Who, if anyone, could have pursuaded Price to pursue more reasonable goals? After all, occupation of territory had to be secondary to sustaining a viable military force as the South's most immediate goal. Surely competent Southern officers must have acknowledged those priorities.

While Federal resources were far superior, Price could have aided the Confederate cause by obliging his adversaries to concentrate against him. Any serious effort to defeat his forces in the field would have require expenditure of considerable logistical resources. Political reasons alone would have forced Federal commanders to do something about this incursion and take steps to see that it never happened again.

In addition to collecting supplies and recruits, Price could have achieved much by occupying Federal forces in Missouri as long as possible without risking his army in a major battle. Entering Missouri without a definite exit strategy was a disasterous course.