I've always had a gut feeling, with absolutely nothing substantial to base it on, that an Arkansas general might have offered a more vigorous defense of Little Rock than Price.
Price was obsessed with liberating Missouri, and I certainly don't fault him for that. He was a Missouri patriot. I've always wondered if an Arkansas patriot might have gone the extra mile at Little Rock.
Anyway, thanks for an excellent post. Lots of stuff to think about therein.