price was not finished as a confederate commander, however. he contested union control over arkansas in the summer of 1863, and while he won some of his engagements, he was not able to move union forces out of the state. in early 1864, confederate general edmund kirby-smith, in command of the western louisiana campaign, ordered general price in arkansas to send all of his infantry to shreveport. confederate forces in the indian territory were to join price in the endeavor. general john b. magruder in texas was instructed to send infantry toward marshall, texas, west of shreveport. general st. john r. liddell was instructed to proceed from the ouachita river west toward natchitoches. with a force of five thousand, price reached shreveport on march 24. however, kirby-smith detained the division and divided it into two smaller ones. he hesitated to send the men south to fight union general nathaniel p. banks, whom he believed outnumbered the confederate forces. this decision which drew the opposition of general richard taylor. but the western campaign was nearing its conclusion.