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The Battle of Westport is widely regarded as the most historically significant Civil War battle to take place west of the Mississippi River. The battle occurred in modern-day Kansas City from October 21-23, 1864, and the Confederate's defeat battle was a turning point in the war in this region and marked the end of the Confederate threat in the West. As the largest battle west of the Mississippi River with over 30,000 combatants, the three-day battle resulted in about 1,500 fatalities for both the United States Army and the forces who marched under the banner of the Confederate States of America. The scale, significance, and high casualties led to the Battle of Westport earning the nickname “Gettysburg of the West.”In addition to contributing to the Union victory in the Battle of Westport, which forced a Confederate retreat, the 9th Wisconsin joined other United States forces in a series of other battles against Confederate forces under Sterling Price as they retreated towards Texas, including the Battle of Mine Creek on October 25th. The Battle of Westport was the key turning point against Sterling Price's Confederate force, who had launched an offensive into central and western Missouri in hopes of gaining support among Missourians and turning control of the border state to the Confederacy. With a series of decisive Union victories throughout present-day Kansas City and additional victories against the retreating Confederates in the final days of October, Sterling Price's army dissolved through desertion, capture, and casualties as they retreated to Texas.

One of several historical markers in the area related to the Battle of Westport, this marker designates the location of a Confederate battery on October 23rd, 1864

General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West, LSU Press

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Battle of Westport Visitor Center and Museum on Clio

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Marker Inscription: Near this point on the morning of October 23, 1864, Capt. Richard A. Collins' Confederate battery of Shelby's Brigade went into action, supported by two cavalry battalions. for two hours this battery dueled with the 9th Wisconsin battery, covering the approaches to Westport. So hot was Collins' fire that he burst one of his guns.This historical marker commemorates a key moment in the three-day series of Civil War battles that are collectively known as the Battle of Westport. Near this marker on October 23rd, 1864, a Confederate artillery battery returned fire from the 9th Independent Battery Wisconsin Light Artillery in a two-hour engagement that was followed by a Confederate retreat. The Wisconsin battery was led by Captain Cyrus Johnson, and the men in this Union battery had fought the previous day in the Battle of the Big Blue, which also resulted in a victory for the Union.

Collins' Battery Battle of Westport Action on the Third Day Historical Marker Tour Stop 9 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

This is a 32 mile tour around the Civil War Battle of Westport Which took place from the 21-23 of October 1864.

The main goal of Price’s raid was to retake Missouri for the Confederacy. The hope was that a successful raid would help turn Northern sentiments against Lincoln in the upcoming election of 1864. Price also planned to install a Confederate government in Jefferson City, add Confederate sympathizers to his ranks on the way, and resupply his army by capturing Union army assets and confiscating Missouri’s agricultural bounty at harvest time. Price’s initial target was St. Louis, and the arsenal there. If an attack on St. Louis was not possible, he planned to turn his sights on the state capital at Jefferson City. Price moved toward St. Louis but found it too heavily defended by Union forces. The same was true of the defenses at Jefferson City. Price then turned toward Kansas City and Fort Leavenworth. On the way, Price’s forces raided the central and western Missouri River counties collecting recruits and supplies along the way. They were pursued by Union forces out of St. Louis, and fought several small battles enroute to Kansas City, including at Lexington, the Little Blue River, and Independence. This action culminated in a fight at the Big Blue River and Byram’s Ford on the first day of the battle on October 22. While Maj. Gen. Sterling Price was dealing with Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis and Maj. Gen. James Blunt and the Army of the Border guarding Kansas City and trying to slow Price’s advance in the front, Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Provisional Cavalry Division of the Department of the Missouri was pursuing Price from the rear. Pleasonton's division caught up to Price in Independence and started engaging his rearguard, managing to hold Pleasonton’s forces back till the morning of the 23. The rest of Price’s army had moved on to Byram’s Ford, and then eventually to Brush Creek. Sterling Price, the Confederate commander at the Battle of Westport, was a farmer, lawyer, state legislator, and US Congressman, as well as former governor of Missouri. He also served during the Mexican-American War. As governor, he opposed separation but changed his views as the secession crisis loomed. In the first year of the war, he commanded the Pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, but he was given many other appointments within the Confederate military during the war, eventually ending his military career as a Major General. He fought at several other notable battles, including Wilson’s Creek and Pea Ridge, and helped defend Corinth, Mississippi. He made other raids into Missouri, but his 1864 raid, which was known as Price’s Missouri Expedition or Price’s Raid of Missouri, was the most dramatic. The Battle of Westport was the culmination of this raid. After the Confederacy’s defeat, Price moved to Mexico, where he remained until the fall of Emperor Maximilian in 1867. He spent his final year in St. Louis, dying there in 1867.Samuel Ryan Curtis, the Union commander at the Battle of Westport, also had many pre-Civil War roles: civil engineer, studied law, mayor, three terms in the US Congress, and served during the Mexican-American War. Curtis was appointed Brigadier General in the Union Army in 1862. After he won the Battle of Pea Ridge, Curtis was appointed Major General. He commanded the Department of the Missouri and was then transferred to the Department of Kansas. He won the Battle of Westport along with Blunt. After the Civil War, he helped negotiate treaties with several Native American nations. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson on November 25, 1865, as a U.S. Commissioner to examine and report on the new Union Pacific Railroad. He died rather unexpectedly from a stroke in 1866 while still working as a railroad commissioner.This is the first marker on the 32-mile Battle of Westport Driving Tour on Clio, a walking tour of Loose Park on Clio, and on the Civil War Muse Website curated by Dick Titterton. The Clio entries include more context and information than the regular historical markers can provide, thus allowing for more in-depth learning. The Battle of Westport Tour was created in 1979, by the Howard Monnett Battle of Westport Fund. “Dr. Howard N. Monnett of the Civil War Round Table of Kansas City in 1964 wrote the book Action Before Westport which recounted the story of the Battle of Westport of 21-23 October 1864,... Dr. Monnett’s enthusiasm for the subject within the Round Table led to the discussion of creating an automobile tour of the widely dispersed battle sites. In 1975, members of the Kansas City Round Table formed the Howard N. Monnett Battle of Westport Fund, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization to mark and interpret the sites associated with the Battle of Westport. By 1979, the founders of the Fund had raised $25,000, erected permanent monument markers at 25 sites and created a self-guided 32-mile automobile tour.” (History of Fund 2014)Marker Inscription: Confederate General Sterling Price brought three mounted divisions from Arkansas into Missouri, September 19, 1864. Fighting several small battles, he marched slowly north toward St. Louis, then struck westward to Jefferson City. Failing to capture either armed city he fought on 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. General Samuel Curtis with 10,000 militia was on the Big Blue River. Blunt's Division guarded the Little Blue. Union troops numbered 27,500. Blunt's Division was driven from the Little Blue by Shelby and Marmaduke on the 21st, and Curtis from the Big Blue on the 22nd. Pleasonton pushed Fagan's Confederates from the Little Blue through Independence on the 22nd.After Curtis' troops were driven west by Price on the 22nd, 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.

This historical marker shares this area's connection to the three-day Battle of Westport, which lasted from October 21 to October 23, 1864, and featured several skirmishes and pitched battles throughout the modern-day Kansas City metro. The Battle of Westport was the largest battle west of the Mississippi River. This was once the location of the Harris Hotel, which Major General Samuel R. Curtis used as his headquarters on October 22nd. Union troops, under Curtis's command, made camp for the evening throughout present-day Westport and prepared to defend Kansas City. The following day, Union forces defeated the outnumbered Confederate forces. This battle was the turning point in Price’s Raid on Missouri, causing the retreat of Price’s Army into Arkansas and allowing the Union to maintain control over Missouri for the rest of the war. Some historians refer to the Battle of Westport as the “Gettysburg of the West.”

Action Before Westport Historical Marker

The Union Position was the initial position of the Union Army during the Battle of Westport. On October 23, 1864, Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis set up his line along Brush Creek in order to protect the town of Westport, what is now a neighborhood in modern day Kansas City. At Westport, “Curtis believed that ‘the citizens and soldiers had so improved the natural strength’ of the place ‘as to make this position almost impregnable.’” (Gerteis, 198). Here is how Union forces got into their positions. At about 7:00 in the morning Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt moved south out of Westport, fording Brush Creek, either on horses or on foot, and then advanced southward. At about 9:30 in the morning, Confederate Gen. Joseph O. Shelby pushed Blunt back north, where the Union troops established a defensive line along the north side of Brush Creek. While pushing the Union forces back, the Confederates had them outflanked and outnumbered. (The Monnett Battle of Westport Fund placed the historical marker south of Brush Creek, even though the Union line was north of the creek, because it is on public land.) Shelby’s men got as far as the south bank of Brush Creek, but his attack stalled, due to being low on ammunition. Instead of pursuing the Union forces, he took up a defensive position along a stone fence along what is now 51st Street (for more information view the Confederate Position marker). At the same time that Shelby was taking up his defensive position, Union reinforcements arrived. At this point, the Union Position was set up.It is important to keep in mind that military formations are typically mobile – either advancing or retreating. They are not stationary unless they are taking cover or holding a position, thus maps depicting these positions may show slightly different locations. The Union Position was set up with Col. Thomas Moonlight’s Cavalry Brigade covering the Union’s right flank (flanks are right or left as seen from a person in the formation) at the far left along State Line Road. Col. Charles W. Blair’s and Maj. Gen. George W. Deitzler’s cavalry brigades were in the middle left of the line covering a Union artillery battery. To the middle right were Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt’s and Col. Charles “Doc” Jennison’s cavalry brigades. Charles Jennison, of Jayhawker fame, also had an artillery battery in support positioned north of modern-day Loose Park. Lastly, Col. James H. Ford’s cavalry brigade was positioned on the far right perpendicular to the east side of Wornall Road all the way to present day Oak Street.At about 10:00 in the morning the Union line skirmished with the Confederate line. Ford’s brigade fought especially hard along Wornall Road. Blair accidentally desynchronized the attack, causing the entire line to not attack at the same time. The Union artillery, which consisted of about thirty guns, also shelled the Confederate line around 10:00 in the morning. The timber along Brush Creek proved a challenge because the Union could not get the artillery through the terrain in order to better support the attack. As Maj Gen. Curtis explained: “I tried to get through the timber with Dodge’s battery and two little howitzers of my escort, but the roads were not favorable and I left the farther movement of the right to Colonel Blair.” (Collins, 105) Both sides skirmished back and forth with neither making any real progress. The main Confederate attack failed and the Union regrouped on the north side of Brush Creek. The Union forces ended up out flanking the Confederates with the help of a local farmer named George Thomen, who was angry with the Confederates for stealing his horse (this action can be read about at the Union Flanking Movement historical marker at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Rockwell Lane), and ultimately won the battle. In 1979, the Howard N. Monnett Battle of Westport Fund created markers at 25 significant Battle of Westport sites, as well as a 32-mile self-guided car tour. Several of the markers are within walking distance in Loose Park and the surrounding area, such as the Union Flanking Movement marker, the Union Artillery historical marker, and the Battle of Westport Monument. The Union Position marker is more difficult to find as it is located in between two trees that are a bit overgrown. This marker is very helpful in understanding the position of Union forces, which allows one to better understand how they were able to win this very important battle.The Battle of Westport is an important part of Kansas City history as well as Civil War history. The position of Union soldiers is crucial to understanding how they was able to use solid tactics as well as a local’s knowledge of geography and reinforcements in order to win a decisive victory. Arguably, the Confederates had the better position atop the bluff, but lacked the resources to capitalize on their advantage. This marker is easily missed by the general public. Those interested have a bit of a challenge for them, due to it being technically in the wrong spot compared to the actual Union position, and being a bit of a walk from Loose Park. Its obscurity just adds to the adventure. Just 200 feet west of this marker, one can see a couple of small historical markers and a statue in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.Historical Marker Inscription: At 9:30 a.m., Oct. 23, 1864, Gen. Curtis's troops from Blunt's Division formed a line along Brush Creek facing south. Jennison's Brigade was west of Wornall; Ford's Brigade east of Jennison's to Oak St.; and Moonlight's Brigade along State Line facing east. Col. Blair's Kansas Militia Brigade was west of Jennison. Union artillery was to the north firing on the Confederates to the south. About 4,500 men were in line. At sunup Blunt moved south with part of his division but was driven back by Shelby's Confederates.

