Toward the end of the fight, Brown's forces joined up with Ewing's. Shelby reported that "their combined forces, outnumbering us eight to one , looked absolutly frightful. While forming for a final, crushing charge, I determined to retreat, knowing it was madness to continue the unequal contest."(69) Shelby ordered his command to fight through an opening in the Federal right. The assault surprised the Union soldiers. The Confederates, including Coffee's command and the supply wagons, escaped.(70)

In his official report of the Battle of Marshall, Shelby included Coffee amoung the officers who "handled their commands with great skills, and were ever where fire was hottest and heaviest...."(71) Shelby lead his force to Waverly, thence southward. Not out of danger until they crossed the Sac River at Seybert Mill, the Confederates made camp, on October 17, at John Dunkle's farm on Rock Prairie (now Everton), Twelve miles southeast of Greenfield. They reached Pineville, in McDonald County, the following night. Once again "under whips and spurs," Shelby's Iron Brigade had outridden, outfought, and outmanouvered the Federals, who outnumbered them more than six to one. They arrived in the Arkansas hill country four hours ahead of Brigadier General John McNeil's Union force.(72)

Shelby wrote of the raid: "my command increased about 600.... fought five battles; had daily skirmishes; traveled 1,500 miles.... My men and horses are worn out and must rest here [Washington, Arkansas] for a week or two."(73) Shelby had reached Washington forty-one days after starting the raid. His men traveled an average of thirty-six miles each day.(74) The "Great Missouri Raid" ended warfare of any importance in the state during 1863.(75)

Shelby's aide, John N. Edwards, a few years after the war ended, wrote of his commander and the brigades exploits. He facetiously portrayed Coffee, during the 1863 raid, as a "politicling" officer bent always on electioneering. Edwards recalled at Cole Camp, while the Confederates were dressed in Union garb, "Coffee electioneered for Congress and explained his position."(76) To Edwards, Coffee, at the drop of his calvary hat, would orate to soldiers and civilians alike. Seemingly he exhibited this trait, common of recruiters, throughout the war.

Shelby emerged from the raid a household name and a prime favorite of Governer Reynolds, if not Price. Suprisingly , following the raid, General Hindman relieved Shelby as commander of the Iron Brigade, at the same time General John S. Marmaduke took command of all the Price calvary on October 22, 1863.

Because of bureatcrratic haggling in the confederate government at Richmond, Virginia, Shelby did not recieve his brigadier's star until early 1864.(77) Coffee, a senior colonel in Price's army and a colonel when Shelby held a captain's rank, was passed over. Bitterness ensued amoung Coffee's supporters when Shelby recieved the star. Lewis Renfro, for example, commented later: "I don't know just how this happened, for colonel Coffee was senior in rank, but by some hook or crook the plum went to Shelby."(78) Doubtless, those loyal Coffee recalled his timely arrival to insure victory at Lone Jack with Shelby twenty miles away, his dramatic break through Ewing's encirclement outside Marshall and their day-to-day associations with him. The fact that Shelby's past military successes acually overshadowed Coffee's record apparenty did not enter into their thinking.

Denied his general's star, Coffee left his regiment, and Gideon Thompson succeeded him as its commanding officer. Thompson's new command consisted of only three companies of calvary and one company of infantry. After Coffee's resignation, official reports afford scant information about him until Sterling Price reorganized the army in the summer of 1864. Shelby recieved command of a divison composed of his brigade and those of Jackman and Colonel Charles H. Tyler. Coffee, in turn, became the colonel of a "paper" regiment of Missouri calvary, transferred from Jackman's brigade to Tyler. Coffee's orders gave him until September 1 to fill his regiments ranks.(79)