Russell’s Ford Tour Stop 20 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

This section of Blue River Road is closed. The Marker is not there, just read the entry. 

Marker Inscription: In 1864 the ford across the Blue River was near where the bridge to the north now stands. Blue River road did not exist then. On October 22, 1864. Kansas Militia, defending this ford to prevent crossing by Confederate General Price, withdrew to the north and west when Price crossed downstream. On the 23rd Price's wagon train and most of his army crossed here retreating south on what was then called the Harrisonville Road. Late that morning a unit of McNeil's Union Brigade was on the bluff to the southeast but did not fire on the enemy.

The Marker noted that Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’sWagon train escaped this way while Union Brig. Gen. John McNeil cautiously followed, and thinking he was facing the entire Confederate Army was cautious to attack. When he did, the wagon train had reinforcements. This is part of the larger three-day Battle of Westport. 

The Battle of Westport took place on October 23, 1864. It was the largest battle west of the Mississippi and  the turning point of Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Raid on Missouri. After Westport, Price’s Army of the Missouri were chased out of Missouri into Arkansas, with his army disintegrating along the way. The Union maintained control over Missouri for the remainder of the Civil War. 

Russell’s Ford was one of the possible crossings that Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Army of the Missouri could have used to get across the Big Blue River in order to attack Westport and Kansas City, which were northeast of the ford. Russell’s Ford was guarded on October 22 by Union Brig. Gen. Melvin Grant, who was commander of the Kansas State Militia (KSM) brigade guarding the ford. They were part of Union Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis’s line along the Big Blue to try to check Price and hold his force at the Big Blue River. Curtis was trying to guard as many river crossings as possible, which spread his available troops relatively thinly. As per his orders from Curtis, Grant sent out scouts to ascertain Price’s intention of where he might cross the river. While executing these orders, Grant dispersed his command, control of his men. While Curtis held the line at the Big Blue River, Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton with his Provisional Cavalry Division of the Department of Missouri attacked Price’s rear. Due to cautiousness on the part of Pleasanton, as well as a general communication breakdown and mistakes, this did not happen. Pleasanton was six miles east of the Little Blue River. The XVI Corps Infantry commanded by Maj. Gen. AJ Smith, and sent by Maj. Gen. Rosecrans of the Department of the Missouri, was even more behind.  The men were 26 miles east of the Little Blue River at Lexington, marching the 24 miles as fast as they could. They did not arrive in time to help with the Battle of Westport. 

Union Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt correctly assessed that the line along the Big Blue could not hold. He was right. The Confederates feinted (looking like you will attack an area, then switching to attack somewhere else to try to trick your opponent) at the Kansas City Crossing. They then fought at Byram’s Ford [see all entries on Byrams Ford], pushing the Union force back and causing Col. Charles Jennison and Col. Thomas Moonlight to retreat back to Westport where they  formed a new defensive line.  The Confederates crossed the ford. Once learning of the breakthrough at Byram’s Ford, Brig. Gen. Melvin Grant, who commanded the Kansas State Militia  at Russell’s Ford, realized his forces were in danger of being cut off. He ordered his disorganized units to retreat north back to Westport, but some of the men accidentally ran into Confederate forces at Mockbee Farm [see Mockbee Farm entry[.

On the 23rd of October, after his defeat at Westport and while retreating, Price’s wagon train of some 500 wagons filled with supplies and war loot and about 5000 cattle escaped by this ford. At roughly 12:00 PM, Brig. Gen. McNeil cautiously followed the wagon train, with at least 1800 men, unsure of the number of men he was facing. At about 1:00 PM McNeil cautiously skirmished with the escort for the wagon train. He recognized that the Confederates  outnumbered him (they had 2000-4000 men to his 1800+), but he greatly overestimated their combat power, since most were indifferent armed recruits and unarmed refugees. By the time McNeil realized this and tried to engage the train at about 1:00 PM, Price had arrived and organized a defense, deploying Cabell’s Brigade as skirmishers, and Tyler’s Brigade of  armed recruits as support. They also set fire to the prairie to mask the state of their force and their withdrawal. McNeil fell for the ruse and the wagon train escaped by the Little Santa Fe Road.

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“Battle of Westport Signal Rout of Price!” St. Louis Globe- Democrat. October 31, 1864.

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The Historical Marker Database. Accessed December 7, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/.

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“Price’s Invasion Battle of Westport.” Daily Missouri Republican. October 31, 1864.

Roe, Jason. “Gettysburg of the West.” KC History. Accessed December 6, 2024. http://kchistory.org/week-kansas-city-history/gettysburg-west#:~:text=Curtis%20set%20up%20a%20new,to%20more%20than%2020%2C000%20soldiers

Scott, Robert N., H. M. Lazelle, George B. Davis, Leslie J. Perry, Joseph W. Kirkley, Fred C. Ainsworth, John S. Moodey, and Calvin D. Cowles. The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880.

Sinisi, Kyle S. The last hurrah: Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition of 1864. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

Titterington, Dick. “The Civil War Muse.” The Civil War Muse - Tour: The Battle of Westport. Accessed December 7, 2024. http://www.thecivilwarmuse.com/index.php?page=the-battle-of-westport. 

“The Rebel Invasion Price Routed and Retreating.” The St. Joseph Herald. October 25, 1864.