The Union positioning is crucial to understanding the Battle of Westport, which occurred on October 23, 1864. It is notable as being the largest battle west of the Mississippi River and is often referred to as the “Gettysburg of the West.” This significant battle was the final nail in the coffin of Price’s 1864 Raid into Missouri, causing the Confederates to retreat southward, ending the last major Confederate offensive in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the war. The objective of Price’s Raid was to seize St. Louis and take Missouri for the Confederacy. The Union army forced the pro-southern Missouri State Guard and the Confederate Army out of Missouri by early 1862. Although countered by a Confederate guerrilla insurgency, Union forces were able to maintain control over most of the state for the remainder of the war. The Union Position historical marker is located on the triangle divider between Ward Parkway and Sunset Drive on the south side of Brush Creek and is part of a larger tour of the Battle of Westport developed by the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund.

Union Position Historical Marker

After several failed assaults of the Confederate position at the top of the heights south of Brush Creek, Union Maj. Gen. Curtis realized he needed to try a different approach. As is common wisdom, taking higher ground from an enemy force is challenging. It is more difficult to climb hills, than it is flat ground, and the enemy has the advantage of being able to shoot down at the attacking force. Maj. Gen. Curtis was aware of this and sought a solution. A local German farmer named George Thoman, who was originally at best impartial to the Union cause, provided that solution. He originally came into Union lines to try to get help in regaining his gray horse and other items that were taken the night before by a Confederate foraging party. If he could not get his horse back, he likely reasoned he would at least help the Union win and get even with the Confederates. He showed Curtis a suitable path through a defile cut by Swan Creek (present day Rockwell Lane), which was used by local residents (present day Sunset Drive). The path ends at about present day 55th Street and Sunset Drive. Curtis ordered another attack by the entire Union line. Then with Thoman as a guide, Curtis, the 9th Wisconsin Battery (with 70 to 100 men), and Company G of the 11th Kansas Cavalry (with approximately 80 men and several officers), went up Thoman’s path. This allowed them to swing to the west and outflank the Confederate line. These men successfully engaged Confederate Col. Jackman’s skirmish line, taking the Bent House. Curtis then set up the artillery guns (cannons) near the Bent House and began firing into Confederate Brig. Gen. Shelby’s main line, forcing them to retreat from what is now 51st Street to about 55th Street, the southeast corner of present-day Loose Park. Rather amusingly, in the October 23, 1953 edition of the Kansas City Star in an article called, “Mark Site of Battle” that reported on the dedication of the Battle of Westport Monument, the reporter claimed: “...the old pioneer who guided the troops (through the defile) disappeared and his name was lost to history.” (Mark Site of Battle 1953) Historian Howard Monnett notes in Action Before Westport 1864, that “The identity of George Thoman as the local citizen who led General Curtis to a flanking position was established through the family records of Miss Doris Jean Mabry, a great-granddaughter of George Thoman…” (Monnett 1964, 163) and subsequent historians have reinforced this idea.

Marker Inscription: Here just before noon on Sunday, October 23, 1864, Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis, commanding the Federal Army of the Border, began his flanking movement of Brigadier General Joseph Orville Shelby's Division of the Confederate Army of Missouri. While the Union army was engaged in heavy fighting just east of here, General Curtis led the 9th Wisconsin Battery and Company G of the 11th Kansas Cavalry up a twisting, wooded defile to a position on the left and rear of General Shelby's lines, the battery, firing down the Confederate lines, caused Shelby to pull back from the heights south of Brush Creek, severely weakening the Confederate position.George Thoman, a farmer living just south of Westport pointed out the defile to General Curtis and served as guide. Sunset Drive follows the wall of the old defile.This flanking movement took place during the three-day Battle of Westport. It was the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi River. About 30,000 troops fought during this battle, which included approximately 22,000 Union soldiers and 8,500 Confederate soldiers, though the numbers in the records are inconsistent. The Union Line was located along Brush Creek and the Confederate line was located near what is now Loose Park. This flanking movement was pivotal to the Union victory.

Union Flanking Movement Historical Marker

Until 1825, Native American tribes such as the Kansa and Osage occupied most of the land now known as the Kansas City area. In that year, the Indians were compelled to negotiate with the federal government and subsequently accepted lands further west and southwest. This removal coincided with several other forcible and negotiated displacements spearheaded by President Andrew Jackson, including the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Early in 1831, a group of Mormon missionaries and families arrived in Jackson County, hoping to settle the region and also convert Native Americans. The small congregation, which had only been organized one year earlier by Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830, believed that Jackson County was a place of Zion (the New Jerusalem). The Mormons settled on farms, opened shops, established a printing press, built a temple, and established a school. However, they only briefly preached to Native Americans before the Department of Indian Affairs forced them to leave, accusing Mormons of disturbing the peace between the indigenous populace and a growing number of non-Native residents. Meanwhile, other pioneers of European descent, who mainly were Baptists and Methodists, strongly opposed the pressure of the Mormon settlers because of their belief in the Book of Mormon. The fact that Mormons generally held anti-slavery beliefs in a slave state was also a cause for concern for some Missouri settlers. As a result, violent interactions transpired between Mormons and other Christians, eventually forcing Mormons to flee Jackson County in November 1833. By 1838, the Mormons left Missouri completely. Alexander W. Doniphan, one of the attorneys hired by the Mormons to gain compensation for the land they fled, received the property now known as the Ward Homestead as part of his fee. In 1840, Doniphan sold a portion of the now-historic property to Dr. Johnston Lykins. In addition to practicing medicine, Lykins served as a Baptist missionary who interacted with the Shawnee Indians. After a few years, he abandoned the missionary work and moved to the rapidly developing Kansas City, where he helped found the first newspaper, the city's Chamber of Commerce, and is considered to have been Kansas City's first "duly elected mayor" in 1854 and 1855. A Westport farmer named William Matney purchased the eventual Ward property from both Doniphan and Lykins on the same day, sometime before the U.S.-Mexican War. After Matney died in 1857, Matney's son-in-law took over the land, and he subsequently sold the land in 1858 to William W. Bent. He and his brothers established a trade business along the Santa Fe Trail. Much of the trading took place at a fort Bent built (Bent's Fort) in the 1830s along the Arkansas River in present-day Colorado. Bent not only negotiated peace among the many Indigenous nations in the High Plains and along the Arkansas River but routinely served as a mediator in disputes among Native Americans and the U.S. government. In 1835, Bent married Owl Woman, the daughter of Cheyenne chief and medicine man White Thunder; Bent became an accepted member of the Cheyenne nation. Bent's Cheyenne Wife died in 1847 and by the 1850s, Bent no longer used Fort Bent as a central location for trading, eventually selling it to the federal government in 1859. While owning the now-historic Ward property, he worked as an agent to the Cheyenne and Arapaho, continued his trading business, and freighted goods for the government. During the Civil War, some of the events of the Battle of Westport transpired on the Ward property, which was then William Bent's farm. On October 23, 1864, Union and Confederate forces launched artillery, fired weapons, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat on or near Bent's farm. The Battle of Westport was the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River, with combined casualties and deaths exceeding 3,000; the defeat effectively ended any Confederate military action in Missouri. Seth E. Ward, who exemplified the "rags to riches" narrative as a former hired hand on trading expeditions in the late 1830s, purchased this land from Bent's estate and widow after the Civil War.At age twelve, in 1832, Seth Ward lost his father and consequently had to work to support his family. Ward left his Virginia home and worked as a farmer's apprentice in Indiana but left one year later and traveled by foot for six months to return home. His mother found enough money for Seth to leave home again to find work, but after three years, in 1837, he arrived as a penniless seventeen-year-old in Independence, Missouri. However, in Missouri, he found work as a laborer in the fur trading business, living off the land and routinely sleeping in the open on bare ground for two decades. Still, he learned business and other lessons that eventually earned him a fortune later in life, including learning several Native American languages and marrying a Native American woman. Over time, Ward went from a greenhorn trading worker to a highly profitable trader, eventually gaining the position of post sutler (a civilian authorized to operate a store on or near a military camp or fort) at Fort Laramie in the southeast corner of present-day Wyoming, a role he maintained until 1871 when he moved back to Westport, Missouri. Ward's accumulated wealth allowed him to retire in his early 50s, when he and his second wife Mary, daughter of Westport hotel owner Colonel John Harris, purchased the now-historic property from Bent's estate. He commissioned acclaimed architect Asa Beebe Cross to design the mansion where Ward lived the rest of his life; the mansion sat within walking distance of the spot where, as an impoverished teenager, he had camped on his first trip west. Seth and Mary Ward continued to add to their property, eventually owning several hundred acres. But, as Kansas City rapidly expanded in both size and population, its boundaries eventually pushed past the Ward estate. Seth sold large tracts of his land to various developers. The Ward family maintained a significant portion of the land and the mansion until they sold it in 1942.Marker Inscription: The brick house in the rear was owned by Wm. Bent, fur trader. On Sun., Oct. 23, 1864 heavy fighting occurred here. After Union Gen. Curtis flanked the Confederate line by coming up a ravine (Rockwell Lane) his troops were a few rods north of the house. The Confederate line was defended by portions of Jackman's and Thompson's Brigades of Shelby's Div. At about noon the Confederates were pushed back to 55th Street. They withdrew south at 1:00 p.m.

This expansive Greek Revival mansion was constructed around 1871 for the family of Seth Ward, a frontier trader who arrived in Independence in 1837 and joined a fur trading expedition. Over the next three decades, Ward earned a fortune by providing supplies to frontier military units and later outfitting explorers and settlers at Fort Laramie. After several decades on the frontier, Ward returned to the Kansas City area in 1871. He and his second wife, Mary Ward, daughter of Westport hotelier John Harris, purchased this land from William Bent, another influential and successful trader and land owner in Kansas City history. At that time, Ward's property extended from 51st to 55th Street and Wornall Road to the Kansas-Missouri state line. The property enjoys a rich history that goes beyond Ward and Bent, entailing Mormons, Native Americans, western expansionism, Kansas City's first elected Mayor, and the bloody Battle of Westport during the Civil War in 1864, which took place on the historic property.

