Confederate troops under the command of Major-General Sterling Price had entered Missouri in September 1864 with hopes of challenging Union control of the state.

His men blew up the fort's magazine and slipped past Confederate troops guarding the escape routes undetected.

[6] Meanwhile, in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, the Confederates had defeated Union attackers during the Red River campaign in Louisiana, which took place from March through May.

Price's force was divided into three divisions, commanded by Major-General James Fagan and brigadier-generals John Marmaduke and Joseph O.

[11] Price learned that the town of Pilot Knob and one end of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad was held by Union troops while he was at Fredericktown on September 24.

To accomplish this, he sent Shelby with his division north of Pilot Knob to disrupt the railroad on September 26, while sending Fagan and Marmaduke directly against the Union troops.

[10] Additionally, Price learned on the 25th that Union Major-General Andrew Smith and 8,000 men were near St. Louis, which caused him to doubt his ability to take the city.

[12] On September 26, Price began moving his army from Fredericktown towards the Arcadia Valley, with Fagan's division in the lead.

Wright's men scattered the MSM soldiers, but were repulsed by the detachment of the 47th Missouri Infantry when they tried to drive through Ironton.

The two groups joined with the Union detachment already in Ironton around 15:00, attacked under the command of Wilson, and drove Wright back towards the gap.

Ewing, under the impression that he was fighting with Shelby's men, left Wilson and his force in the valley and personally returned to Fort Davidson.

[13] As more Confederate troops passed through Shut-In Gap, Wilson realized that he was facing a very large enemy force.

[22] An 1864 inspection produced a report finding that the terrain of the mountains exposed defenders of Fort Davidson to potential enfilade fire.

[27] Ewing was offered surrender terms, but declined, at least partially because he feared execution by Price's men as revenge for his issuance of General Order 11 the previous year, which had deported civilians from four Missouri counties.

In the early afternoon, Ewing sent part of the 14th Iowa Infantry forward to scout the Confederate position; it was driven back under heavy fire.

They detached a number of men to harass some Union wagons near Rock Mountain, before attacking the north rifle pits with the rest of their commands.

The defenders of the line, men of the 3rd MSM Cavalry, eventually retreated, but the Confederates were unable to take the fort and fell back.

Cabell order his brigade to make a third attack, and some of this men were able to cross the moat, before being driven off by hand grenades thrown by Union defenders.

[39] Ewing's survivors retreated in the direction of Rolla via Leasburg and was pursued part of the way by Shelby's and Marmaduke's men, while Price took Fagan's division north, destroying railroad depots in the process.

The Confederates pursuing Ewing's men eventually broke off the pursuit and rejoined Price's main body on September 29.

[40] Confederate morale was depressed by the bloody attacks, which also revealed that the units of Price's army were largely of low quality.

Price decided to cancel the attack against St. Louis, and instead moved westwards towards the state capital of Jefferson City.

[42] With Union troops near the Kansas–Missouri state line, and more following him west, Price's army moved towards Kansas City, fighting several small actions on the way.

The Confederates retreated back through Kansas, suffering several further defeats along the way, including a disastrous rout at Mine Creek on October 25, in which Marmaduke and hundreds of other men were captured.

Union troops pursued Price's defeated army all the way to the Arkansas; the Confederates eventually retreated all the way to Texas.

[45] A mass grave containing battlefield dead is marked by a granite monument, and the fort's walls, as well as the crater created when the magazine was detonated, are still visible at the site.

[46] A visitors center is located at the site, and contains a research library, a fiber optic display, and artifacts, including Ewing's sword.