the first major engagement in price's raid occurred at pilot knob, where he successfully captured the union-held fort davidson but he needlessly slaughtered many of his men in the process. it was for a gain that turned out to be of no real value. from pilot knob, he swung west, away from st. louis (his primary objective) and toward kansas city, missouri and nearby fort leavenworth, kansas. forced to bypass his secondary target at heavily fortified jefferson city, price cut a swath of destruction across his home state. all the while his army steadily grew smaller due to battlefield losses, disease, and desertion. price defeated inferior federal forces at glasgow, lexington, the little blue river and independence. but price was ultimately boxed in by two northern armies at westport, in today's kansas city, and forced to fight against a much larger army. this unequal contest, known afterward as "the gettysburg of the west", did not go his way, and he was forced to retreat into hostile kansas. a new series of defeats followed, as price's battered and broken army was pushed steadily southward towards arkansas. then it was pushed further south into texas, where price remained until the war ended. price's raid would prove to be his last significant military operation, and the last significant confederate campaign west of the mississippi.