 Seth Ward House Historical Marker

In the fall of 1864, Sterling Price’s confederate forces were continuing to push on. They had made good progress and gained a lot of territory; however, they weren’t ready for what they were about to walk into. As Price pushed on towards Kansas City, Kansas militia waited for his arrival near Westport. By October 22 Price's forces had made it to Bram’s Ford near Westport, and the outcome was not good for him. His forces were destroyed, and they were all forced to retreat to the south.The Battle of Westport was a three-day battle involving around 30,000 men. The casualties numbered around 3,000 total, equally divided between Union and Confederate forces. The Battle of Westport was the largest battle west of the Mississippi River. Price’s goal was to take Missouri for the Confederacy, install a Confederate government in Jefferson City, and hopefully by taking Missouri that would sway Northern public opinion against Abraham Lincoln and stop him from winning reelection. His secondary goals were more materialistic, lots of war loot to steal and people to recruit to the Confederate cause. He initially tried to attack St. Louis then moved toward Jefferson City, but both were too heavily fortified, so he redirected his objectives to Kansas City, Missouri, and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After the Confederates pushed back Union forces at Byram’s Ford to the southeast of Westport on October 22, the next day on the 23, Curtis and Blunt formed a line along Brush Creek just to the south of the town of Westport facing south. Confederate forces repulsed Union forces several times but the Union was able to outflank them and eventually forced a retreat, following them in hot pursuit and ultimately chasing them out of Missouri. On October 30, Price’s Army was pushed back into Arkansas with the force disintegrating along the way. They were pushed out of Missouri on October 30. Union pursuit continued until November 8. On the day of the monument dedication the Kansas City Star reported: “Among the persons attending the ceremony was William McKinley Young, 63 years old… whose father fought with Union forces in the battle. The Father, Samuel Young [sic] was a Private assigned to the honor guard of Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, commander of Fort Leavenworth, Kas., and the Union forces in the engagement. Young said his father was with the general when an elderly man (George Thoman) guided Union forces on a little known path up the bluffs overlooking Brush Creek, enabling a decisive flanking movement which won the battle.” (Mark Site of Battle 1953)The citizens of Kansas City had not preserved the site of the Battle of Westport.Eventually, different departments within the city of Kansas City decided that the area of land that was the site of the battle of Westport should be documented in some way to preserve the area and the history. Eventually, there was a monument erected in Swope Park with a basic description of the battle that happened there and the significance of it to Kansas City‘s history. There was a development plan put in place that detailed several different monuments and walking trails most of which have now been constructed. The significance of these battles is not limited to Kansas City, but the entire state of Missouri.It is now one of the most visited battle sites in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Most of the monuments that were erected to commemorate the battle of Westport were constructed in the early 2000s and continue to be maintained today.There are a series of markers around Loose Park and throughout Kansas City that commemorate the various actions related to the battle. There is a Walking Tour around Loose Park on Clio, a Battle of Westport Walking Tour on the Civil War Muse, and A Battle of Westport Driving Tour on Clio which is a website which has entries about history around you with entries all over the country. This Tour covers 32 miles and has 23 tour stops. Most of the Tour Markers were set up by the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund. The organization is working on updating the markers. The Clio Battle of Westport Tour aims to provide historical information to supplement the existing markers and to create the possibility of taking the tour both in person and digitally.

Monument Inscription: This is the site of the decisive engagement in the Battle of Westport Oct. 23, 1864.The Battle of Westport monument's designer is unknown, but was dedicated by the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City. It was dedicated on October 23, 1953 to make the 89th anniversary of the Battle of Westport. This is the location all those years ago where General Sterling Price’s Confederate raid into Missouri was halted in a three-day battle. This memorial was erected in Loose Park. This marker commemorates the site of that three-day battle, where the Union Army along with several Kansas Militia units were victorious and sent General Sterling Price into retreat. This is also the site where the Union army destroyed Confederate hopes of driving Union forces from Missouri.

The Battle of Westport Monument Tour Stop 5a. (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

This battle position is significant to a greater understanding of how the Confederates lost the Battle of Westport. Here is how Price’s Army of the Missouri ended up in this specific position. In response to Gen. James G. Blunt’s attack from Westport coming south up Wornall Road (for more information see Union Position marker), Confederate General Joseph Shelby’s and General James Fagan’s Cavalry Brigades counterattacked and pushed Blunt’s forces back to the north side of Brush Creek (the Plaza side), where Blunt’s forces formed a line defending the town of Westport. While pushing the Union forces back, the Confederates had them outflanked and outnumbered. Shelby’s men got as far as the south bank of Brush Creek, but his attack stalled, due to being low on ammunition. So instead of continuing the pursuit, he took up a defensive position along a stone fence along what is now 51st Street. This is how Confederate forces got into the position described in the marker.Unless they remain stationary while taking cover or holding a position, military formations in battles are typically mobile, often advancing and retreating. Confederates were set up with Col. Sidney D. Jackman’s Cavalry brigade located on the far left near modern day 55th Street and Ward Parkway by the Bent House. His skirmish line caused Union Col. Charles W. Blair to think he was going to be outflanked and he initiated a counterattack that accidentally desynchronized the Union line’s attack. Gen. Shelby’s Cavalry Division was located in the middle on the southeast side of modern day 55th Street and Wornall Road. Price’s Army of the Missouri was to the right in front of Gen. Shelby’s Division, which was covering the rear of Price’s Army. Gen. Thompson’s Brigade was in front of Price along modern day 51th Street and Wornall Road. Thompson’s brigade was also Shelby’s main defensive line. There the men took cover using a stone fence, which protected them from enemy fire. This allowed the Confederates some visual cover as well. The stone fence that the marker is currently in front of is not the same fence that was there during the Battle of Westport, due to its height and use of modern cement. Lastly, Gen. Fagan’s Division was set up in a screen line. A screen is a tactic whereby a smaller contingent of soldiers is used to conceal the size of the main force and serve as reconnaissance and a sort of early warning system. Gen. Fagan’s Division was next to Thompson’s and extended around two miles to the east making it look as though the Confederates had their right flank covered. Most of their men were not actually there, and instead were connected with Col. Marmaduke, who was in the process of losing at Byram's Ford (see Byram's Ford marker)The Confederates repulsed several Union assaults, causing the Union forces to have to regroup on the north side of Brush Creek. The Union Ford’s Brigade had fought notably hard at Wornall Road earlier in the day, which may have led Shelby, and in turn Thompson, to think the main Union threat was concentrated at this spot. Union Gen. Curtis decided after several failed frontal assaults that he needed a different approach. He ultimately outflanked the Confederates and took the Bent House, eventually winning the battle. (To learn more look at the marker for the Union Flanking Movement at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Rockwell Lane.)In 1979, the Howard N. Monnett Battle of Westport Fund erected historical markers at 25 significant Battle of Westport sites, as well as a t32-mile self-guided car tour. Several of the markers are within walking distance in Loose Park and the surrounding area, including the Union Flanking Movement marker, the Union Artillery historical marker, and the Battle of Westport Monument. This Confederate Position historical marker stands in front of a stone wall, which is fitting given the quite advantageous defensive role the wall played in the battle.The Battle of Westport is an important part of both Kansas City and Civil War history. The Confederate Position is crucial to understanding how and why Price’s Army of the Missouri lost the Battle of Westport, and why Price’s Raid failed more broadly. Their logistical and supply problems cost them the battle even with superior positioning. The marker allows people to have easy access to learning about the Battle of Westport, at one of the most popular parks in Kansas City.

Historical Marker Inscription: At 8:30 A.M. Sun., Oct. 23, 1864, Gen. Shelby's Division moved north and struck Union troops near the Wornall House. Gen. Blunt's Union cavalrymen were driven across Brush Creek. Shelby stopped to bring up ammunition. About 3,000 Confederate men were behind a stone fence along 51st St. facing a heavily wooded area to the north. Here their line extended from Oak St. to State Line. From 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. they came under heavy artillery fire and were forced eventually to pull back to 55th St.This location is the initial Confederate Position on October 23, 1864, during the Battle of Westport, which was the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. Some historians have called it “the Gettysburg of the West.” It was also the turning of the tide of Price’s Raid into Missouri. The Confederates lost the battle and retreated back to Texas, with Price’s Army of the Missouri disintegrating along the way. The objective of Price’s Raid was to seize St. Louis and take Missouri for the Confederacy; the Union had been in control of Missouri since early in the war. After the battle, the Union was able to maintain control of most of Missouri for the rest of the war. The marker can be viewed by the stone fence near the intersection of 51st Street and 52nd Street. The marker is a stop on the larger tour of the Battle of Westport and was erected by the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund.

 Confederate Position Tour Stop 5 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport was fought on the 23 of October 1864 and was part of the larger series of battles fought against Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and his army during his Missouri raid. The battle of Westport was the largest battle west of the Mississippi River, with about 30,000 men taking part in the battle. There were around 22,000 Union soldiers and about 8,500 Confederate soldiers with about 1,500 casualties on both sides. It was the turning point of Price’s Raid, turning it from a mild success to an objective failure, with Price’s Army of the Missouri chased out of the state by Union forces. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the rest of the Civil War. The Union artillery batteries were located by what is now roughly 51st Street and Wornall Road. The Union Artillery began dueling with the Confederate Artillery. The fire from the 9th Wisconsin Battery with Curtis outflanking the Confederates was so fierce that Collins’ Confederate battery burst one of its guns. A Union battery, most likely McLain’s Independent Colorado Battery, destroyed one of the guns of the Collins Battery. Douglas’s Independent Kansas Colored Battery also struck a piece of enemy artillery, possibly one of Collins’ other artillery pieces, which left Collins’ Battery with only one intact artillery piece. From the report of Maj. Robert Hunt, who was Chief of Artillery in the 15th Kansas Cavalry: “October 23 McLain’s battery [Independent Colorado battery] made some excellent shots, one of which struck one of the enemy’s guns near the left trunnion [which are the cylindrical pieces on the sides of cannons that allow them to swivel the cannon up and down for different firing angles], breaking it in two. Another gun was struck and broken across the chassis by a rifled piece manned by the colored battery [Douglas’s Independent Kansas Colored Battery], but which was sighted by Captain Dodge, commanding the 9th Wisconsin Volunteer battery. Both Captains used their artillery with skill.” (Hunt 1880, 544) The sources disagree on the number of cannons in Collins’ Battery, but going off the reports that the Union notably broke three cannons, four artillery pieces seem the most likely. The reason these artillery crews could make such accurate shots is due to them being Parrot guns, which are a type of rifled cannon. Parrots are easily identified by the wrought iron band around the breech (the back of the cannon). The reinforcing band was there to strengthen the cannon and keep it from bursting, although it occasionally still burst. The guns can fire shells, shrapnel shells, canister shot, and solid shot (the typical cannonball). Also of particular note is that of Douglas's Independent Kansas Colored Battery was commanded during this battle by 2nd Lieutenant Patrick H. Minor, who was an African-American officer. This is notable for being the first time that an African-American unit was led by an African-American officer in combat during the Civil War. Minor and his fellow officer William D. Mathews had fought two years earlier with the First Kansas Colored at the Battle of Island Mound on October 29, 1862. Island Mound was the first time an African-American unit saw active combat, as well as the first time African American officers led in combat. The unit was not yet officially part of the Union Army at this time, however, since President Abraham Lincoln had not yet authorized Black men's service in the war. Both officers initially were denied a commission in the Union army until the Independent battery was approved on June 30, 1864 by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

Marker Inscription: When Gen. Curtis moved up the hill to the west Gen. Blunt moved south from Brush Creek through the woods to Loose Park. He drove the Confederates from a stone fence along 51st St. and formed a line there at 11:00 a.m., Oct. 23, 1864. running east and west from Oak St. to the Bent House and south 500 yds. McLain's Colo. Battery of parrott guns was in Wornall Lane. The 9th Wisc. Battery was 100 ft to the west. Thirty Union guns were in line. Attacks were made until noon when the Confederates were pushed south to the Wornall House.This Marker notes how effective Union Artillery was in helping the Union forces push back the Confederates. Union Artillery took out three Confederate artillery pieces. Of note is Douglas’s Independent Kansas Colored Battery (a section was attached to the 9th Wisconsin), which at the Battle of Westport is the first time an African-American unit was officially led by an African-American officer, 2nd Lieutenant Patrick H. Minor, in combat. This is part of the three-day Battle of Westport

