan was placed in Command of the District of the Arkansas, replacing Magruder (48-1-1416) who was sent to (again) assume command of Texas.

Fagan is gone somewhere during December 1864 and January 1865. Plenty of time to visit his troops, North Texas, and Shreveport. Where was his family during this period?

General E. Kirby Smith proceeded to try to reorganize his entire army in the Trans-Mississippi at camps around Texas during March and April 1865, focusing on converting many (nine) of his cavalry regiments into infantry regiments. Many senior commanders were new to the Trans-Mississippi, and not all to General Smith's choosing. All white troops, except two small Texas battalions, were moved out of Indian territory and back to Texas. The reorganization would look good on paper, but never came to be, as the war ended before it really got hot in Texas.