During Price's Raid, Confederate General Sterling Price brought three mounted divisions from Arkansas into Missouri on September 19, 1864. After several small battles, he marched slowly north toward St. Louis, then turned west to Jefferson City. Failing to capture either armed city, he continued west toward his secondary objectives, Kansas City and Fort Leavenworth. He reached the Little Blue on October 21 with 15,000 armed men, 5,000 recruits, and a huge wagon train. Pleasonton's Union cavalry and a corps of infantry were in pursuit, while General Samuel Curtis with 10,000 militia was on the Big Blue River and Blunt's Division guarded the Little Blue. Union troops numbered 27,500. On October 21, Shelby and Marmaduke drove Blunt's Division from the Little Blue, and on October 22 Price drove Curtis from the Big Blue. That same day, Pleasonton pushed Fagan's Confederates from the Little Blue through Independence. After Curtis' troops were driven west by Price on October 22, they camped near here and at Kansas City. Curtis made his headquarters in the Harris Hotel on this spot and prepared to defend Kansas City and the State of Kansas from the invader.