Union Artillery Tour Stop 6 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid) 

Union General Blunt established a strong position at the Wornall House with three of his brigades occupying positions behind a stone wall, roughly three hundred yards removed from a sizable Confederate line. The gun section of McLain's Colorado Battery sat on a road on top of a hill near Blunt's stronghold; they used thirty guns to fire into the Confederate troops located at the bottom of the hill. Confederate Major General Fagan proposed to Brigadier General Jo Shelby that a Confederate battery supported by the cavalry charge up the line to attack McClain's Colorado Battery gun section.Colonel James H. McGhee, who commanded the 44th Arkansas, comprised of roughly 300 soldiers, led the charge. The Union Army responded by sending the 16th Kansas Cavalry, 2nd Colorado, and 2nd Colorado Cavalry to meet McGhee. During the battle, a rare occurrence transpired: two commanders engaged in individual combat. Colonel McGhee clashed with Captain Curtis Johnson, commander of Company E of the 15th Kansas Cavalry. Both men charged each other and drew their revolvers, leaving both wounded. Although the marker states that Colonel McGhee had been killed, that is incorrect. McGhee is known to have been wounded a second time two days later at the Battle of Mine Creek and consequently had to relinquish his command as a result of his numerous injuries. Still, McGhee survived the war, living out the rest of his life in Arkansas until he died in 1870.McGhee's attack resulted in the loss to the Confederates of 35 prisoners (some accounts note as many as 100 prisoners), 19 dead and 37 wounded. Thwarting McGhee's charge saved McLain's Battery and ultimately ended a larger Confederate charge northward known as Price's Raid. Confederate Major General Sterling Price led his cavalry forces into Missouri with hopes of installing secessionist Thomas Reynolds as state governor in Jefferson City, thus establishing the Confederate state government’s legitimacy. He felt that if Missouri transitioned from a border state to a Confederate state, it would result in President Lincoln losing his reelection bid in 1864, giving the Confederacy an opportunity to win the war via a peaceful settlement. He also hoped to recruit new Confederate soldiers and collect much needed supplies for his army. Instead, not only did Union forces repel Price's advances, they forced Price's troops to retreat and, in the end, ended the Confederate's hopes of winning the war west of the Mississippi River.

Marker Inscription: On Oct. 23, 1864 near noon Col. McGhee's mounted Arkansans charged north on Wornall Lane to capture McLain's Colorado Battery. Capt. Johnson of the 15th Kas. Cavalry attacked, saving the guns. McGhee was killed in a hand-to-hand fight with the captain who was wounded. Troops of the 2nd Colo. Cavalry came up capturing the Confederates and driving back the rest who left 25 dead and wounded on the field. Union artillery fire destroyed the Simpson Home which stood on the S.E. corner of 53rd Terr. and Wornall.This marker is located at this spot, but there is also a new one on a bench further down the street.The Battle of Westport, Oct 23, 1864 located at 52nd and WornallBench Marker Inscription: No misdeed goes unpunished. On this once cobblestoned road the encampment of the Confederate Colorado Cavalry during the Battle of Westport in 1864. History records that it was the strength of the Union Army that finally prevailed but local legend tells a better story: a farmer named George Thoman revealed to the Union Army’s high command an easier path for attack along Swan Creek and overpowered the surprised Confederates. Why did George Thoman provide such valuable intelligence, when he had originally been- at best– neutral to the Union’s cause? It’s because Confederate soldiers had just stolen his cherished, sterling gray mare.This historical marker designates the approximate location of McGhee's Charge on October 23, 1864. This battle maneuver marked a critical turning point in the Battle of Westport, the largest Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River. The marker is at the location where Confederate Colonel J. H. McGhee led his Arkansas Cavalry Regiment in an attack of Union Captain William D. McLain's Battery, resulting in a Union victory. The battle included a one-on-one fight between two commanding officers, McGhee and Union Captain Curtis Johnson, a rare scene that demonstrates the nature of warfare in smaller skirmishes where commanders were sometimes also combatants. The marker incorrectly states that McGhee was killed as he was only wounded and lived until 1870. United States troops turned back the Confederate offensive, forcing a retreat that continued in the days ahead and effectively ended Confederate hopes for controlling western Missouri and other areas west of the Mississippi River.

 McGhee's Charge Historical Marker Tour Stop 7 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport was the largest and one of the last battles to occur west of the Mississippi River in the Civil War. Local historians sometimes refer to this battle as "The Gettysburg of the West" because of the battle’s similarities to the Confederate strategy. The Battles of Westport and Gettysburg were both planned by the Confederate War Department as a means of taking the war to Union-controlled states in hopes of rallying Southern sympathizers and forcing the United States to defend their territory in addition to trying to take and hold ground in the South.The largest stage of the Battle of Westport took place on October 23, 1864, when soldiers fought along a mile front that included modern-day Loose Park. The Union outnumbered their invading enemy 2:1 with 20,000 troops compared to the Confederates' 10,000 troops. The Confederate plan fell apart almost immediately due to the Union having superior numbers and the strategic advantage of being on the defensive in a territory they controlled. Union troops were able to open up two fronts on the Confederate invaders, quickly breaking their lines which forced a retreat. Small contingents of Union troops attempted to capitalize on their success and capture the retreating Confederates, and while Confederate forces were able to escape and regroup, subsequent clashes saw additional Union victories and the Confederacy never again seriously threatened the area similar to how Gettysburg marked the last attempt to invade Pennsylvania. The Battle of Westport effectively ended the Confederate's campaign in the West. While both sides sustained roughly the same number of casualties, 1,500 men, the loss was harder for the Confederates as these losses accounted for around twenty percent of their effective force while the Union only lost ten percent and the attack galvanized local support.In the decade that followed, the land where Loose Park is now located became home to Kansas City Country Club, one of the city’s first country clubs. Developer J.C. Nichols bought the land surrounding the club to create the Country Club Plaza, and as single-family homes and businesses moved into the area, the country club moved to a new location on the Kansas side of the growing community. This land was sold to Ella Loose, who wanted to create a park out of the site that honored her husband, Jacob Loose. The park has been operated by Kansas City, Missouri and remains the third-largest in the city.

These historical markers share information about the Battle of Westport, the most consequential battle fought west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War. The battle raged over two days throughout this part of what is now Kansas City, and while the precise location of all troop movements and engagements are not known, some of the most critical locations of the battle can be identified because of topography. For example, the land that is now home to the Pembroke Hill School was the high ground initially occupied by Confederates but captured by Union forces. The land that is now home to Loose Park was near the center of several known engagements and may have likely been used as an encampment and staging ground by Confederate troops in the early stages of the battle. Given the popularity of the park and its walking path, local historians chose this location for the replica cannon and a variety of detailed historical markers that were installed as part of an Eagle Scout project. For those who want to learn more about the Battle of Westport, there are many other historical markers connected to the 25-stop Battle of Westport tour.

Replica Canon at Loose Park Historical Markers Tour Stop 8 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

John Bristow Wornall was born in Kentucky in 1822 to Richard and Judith Wornall. Richard owned a mule and horse-trading business before financial problems forced him to sell his assets. The family made their way to Jackson County, Missouri, in 1843, where Richard and Judith purchased 500 acres from John C. McCoy, the founder of Westport. They paid five dollars per acre for the land which included a small, wooden, four-square log cabin built in 1837. The original property stretched from present-day 59th to 67th streets, Main Street to State Line. The Wornalls were farmers who grew corn, hay, oats, and wheat and sold horses and mules to those moving west. Records show the Wornalls made enough money in their first year to pay off the farm entirely. The Wornalls were also enslavers, and the 1860 census lists two women, one man, and a child as being enslaved by the Wornall family. While little is known about these four individuals, local historians have found a high likelihood that their names were George, Jim, Allen, and Nancy. While slavery in parts of Missouri was very profitable, this was a working farm, not on a plantation scale, and the Wornall family would have worked the land in addition to the people they enslaved.In 1845, Richard and Judith sold the farm to John and his brother George. In 1849, George caught “gold rush fever” and set out for California; he died along the way of cholera. Judith also passed away that same year, and Richard returned to Kentucky. The Wornall farm thus became John’s sole property. John married three times. The first marriage was in 1850 to Matilda Polk from Kentucky. Matilda died childless in 1851 after one year of marriage. In 1854, John married Eliza Shalcross Johnson, daughter of Rev. Thomas Johnson, founder of the Shawnee Indian Mission in what is now Kansas City, Kansas. John and Eliza had seven children, of whom only two, Frank and Thomas, survived. They had five daughters who all passed away before the age of three. Eliza died in July 1865 due to medical complications three weeks after giving birth to Thomas. John married for the third time in 1866 to Roma Johnson, Eliza’s cousin. John and Roma had three sons, of which two – John Jr. and Charles Hardin – survived to adulthood.In 1858, John constructed the Wornall House on his farm. The Greek Revival style, two-story brick structure was built almost entirely with local materials. Limestone and mortar came from nearby sources, while the bricks were produced on-site only fifty feet away. It is possible John used enslaved bricklayers to build the house.John tried to stay neutral before and during the Civil War, but the region was at the forefront of the struggle over slavery. Missouri remained within the Union, but many residents, especially those who owned slaves, supported the Confederate cause. Guerrilla fighters, called bushwhackers, often partook in raids on pro-Union towns. The Wornall House was ransacked on a number of occasions. It also was used as a field hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Westport on October 23, 1864. In January 1865, after threats of violence, the Wornalls abandoned their house and took refuge in downtown Kansas City. They did not return to the family home until 1874.Besides farming, John Wornall became involved in real estate, banking, religion, and politics. He assisted in founding Kansas City National Bank and Westport Baptist Church. He was also a trustee for William Jewell College, a Baptist-affiliated college in Liberty, Missouri. He also served one term as a Missouri state senator in 1871. John Wornall died in 1892 and his last wife, Roma, lived until 1933.John and Roma's son, John Wornall, Jr., lived in the house until his death in 1962. Two years later, the Jackson County Historical Society acquired ownership of the Wornall House. The organization restored the home to its antebellum appearance and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. In 1972, the home opened to the public as the first house museum in Kansas City. In 2011, the house came under the management of a new entity called Wornall Majors House Museums, which also operates the Alexander Majors House.

Marker Inscription: Built in 1858 by John Wornall on his 640-acre farm, this house was in the center of heavy fighting on October 23, 1864. After the last Confederate charge to the North toward Westport was repulsed, this house was used as a field hospital for both union and Confederate wounded. Built in 1858, the John Wornall House is one of the few antebellum homes remaining in Kansas City and the oldest house museum in the city. The Greek Revival home stood on five hundred acres owned by John Wornall, a farmer with significant landholdings and investments by the time of the Civil War. The two-story brick structure operates as a museum, with exhibits that center on slavery and the Civil War era, and also include period furniture to represent a prosperous, pre-Civil War household. The 1860 census indicated that four enslaved persons tended to the crops and household tasks. The house was used by both Union and Confederate troops as a field hospital during the Battle of Westport, which took place on October 23, 1864, and resulted in a Union victory. Given its age and significance, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Today, the home is open to the public as a museum under the care of Wornall Majors House Museums.

John Wornall House Museum  Tour Stop 10 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

This action is part of the three day Battle of Westport from October 21-23, 1864. The largest Civil War west of the Mississippi River, the Battle of Westport was the final nail in the coffin for Sterling Price’s Raid into Missouri. After being pushed back by Union forces from what is now Loose Park, the Confederates retreated to the Wornall House in the afternoon of October 23, 1864. Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby’s “Iron” Brigade, Col. Archibald Dobbins Brigade, and Brig. Gen Jeff Thompson’s Brigade, were trying to hold off the Union advance as long as possible to allow the rest of the Confederates to retreat. Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Cavalry had broken through at Byram’s Ford and arrived at the grove that was here at the time, with Union Cpt. Charles H. Thurber’s Battery in the lead. They began with artillery fire into the Confederates’ right flank. Phillips’ Union Brigade arrived to assist in the fight. Maj. Gen. Blunt’s forces advanced from the north and Union forces flanked them on the right, causing Gen. Shelby and the rest of his Confederate troops to retreat to the south and east. Union forces followed in hot pursuit.

Marker Inscription: At about 1:00 P.M., October 23, 1864 Confederate Gen. Shelby was withdrawing slowly from his position near the Wornall House. He had been ordered to pull back by Gen. Price because of the collapse of Marmaduke's Confederate line at Byram's Ford. Union troops under Gen. Pleasonton arrived here at that time. In the lead was Thurber's Battery of Rodman Guns. They opened fire from the edge of the grove that was here. Philips' Union Brigade arrive. Shelby retreated south and east with Union Generals Blunt and Philips in hot pursuit. This historical marker commemorates the converging of Union Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt and Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis’ Army of the Border and Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Provisional Cavalry Division of the Department of the Missouri, breaking the line of the Confederate delaying action of Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby’s “Iron” Brigade, and the other Confederate Forces, causing them to retreat to the South, to link back up with the rest of Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Army of the Missouri. This is part of the three day Battle of Westport

Hinkel’s Grove Tour Stop 11 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Civil War in Missouri, like most border states, divided the population with loyalties to the Union or Confederacy and pitted neighbor against neighbor. The conflict in Missouri was complex, with both a conventional and guerrilla war being fought by regular armies, state militias, and informal raiding parties. The early fighting of the Civil War in Missouri led to the formation of two state governments in Missouri – one supporting the Union led by Governor Hamilton Rowan Gamble in the capital of Jackson City and the pro-secession government in exile led by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson. In 1861, Major General Sterling Price’s Missouri State Guard was pushed out of Missouri by General John C. Fremont after a notable Confederate success at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. In 1862-1863, the conflict in Missouri was mostly marked by a guerrilla war between bushwhackers and Confederate forces against those who supported the Union and a smaller number dedicated to the abolition of slavery. This conflict was common in Missouri both before and during the Civil War, with some of the largest military engagements occurring during Price’s Raid of 1864. Price’s Raid was an unsuccessful attempt to retake Missouri for the Confederacy between August 29 and December 3, 1864. The goal of the offensive was to revitalize the Southern cause in Missouri with a victory in the West, which Price calculated would hurt the reelection campaign of Lincoln. The plan was hatched by Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the trans-Mississippi Department. The primary objective was St. Louis and its arsenals, followed by Jefferson City, the capital. Price was instructed to then raid west into Kansas and Indian Territory for supplies and to hurt the Union economy in the West. The Confederates also hoped to recruit men sympathetic to the South along the way. Price formed the Army of Missouri for this offensive, numbering 12,000 men and 14 cannons, divided into three divisions. In response to the invasion, William S. Rosecrans, leader of the Department of Missouri, assembled the Army of the Border under Major General Samuel R. Cutis with roughly 35,000 men. The first major engagement of the raid, the Battle of Pilot Knob, was a costly victory for Price. The Confederate push toward St. Louis ended at Franklin when Price decided not to even test the city's defenses. At Jefferson City, Price again decided not to launch a full-scale attack on the city and decided to instead raid westward, abandoning the idea of taking either the primary objective of St. Louis or the secondary one of the state capital. The Army of Missouri headed west into “Little Dixie,” a region in the middle of Missouri that had strong Confederate leanings, where they were further supplied and reinforced by the local populace. As October began, the Confederate forces moved west, capturing much-needed weapons at Glasgow and then pushing past a delaying action of Union forces at the Battle of Lexington and toward Independence. Significant Union forces were massing in and around Westport, including the Kansas State Militia which had been hastily called up by Governor Carney once the threat to Kansas presented by Price was fully realized. The Battle of the Big Blue River would preview the largest battle west of the Mississippi during the Civil War at the Battle of Westport.The Battle of Big Blue River, also known as the Battle of Byram’s Ford, was the result of a Confederate attack to secure a river crossing point, across the Big Blue River which needed to be crossed to reach Westport and Kansas to the west. On October 22nd, a diversionary attack was carried out by Confederate forces against the main Union defenses blocking the Independence Road, while the main attack aimed to flank the Union forces to the south, crossing the Big Blue River at Byram’s Ford to avoid the better-defended northern stretch of the Big Blue. The main attack was carried out by Brigadier Generals Joseph Shelby and John Marmaduke’s divisions. The west bank of the river was defended by Colonel Jennison’s Brigade. After a series of failed attacks at Byram’s Ford by Brigadier General Meriweather Jeff Thompson’s Brigade, a flanking move at Hinkel’s Ford forced Jennison to retreat from his position toward Westport, halting his retreat, and the Confederate advance near where this historical marker was set around nightfall. Colonel Moonlight’s brigade arrived late in the day to reinforce Jennison. The following day, the Battle of Westport would definitively end the advance of Price’s raid. It is estimated the fighting on October 22nd resulted in around 3,000 casualties split roughly evenly between the two sides, which was a foreboding harbinger of the even bloodier battle that would follow. The following is Colonel Charles Jennison's account of the fighting that occurred on October 22nd:   “On the morning of the 22d I was ordered with the brigade to Byram’s Crossing of the Big Blue, some eight miles from its encampment of the night previous. Arriving there we were joined by a detachment of Kansas State Militia, of Colonel command, which rendered valuable assistance in obstructing the ford of the river by felling timber, &amp;c. About 11 a. m. the enemy’s advance made its appearance at the ford, attacking our outposts and attempting to force a crossing. The ford was so effectually obstructed, however, and in its condition wholly impassable for artillery, that for some hours little progress was made, the attacking party being repulsed each time it appeared in the front, which was defended by a strong skirmish line, securely posted, and one section of howitzer battery… At this point the First Brigade held the enemy effectually in check, notwithstanding his great superiority of numbers, until about 3 p. m., when it became evident that he had succeeded in crossing considerable bodies, both above and below, and was rapidly flanking us both on the right and left. Upon this intelligence it was determined to retire in the direction of Westport or Kansas City, toward which it was evident the efforts of the enemy were directed. Our lines at the ford having been forced back, the rebels succeeded in crossing a considerable force of dismounted cavalry, a portion of which was employed in removing obstructions in the river, while the others were deployed on either side of the road, and advanced toward us.”The GAR Monument according to the KC Parks Service was designed by" A.J. Dehner, President, Quality Monument Co., Kansas City, Missouri." and that "The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic made the plans for this monument and carried the work to completion after an appeal by William S. Shepherd, the last known surviving Union veteran of the Battle of Westport. Mr. Shepherd selected the site as being where some of the heaviest fighting occurred...The memorial was erected at a cost of $350, $100 of which was contributed by Mr. Dehner who also gave of his time and talents toward the construction and completion of the monument." (KC Parks Service 2024)

Marker Inscription: On October 22, 1864, after the Union line along the Big Blue was flanked, Jackman’s Confederate Brigade overran the Militia at the Mockbee farm, 78th and Holmes, and drove Jennison’s Union Brigade back to the state line. Jennison and Moonlight’s brigades then pushed Jackman back to this area in late afternoon. Thompson’s Confederate Brigade came up at dusk. Fighting continued until dark when both sides pulled back. 	The GAR monument site on Paseo was selected by Win S. Shepard who fought with Moonlight here.GAR Monument Inscription: In Memoriam Grand Army of the Republic Commemoration of the Battle of Westport . Erected on site of the Battle of Westport on 73rd Anniversary Oct 23, 1937. By Ladies of the G.A.R.This historical marker marks the area where United States forces defeated Confederate troops on October 22, 1864, during the Battle of Big Blue River. The Battle of Westport, fought October 22-23, 1864, was an American Civil War battle that took place in and around the then-small settlements of Westport and Independence, Missouri. The battle was part of Price’s Raid, a Confederate offensive led by Major General Sterling Price with the goal of taking Missouri before the 1864 Presidential election. This site saw two Union brigades led by Colonels Charles R. "Doc" Jennison and Thomas Moonlight defeat Confederate brigades led by Sidney D. Jackman and Brigadier General Meriweather Jeff Thompson. The defeat of the Confederate forces at the Battle of Westport the next day was the final nail in the coffin of this last major offensive fought west of the Mississippi River and marked the beginning of a long, costly retreat of Confederates to the south.

Battle of Big Blue River Historical Marker Tour Stop 12 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

This action was part of the three-day Battle of Westport, which took place from the 21-23 of October 1864. It was the largest battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. General Sterling Price’s raid into Missouri essentially ended with his army’s loss in this battle. Union forces pursued Price’s army  all the way south out of Missouri and into Arkansas. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the rest of the war.After being forced back from the Wornall House by Union Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis’ forces to the north, and Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Cavalry division to the east, Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby, who led the remnants of Col. Sydney Jackman’s Brigade formed a new defensive line here. As at the Wornall house, this was another delaying action to allow the rest of the Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s army, including the wagon train full of war loot, to fall back and retreat. Shelby’s “Iron Brigade”, which was commanded by Brig. Gen. Jeff Thompson at the time, was further to the west, protecting the right flank of the Confederate line. This action did not last long. Dealing with an assault from the combining forces of Curtis and Pleasonton was too much and Shelby’s troops broke contact with the enemy and retreated south to join the rest of Price’s army. Brig. Gen. Shelby was one of the Confederacy’s most effective officers. Before the war, he was a hemp farmer, rope maker, and enslaver from Waverly, Missouri. Shelby led a unit of Kentuckians on the pro slavery side during Bleeding Kansas. In the spring of 1861 he joined the Missouri State Guard as a Captain, commanding Shelby’s Ranger Company. Served as a Colonial in the 5th Missouri Cavalry in 1862.  He served as a company commander at several battles including Wilson’s Creek and Pea Ridge. He was eventually promoted to Brigadier General in 1863. At the end of the war, he refused to surrender when the Confederacy collapsed, taking some of his force to Mexico to offer their service as a foreign legion for Emperor Maximillian. He declined, but he did allow them to establish an ex-confederate colony called “Carlota”. Shelby eventually came back to Bates County, Missouri and became a US marshal. He rather controversially appointed an African-American man to serve as a deputy US marshal, for which he received push back from the community. He also apparently regretted his actions in the Border War, telling historian William Elsey Connelley: “I was in Kansas at the head of an armed force. I was there to kill Free-state men. I did kill them. I am now ashamed of myself for having done so. I had no business there. No Missourian had any business there with arms in his hands.” (Connelley 1909, 288) Whether he was truly regretful is up for historical debate. The marker for Shelby’s Last Stand is also on the grounds of the Forest Hill Cemetery [see the Clio entry for Forest Hill]. The cemetery includes the graves of a large number of Confederate dead including Joseph Shelby. George Thoman, who historian Howard Monett identified as the farmer who helped the Union outflank the Confederates [see Union flanking movement entry], is ironically buried about 150 feet from Shelby. There also is a monument of a Confederate soldier in the cemetery erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1902.

Marker Inscription: On Oct. 23, 1864, Confederate Gen. Shelby being forced back from Westport by Gen. Curtis and flanked on the east by Gen. Pleasonton formed a defensive line here behind stone fences running east and west to the state line. Jackman's Brigade of Shelby's Division arrived after 1 P.M. To defend the Confederate right flank. Shelby's "Iron Brigade" under Gen. Thompson was farther west. Generals Curtis and Pleasonton finally drove the Confederates south.This Marker notes Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby, and his “Iron” Brigade, and other Confederate forces last delaying action of the newly combined might of Union forcesUnion Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt and Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis’ Army of the Border and Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Provisional Cavalry Division of the Department of the Missouri, Union forces eventually prevailed and pushed Shelby’s forces to the South. This is part of the larger three-day Battle of Westport.

Shelby’s Last Stand Tour Stop 13 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

Though he had victoriously pushed Union troops out of Independence, Missouri, the previous day, Sterling Price was now at a crucial juncture of his invasion. Despite weeks of hard marching and fighting, Price had moved too slowly to seize his primary objectives: St. Louis and Jefferson City. Having failed to capture Missouri's capital and install a Confederate governor at the head of a new regime, he turned to his secondary objectives of gathering recruits and ravaging Union territory in Kansas.After recruiting heavily in the Boonslick (a number of pro-Confederate counties near the Missouri River) and clashing with Union forces along the way, Price captured Independence on the evening of October 21, 1864. Just across the Big Blue River to the west waited a Union army 15,000-strong under General Samuel Curtis. Behind Price, galloping in from Jefferson City, were several thousand well-equipped, veteran Union cavalry under General Alfred Pleasonton. On the morning of October 22, Price could see how strong Curtis's defenses were between the Confederates and Kansas City. He made the decision to bypass them altogether and attack at less fortified positions farther south. Curtis had unwisely left some of the Big Blue's southerly fords only lightly guarded. Despite a stout three-hour defense at Byram's Ford, Union troops under Colonel "Doc" Jennison were thrown back from their earthworks and were soon in full retreat northwest toward Shawnee Mission, at the Missouri-Kansas state line, where they were joined by reinforcements under Colonel Thomas Moonlight and General James Blunt in a desperate attempt to stabilize the southern Union flank.In the meantime, a Union brigade of cavalry farther south, at Russell's Ford, was almost completely unaware of the happenings at Byram's Ford. A "hodgepodge of various [Kansas] county militias,"1 it included pieces of five different regiments and one 24-pounder howitzer, all under the command of a former grocer named Melvin S. Grant. Though his rank made him a general, Grant did not feel up to the task of brigade command and had repeatedly asked Curtis to replace him with someone more experienced. It was this inexperience that had led him to scatter much of his command in far-flung patrols that morning. Thus, the other four regiments of his brigade began to retreat piecemeal when word arrived of the Confederate breakthrough at Byram's Ford – and they did so without General Melvin Grant, who was out scouting with the 2nd Kansas State Militia (KSM). As they retreated northwest toward Kansas City, most of Grant's brigade was caught by the rapid Confederate advance and scattered or captured, leaving only the bewildered howitzer and its crew in the vicinity of Mockbee's Farm.Whether brave or foolhardy, the howitzer's commander Captain Ross Burns decided to make a stand in a lane running through Mockbee's Farm, protected on either side by fences. There the 21-man crew unlimbered their gun and commenced firing at the oncoming Confederates. They were soon joined by the 2nd KSM, commanded by Colonel George Veale, which had finally caught wind of the fighting and now joined their artillerymen--as the only remaining combatworthy elements of Melvin Grant's brigade. Seeing the Confederate brigade of Frank Gordon massing to his front, Veale (a more experienced militia officer than most of the era) wished to withdraw to a stronger position but was overruled by Grant, who underestimated the Rebel strength and though reinforcements were on the way.A see-saw of charge and countercharge followed, with both sides breaking and reforming several times. Ross Burns's howitzer poured canister shot into the oncoming Rebel charges, and the outnumbered Union militia were able to hold off several assaults. So tenacious was their defense that Confederate General Jo Shelby, one of Price's division commanders who had arrived to take charge of the battle, thought he was fighting Pleasonton's veteran cavalry, not the much-derided state militia. This overestimation of Yankee strength led him to call for reinforcements from the brigades of M. Jeff Thompson and Sidney Jackman – which had been busy chasing Jennison into Westport. Called away from this, the chance to smash through Samuel Curtis's weak right flank and into his rear was unknowingly lost.At the time, this meant little to the men of the 2nd KSM. Three brigades of mounted Confederate cavalry charged down on their position. Burns's howitzer managed to discharge three final rounds of canister, ripping holes in the oncoming Rebel ranks. The Kansans were too sorely outnumbered, however. Their regiment was cut to pieces, and the remainder retreated in disarray, leaving behind over one hundred killed, wounded, or captured. Price's opportunity to flank Curtis's "Army of the Border" was gone, however. Blunt, Moonlight, and Jennison began arraying their forces near Brush Creek for battle on the morrow, which would see Price's army nearly surrounded and destroyed.Today, a marker commissioned by the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund (as part of a 23-stop Battle of Westport driving tour) marks the fateful position of the 2nd KSM's stand at Mockbee's Farm.

Marker Inscription: The Thos. Mockbee farmhouse stood here. On Oct. 22, 1864 when after Confederates had forced a crossing of the Big Blue to the east 300 men of the 2nd Kas. Militia were north of the farmhouse where they formed a line facing north. Jackman’s Brigade with Gordon’s Regiment of Shelby’s Div. made several mounted charges and finally overran the union Position. Union losses were 30 killed, 50 wounded, 102 captured including a 24-pound howitzer. Jackman also lost heavily in this fight.Technically only one in a series of engagements comprising the Battle of Westport, the fight at Mockbee's Farm on October 22, 1864, marked a decisive, if accidental, episode in the "Gettysburg of the West." As the right flank of the Union defenses along the Big Blue River began to collapse and retreat back to the Kansas state line, a Union militia regiment accidentally appeared in the rear of the Confederate pursuit, cutting the Rebels' assault short and giving Union forces time to recuperate and counterattack. The dramatic nature of the action at Mockbee's Farm, while part of the larger battle swirling around Byram's Ford that day, makes it one of the most memorable incidents in the climactic battle of Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition.

Battle of Mockbee's Farm Tour Stop 14 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport was fought on October 23, 1864, during the American Civil War. This battle was a major moment in the conflict. The Union and Confederate forces clashed in and around present-day Kansas City, Missouri as a desperate struggle for control of the region. The early stages of the battle saw intense fighting as Union General Samuel R. Curtis engaged Confederate General Sterling Price's forces. Major Sterling Price invaded Missouri with the Confederate Army of Missouri. His goal was simple, to seize war supplies and to find and recruit supporters of the Confederacy. On Sunday, October 22, 1864 Major General James F. Fagan and General Jo Shelby were forced to cross the Big Blue River. Price sent the Confederate Division posted at this spot along Harrisonville Road at noon. General Price ordered his large wagon train of 600 wagons and 3,000 cattle south on Harrisonville Road. Price left General William L. Cabell’s Brigade to guard the wagon train along with several thousand unarmed recruits for the Confederate army. (TCWM). Union troops led by Major General Samuel R. Curtis attacked the Confederate forces. The Confederate forces lost, due to poor supplies such as inferior weapons, hungry troops, casualties in the battle, and running out of ammunition.  The Harrisonville Road in Kansas City, Missouri stands as a witness to the intense struggles of the American Civil War. By examining the battles that we went over that occurred along this strategic route, this site contributes to a deeper understanding of the Civil War in the West.

Marker Inscription: This was the main road to Harrisonville. Fagan’s Confederate Division was posted here at noon on Oct.23, 1864. At daylight that day Gen. Price’s huge wagon train moved south on this road. After his defeat at Byram’s Ford Gen. Marmaduke retreated south following Price’s column. Gen. Fagan was reinforced by Jackman’s Brigade. They faced east. Sanborn of Pleasanton's Div. attacked them but was driven back but he and Benteen then drove them to the south and west.Prospect Road, which runs north and south on the east side of Kansas City was once known as Harrisonville Road. While it is now an urban artery street, this road held a great deal of historical significance during the American Civil War. During this time the road was a major route from Kansas City and Westport to communities to the south, including Harrisonville. The road was made of gravel and was a main route for travel, goods, and for services to and from the towns to the north. “Harrisonville Road witnessed numerous skirmishes and engagements throughout the Civil War. These smaller conflicts were part of the ongoing struggle for control and dominance along this strategic route” (Kennett, 2003). Controlling the road was a significant objective during the Battle of Westport, the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River, as well. A historic marker erected by (insert who erected the marker) It is located in Southeast Kansas City near the intersection of Meyer Blvd and Wabash Avenue. (hmbd.org).

Prospect Road (Harrisonville Road) Tour Stop 15 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

Though they merit study as their own distinct episodes, the fights at Byram's Ford on October 22 and 23, 1864 are actually regarded as part of the larger battles of 2nd Independence and Westport, respectively. In the case of the former, Confederate General Sterling Price deftly sidestepped Union General Samuel Curtis's "Army of the Border," which lay firmly entrenched on the western banks of the Big Blue River, daring Price to attack Kansas City. The following day, Union cavalry under General Alfred Pleasonton, which had been operating in Price's wake for several days, caught up with his 12,000-man Army of Missouri anyway, and combined with Curtis's army to smash the Confederates at Westport the following day. The majority of this latter engagement took place in and around Byram’s Ford.Before and during the Civil War, Byram's Ford was a much-traveled passage from Missouri to Kansas, yet Union General Samuel R. Curtis overlooked its importance when readying his defenses for Price's approaching invasion force. Curtis had been preparing to fight Price for weeks, nearly since the Confederates had first crossed into Arkansas in September. A few days before, after finally ascertaining Price's exact whereabouts, Curtis had decided to stake his defense on the favorable terrain of the Big Blue River, which divided Independence from Kansas City. His 15,000-strong army blocked the likely crossings with felled trees and dug trenches while a forward division under General James Blunt fought delaying actions at Lexington (Oct. 19) and the Little Blue River (Oct. 21). By then, Curtis was convinced that Price's army would continue straight on to Kansas City, as the Confederates had not deviated from the path of the Missouri River in a week.Curtis was wrong. After seizing Independence on the evening of Oct. 21, Price decided to escape southward. On the morning of the 22nd, Price left a brigade to make a diversion near the road to Kansas City. Curtis was sufficiently convinced that his predictions had come true, and three hours passed before he realized the Confederate army must be on the move southward. Indeed, by 11 AM, Price's vanguard under General Jo Shelby was attacking a small Union force under Colonel Charles "Doc" Jennison at Byram's Ford. Jennison's Kansas cavalry, along with a small battery of howitzers, had been detailed to hold the ford, and represented the southern extremity of Curtis's 15-mile defensive line. Jennison's men, who belonged to Blunt's division, had been fighting and marching constantly for several days, and had been ironically assigned to what Curtis thought would be a quiet section of the line. They held for three hours against a growing number of Confederates before Shelby, desperate to force his way across as the Confederate army's 500-wagon supply train drew near, sent troops in both directions along the river to find other fords.Shelby's decision bore fruit. Confederate troops found their way across smaller fords to the north and south of Byram's Ford, and Jennison was soon outflanked. The Union cavalry pulled back, and was aggressively pursued by Shelby's division several miles to Shawnee Mission just across the state line in Kansas, until Union reinforcements and an unexpected tussle at nearby Mockbee Farm closed the day's fighting for Shelby's men.Meanwhile, back at Byram's Ford, the tables had turned. While the fighting raged between Jennison and Shelby at the river, Price's rearguard division back in Independence under General John S. Marmaduke was set upon by several brigades of Union cavalry under General Alfred Pleasonton. For several days, Pleasonton's 10,000-strong mounted force had been shadowing Price's army, and now finally caught up to the slippery Price. Marmaduke was pushed steadily back to the banks of the Big Blue and soon found himself occupying positions similar to those Jennison held that morning. Pleasonton, in a rare move for Civil War commanders, pushed his units to fight well after dark, but exhaustion and disorganization on both sides eventually broke off combat around 10:30 PM on October 22.Pleasonton was determined to pick up where he'd left off at dawn the next day, but delays (for which he had one of his brigade commanders arrested) kept his cavalry from assaulting Marmaduke's positions at Byram's Ford until about 8 AM. A determined attack pushed Marmaduke's skirmishers back from the riverbank in less than half an hour – though the Confederates retreated briefly to a rocky outcropping (still present on the battlefield today) two hundred yards back from the ford, where they put up some additional resistance before being forced back still further to Marmaduke's main positions at Potato Hill. The Union cavalry reformed, then coordinated a series of determined attacks, well-supported by artillery and reinforcing waves of troops – up the slopes and soon dislodged Marmaduke's men from what would later be called “Bloody Hill.”1This was the beginning of the end for Price's month-long invasion. With Marmaduke retreating, Pleasonton's cavalry formed a backdoor swinging shut on the rest of Sterling Price's army, which was engaged against Curtis's Army of the Border farther northwest at Brush Creek. Jo Shelby, in a move that temporarily saved the Confederate Army of Missouri from annihilation, wisely detached Sidney Jackman's brigade from the action at Brush Creek and sent it to Marmaduke's aid. Confederate resistance at both ends of the battle was crumbling, however, and Price's army (from which he was conspicuously absent, managing his large supply train) began to melt southwestward. From here on out, it would be a desperate flight from Pleasonton's cavalry, which would force battle again in the coming days at Mine Creek, Marais des Cygnes, and Marmiton River (all fought on October 25) and Newtonia (October 28).THE BATTLEFIELDThrough several decades of herculean efforts, the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund (a nonprofit named for Howard Monnett, a preservationist and author who wrote one of the earliest authoritative books on the battle) has preserved a portion of the battlefield area surrounding Byram's Ford and Brush Creek. Dubbed the "Big Blue Battlefield Park," and now part of the Kansas City Parks system, it contains the Byram's Ford crossing that was so violently disputed in 1864. The park features a number of walking trails that offer visitors the opportunity to experience portions of the battle on foot. The group continues to work tireless to preserve more of this pivotal battlefield.

A crucial chapter in both the Second Battle of Independence (Oct. 22) and the Battle of Westport (Oct. 23), this historical marker shares the history of the two days of fighting at Byram's Ford, which is now part of Kansas City's Swope Park. The battle that occurred here was also a pivotal moment in Confederate General Sterling Price's cavalry raid through Missouri in 1864. Price first used the ford to move his men and slip away from Union General Samuel Curtis' formidable defenses, and the following day Union cavalry would smash through Price's rearguard and seal the trap that would annihilate his army in the ensuing week. The marker can be found by following the trail alongside Hardesty Avenue just a few hundred feet west.

 Byram's Ford and Big Blue Battlefield Historical Marker Tour Stop 16 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport took place on October 23, 1864. It was the largest battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. It turned the tide of Price’s Raid into Missouri from one of mediocre success, to one of abysmal failure. Once defeated at Westport, Price's Army of the Missouri retreated into Arkansas. The Union controlled Missouri for the rest of the war. The Second Battle of Byram’s Ford on October 23, 1864, allowed Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s Union Cavalry to finally link up with Gen. Samuel R. Curtis at Westport causing the Confederates to retreat southward.On the morning of October 23, while Union Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis and James G. Blunt was fighting Confederate General Sterling Price’s main force of the Army of the Missouri at Westport about three miles to the west, Confederate Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke and his forces defended Byram’s Ford with Confederate Brig. Gen. John Bullock Clark’s brigade deployed on the high ground of Potato Hill and Col. Thomas R. Freeman’s Brigade in a forward position on the west bank of the river. The Confederates at Byram’s Ford were in position to try to stop Union Cavalry under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton from breaking through the Confederate lines and linking up with Curtis and Blunt at Westport. If Pleasonton had broken through, Union forces might have crushed Price’s Army of the Missouri – as if they were stuck between a hammer and anvil – as long as Pleasonton blocked the lines of escape. Confederate Maj. Joseph H. Pratt’s Artillery as well as the other artillery units and Marmaduke’s forces did not make it easy for Pleasonton to break through their line. The rocky slopes of the river and fortifications made by the Union for the First Battle of Byram's Ford were no help either, making it very hard for the Union cavalry to cross while mounted. Pratt’s Battery was 3 artillery pieces reported as either a 6-pounder smoothbore cannon and 2 Parrott rifled artillery guns, or composed of a 6-pounder cannon and 2 12- pounder smoothbore Napoleons. Smoothbore means there is no rifling in the cannon, and the gun fires a typical cannonball. A rifled artillery piece has spiral grooves down the bore, which give the projectile spin, causing them to be much more accurate. From about 9:00 AM-11:00 AM, Pratt’s Artillery Battery shelled Pleasonton’s troops, causing quite a large amount of damage.Making already rough terrain, coupled with fortifications, as well as Confederate dismounted cavalry firing at Union forces, made getting up Bloody Hill an incredibly difficult task for Union troops. Pratt’s battery also dueled with Union artillery. Eventually Marmaduke and the Rest of the Confederates were pushed back, and union forces took the hill by about 12:00 PM, allowing Pleasonton to link up with Curtis and Blunt at Westport. The artillery piece that remains on the site today is not a Parrott gun. Parrott guns have a distinctive iron band wrapped around the breech, such as those seen on the replica cannon at Loose Park.

Marker Inscription: On the morning of Oct. 23, 1864 Clarke's Confederate Brigade of Marmaduke's Div. was in line on this hill from 63rd St. Trafficway north across 59th St. facing east to stop Pleasonton's Cavalry. Pratt's two Batteries, Harris' Mo. and Hynson's Tx. each with two 10 pounder Parrotts and one small gun were in the line. Two Parrotts were here firing on the ford, the road and Union Artillery on the hill across the river. Pratt's Artillery was withdrawn before the final Union charge. The entire line was forced back at 11 A.M.This Marker notes approximately where Confederate Maj Joseph H. Pratt’s two Artillery batteries were firing at Union forces under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton in support of the Confederate dismounted cavalry to hold Pleasonton off as long as possible. This is part of the Second battle of Byram’s Ford, Which is part of the larger three day Battle of Westport.

Pratt’s Artillery Tour Stop 17a. (battle of Westport Driving tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport took place on October 23, 1864. It was the largest battle west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War. The battle was the decisive turning point in Sterling Price’s Raid into Missouri. turned from a mediocre Confederate success to a Union victory when the Union army forced Price’s Army of the Missouri south into Arkansas. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the rest of the Civil War.This marker explains actions at the Second Battle of Byram’s Ford (also known as the Second Battle of the Big Blue River) on October 23, 1864. It was a smaller rear guard engagement by Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke’s Confederate forces to delay Union Cavalry under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, who had been pursuing Price across most of Missouri. [See Byram's Ford and Big Blue Battlefield Clio entries.]The Confederates now occupied the Union position during the First Battle of Byram’s Ford the day before on the west side of the ford  [see Battle of Big Blue Clio entry]. Confederate Maj. Gen. Marmaduke positioned Col. Thomas R. Freeman’s Brigade in a forward position on the Big Blue River’s west bank. He also positioned Brig. Gen. John Bullock Clark’s Brigade on the high ground west of the ford known as Potato Hill with sharpshooters in a log cabin and some in trees. The Confederates did not have much time to prepare fortifications, and thus improved the abattis (usually rows of felled trees with branches facing the enemy to entangle and be a general nuisance) that belonged to Union forces the day before. They hastily erected “piles of rails” up near the log cabin. Dealing with heavy fire and difficult terrain, Maj. Gen. Pleasanton’s  Cavalry twice failed to break the Confederate line but eventually they were able to break through the  line and push the Confederates back around 11 AM. This action allowed the Union forces under Maj. Gen. Pleasanton to link up with Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt and Samuel R. Curtis at Westport and forced the Confederates out of Missouri.

Marker is MissingMarker Inscription: This log house hiding Confederate snipers was in front of the defensive line 250 yards to the south. Heavy fighting took place there on Oct. 23, 1864 between Marmaduke's Confederates and Pleasonton's Cavalrymen. Clarke's Confederate Brigade was in line here, fortified with fence rails. It ran south to 63rd from the cliff which is a few rods to the north. Pleasonton drove them to the west at 11 A.M.﻿This marker notes a log cabin used to stand around this location, and was used by Confederate forces as cover while they were fighting Union forces at Byram’s Ford. This is part of the Second Battle of Byram’s Ford, which is part of the larger three-day Battle of Westport.

Log House and Defensive Line Tour Stop 17b. (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid) 

The fighting was not centered around a singular battlefield like Antietam, Gettysburg, and other pivotal battles of the Civil War. Instead, the three days of constant fighting occurred in a series of large battles and smaller skirmishes scattered around Kansas City, including the Little Blue River, Big Blue River, Independence, Byram's Ford, Mockbee's Farm, Shawnee Mission, and Brush Creek. Visitors to the Battle of Westport Visitor Center and Museum can experience the entire history of the battle. The 32-mile self-guided tour of the Battle of Westport traces the routes of the armies over adjacent battlefields along the Big Blue River in the Byram's Ford Historic District. Several replica artillery items are placed along the self-guided tour. The battlefield has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989, and this battlefield has been preserved through the tireless efforts of the nonprofit Monnett Battle of Westport Fund. The former battlefield located here is now a Kansas City Park.The origins of the Battle of Westport are mired in political intrigue and controversy, but its beginning can be traced to the Confederacy’s desire to install secessionist Thomas Reynolds as the Missouri State Governor in Jefferson City and to establish a “legitimate” Confederate state government (despite a heavy concentration of Southern sympathizers in the state, Missouri never actually seceded). Furthermore, by capturing the state for the South, Price and the Confederacy hoped that the loss would negatively affect Lincoln’s chances for re-election in November, 1864.Thus, in September of 1864, Price led 12,000 soldiers, mostly cavalry and militia, on a legendary raid into the heart of Missouri. Although they initially targeted St. Louis, Price soon realized that his rather small army would not be able to penetrate the city’s considerable fortifications.After turning back from St. Louis, Price and his Army of Missouri headed towards Jefferson City. Light skirmishes ensued, and Price and his army also turned away from Jefferson City. Disease, desertion, and death brought the Army of Missouri’s numbers down, but he received a steady supply of recruits from pro-Confederate counties as he passed through.Ahead and behind Price, the Union response was building. General Samuel R. Curtis patched together 15,000 volunteers and militia from Kansas and Missouri into a well-supplied “Army of the Border,” which he stationed along the Big Blue River between Independence and Kansas City, intending to block Price’s movement west. Back in St. Louis, Rosecrans sent General Alfred R. Pleasonton to tail Price with 10,000 cavalry, hoping to trap the Confederates between the two armies.After pushing back Union delaying forces at Lexington, the Little Blue River, and Independence, Price finally squared off across the banks of the Big Blue on the morning of October 22, 1864. But Price appreciated the strength of Curtis’s defenses and, leaving a diversionary force behind, slipped southward with his army. By the time Curtis realized Price wasn’t going to attack via the Kansas City Road, the Confederates were more than 10 miles south, crumpling his weak right flank at Byram’s Ford.Price pushed his way across the Big Blue River while Curtis scrambled to realign his defenses to meet this new threat. Luckily for Curtis, Pleasonton was now on the scene, attacking the Confederate rearguard in Independence. Despite having beaten back Union forces from the ford and at Mockbee’s Farm, Price was still in danger of being caught in the vise between the two Union armies.On October 23, that is precisely the fate that befell Price’s beleaguered army. Though Curtis’s men suffered some early reversals along Brush Creek, just south of Westport, their lines held and began to drive the Confederates back while Pleasonton hammered the Confederate rearguard and pushed across Byram’s Ford, just as the Rebels had done the day before. By afternoon, the situation was hopeless. The Confederate lines collapsed and a general rout commenced southward. Union cavalry would pursue Price’s army for several days afterward, annihilating more than half the force and ending organized Confederate resistance in the Trans-Mississippi Theater.Battle of Westport Visitor Center and MuseumThe Battle of Westport Visitor Center and Museum is located in the heart of Kansas City's Westport neighborhood at 4000 Baltimore. The museum's largely volunteer-based staff lead efforts to preserve the battlefield while introducing visitors to this monumental moment in the Civil War. Opening in 2008, the Visitor Center and Museum depict the experiences of both civilians and soldiers who were caught in the horrendous fighting of this battle, and galleries and exhibits showcase several nuances of the battle, ranging from the Price raid to the lives and culture surrounding Westport citizens.There are two self-guided tours for visitors to further immerse themselves in this battle's history, including the 32-mile Battle of Westport Auto Tour and the Big Blue Battlefield Walking Tour. The automobile tour starts at the Westport District of Kansas City and stops at 25 major sites associated with the battle. The Big Blue Battlefield Walking Tour follows the historic route of Byram’s Ford Road over the battlefield. At the top of Bloody Hill, a cannon marks the spot of Pratt’s Artillery Ford as it stood on October 23rd, 1864.8

Marker Inscription: On The morning of October 23, 1864 Federal cavalry under General Alfred Pleasonton forced a crossing of the Big Blue at Byram’s Ford and assaulted this hill which was defended by General Marmaduke’s Confederate division. After three hours of heavy fighting Pleasonton broke the Confederate line, enabling him to out-flank the Confederate divisions of General Shelby and Fagan fighting Cutis’ Union cavalry before Westport. Dedicated in 1961, this historical marker shares the pivotal moment in the Battle of Westport when General Pleasonton's forces made a successful assault on Confederate forces who had occupied this hill on the morning of October 23, 1864. After three hours of heavy fighting, Union forces took broke through Confederate lines. The Battle of Westport is widely regarded as the single most important battle of the Civil War that took place west of the Mississippi River. The battle occurred in modern-day Kansas City from October 21-23, 1864, and the Confederate defeat battle was a turning point in the war in this region and marked the end of the Confederate threat in the West. As the largest battle in the West with over 30,000 combatants, the three-day battle resulted in about 1,500 deaths on each side. The scale, significance, and high casualties led to the Battle of Westport being known as the “Gettysburg of the West” among some historians.

Battle of Westport Historical Marker Tour Stop 18 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport took place from October 21-23, 1864. It was the largest battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River and the turning point in Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Raid of Missouri. The Battle of Westport transformed Price’s Raid from a mediocre military success, to an abject failure, ending with Union forces driving Price’s Army out of Missouri all the way back to Arkansas. His army disintegrated along the way, leaving him hardly anything to show for his trouble. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the remainder of the Civil War. The house of Thomas “Boston” Maxwell Adams was used by Maj. Gen. Price as his headquarters and as camp for part of his Army of the Missouri on October 22. It was here that Price came up with his battle plan for the 23. He decided to deploy his forces on two fronts. Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby’s Division and Maj. Gen. James Fagan’s Division would fight Union Maj Gen. Samuel R. Curtis and James G. Blunt and the Army of the Border along Brush Creek, and Brig. Gen. John s. Marmaduke’s Division would protect his rear along the Big Blue River by Byram’s Ford and hold off Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton and his Provisional Cavalry Division of the Department of the Missouri. Price also decided to have Brig. Gen.William Cabell’s Brigade protect the wagon train of 500 wagons and about 5,000 head of cattle. He commanded they travel south by Hickman Mills Road, and then to turn southwest to Little Santa Fe. He hoped this would avoid having Pleasonton from swinging south to cut off the escape of the wagon train and end in its capture. The “Boston” Adams House was taken possession of, by the Confederates for use as a field hospital.The man himself Thomas “Boston” Maxwell Adams was himself a rather interesting individual. According to Nellie McCoy Harris he: “When quite a young man he accompanied, as correspondent of a Boston newspaper a party of filibusters to Cuba, hence his nickname… After Mr. Adams returned to the United States he became involved in what is known in history as "Dorr's Rebellion", Dorr appointing him his private secretary .Boston Adams, an ardent Southern sympathizer, was arrested and imprisoned in St. Louis in the sorrowful period described by Winston Churchill, [the American author known for The Crisis, which is about the Civil War, not the British Prime Minister] and either died in prison or soon after his release, the rest of his confinement when a federal prisoner.” (Harris, 1912)The location of the house remains up to some scholarly debate. The historical marker is supposedly in the wrong place. Local historian and previous chairman of the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund Dan Smith thinks the location is: “was located on the 40 acres of the NE ¼ of the NW ¼ of section 10, Township 48, Range 33; this translates into the ground of the present residential area on the southwest corner of the intersection of Indiana and 67th Street. This tract of land was the first purchase of land in Jackson County by Adams; it was purchased from the general land office in June 1850.” (Dan Smith, email message to author, October 29, 2024) Here is also a quote from Nellie McCoy Harris, daughter of John Calvin McCoy the “Father of Kansas City”, describing the location of the house: “There were three highways leading to this fine plantation; one from Kansas City “ ‘angling’ through the dense woods from Judge Smart’s at Ottawa, (now Twelfth) &amp; Main streets, crossing O.K. Creek about Harrison and Eighteenth, thence southeast to the old Westport and Independence road, south to Collins ford on Brush Creek, up the long incline southward about a mile and there you were. The other two roads went from Westport, one south on the Wornall road to Ben Simpson’s corner [55th and Wornall], then east; the third road and the one most used turned south either at what is now Westport Avenue and Main or north of Mill Creek crossing, passing to the west of W. R. Nelson’s stone wall enclosed park, crossing Brush Creek at Duke’s ford, up the hill, then through the Hays neighborhood to Major Adams house just at the west entrance to Swope Park.” (Harris 1912) Author Kyle Sinisi in his book The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition Of 1864  described the “Boston Adams’s house near the intersection of the Harrisonville [which is now Prospect] and Byram’s ford roads [this road no longer exists].” (Sinisi 2015, 219) The Style of the house was also described by Dan Smith as: “The House was of a “dog trot” Southern vernacular style. The center breezeway was later enclosed by 1864 and measured 12’X 12’; the breezeway was flanked by two larger square structures most likely made of stone due to the fact that corrals at the site were made of stone. The Boston Adams House was constructed between 1850 and 1860.”(Dan Smith, email message to author, October 29, 2024)

Marker Inscription: Confederate Gen. Price made his headquarters here the night of Oct. 22, 1864. His generals convinced him to start south but he refused to abandon his 500-wagon train of war booty. Gen. Shelby's Division camped near Forest Hill cemetery. Gen. Marmaduke was at Byram's Ford and Fagan's Div. and the train were on the west side of the Blue River one mile south of the ford. Benteen's Union Brigade fed their horses west of here at noon on Oct. 23rd.The marker notes the “Boston” Adams House which was used by Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price as a headquarters and later by the Confederates as a field hospital. This was part of the larger three-day Battle of Westport.

“Boston” Adams House Tour Stop 19 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

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.

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.

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

The Battle of Westport took place on October 21-23, 1864, with the majority of the fighting on the 23rd. It was the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. The Battle of Westport was the turning point in Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Raid into Missouri, after which Price’s Army of the Missouri was chased by Union forces back into Arkansas. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the remainder of the war.On October 23, 1864, Union Maj. Gen. McNeil was ordered by Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton to be at Hickman Mills by daylight, in order to block Price’s avenues of retreat. He failed to get there before late morning, so he then proceeded to follow Price’s wagon train as it retreated around 12:00 PM. McNeil correctly gathered that his force was outnumbered, but incorrectly overestimated the wagon train’s combat power. It was guarded by a relatively small escort, and many inadequately armed new recruits who rather than rifles had shotguns, which have a short range, and old flintlocks, which are less reliable and less effective, than military issue rifles of the day. This ragtag force was accompanied by unarmed refugees – who Price also picked up on his march across Missouri. Historian Paul Jenkins notes: “Price practically forced into his ranks all the male citizens of military age encountered in his march, and notices still exist which were posted in Lexington on his arrival there, ordering all such to ‘report for duty’ to officers appointed for the purpose of assigning them. This policy resulted in there being accumulated among his force a large number of unarmed men and boys.” (Jenkins, 53) Presumably the refugees included Confederate sympathizing civilians – women, children, and elderly men, who traveled with the troops as “camp followers.”McNeil cautiously skirmished with the escort of the wagon train throughout the morning. At about 1:00 PM he decided to actually attack the wagon train, but it was too late. Maj. Gen. Price had arrived and organized the defense of the wagon train, deploying Confederate Brig. Gen. William L. Cabell’s Brigade as skirmishers and Col. Charles H. Tyler’s brigade in support. The Confederates also lit the prairie on fire to mask their withdrawl. Thus, the wagon train of about 500 wagons full of supplies and war loot, and about 5,000 heads of cattle, escaped. The rest of Price’s remaining forces gradually followed, with Confederate Maj. Gen. Shelby’s Brigade was the last to pass by the Santa Fe Road at about 3:00 PM. Union command gathered at the Thomas House to decide the next course of action around 4:00 PM. The pursuit of Price’s Army of the Missouri out of Missouri commenced the next day.

Marker Inscription: In 1864, the New Santa Fe Road joined the Harrisonville Road (now Grandview Road) here and went south across present I-435, then to the southwest. McNeil's Union Brigade had been ordered by General Pleasonton to be here by daylight on October 23, 1864 and block General Price's retreat. He was several miles to the east by 10:00 A.M. Cabell's Brigade and 5,000 unarmed recruits were guarding Price's wagon train. About noon McNeil attacked Cabell but was driven back across present Hwy. 71 to the northeast. Price's army escaped.This marker denotes that Union Brig. Gen. John McMeil was supposed to block Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s escape. McNeil failed to do so and Price escaped, with Union forces in pursuit. This was part of the large three-day Battle of Westport.

New Santa Fe Road Tour Stop 21 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

The Battle of Westport took place on the 23 of October 1864. It was the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River and the turning point of Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Raid into Missouri.  The battle resulted in a Union victory and Price’s Army of the Missouri’s retreat to Arkansas. The Union maintained control of Missouri for the rest of the war. Price’s army retreated south from the battlefield in an effort to secure his wagon train. The wagon train had about 500 wagons full of war loot and supplies, and about 5,000 head of cattle.  They came to New Santa Fe about 11 miles south of Westport, taking the military road south around 2PM. Confederate Maj Gen. Joseph Shelby’s Division tried their very best to hold off Union forces as long as possible to ensure the retreat of the wagon train. Shelby’s Division retreated at about 3PM with Union forces in hot pursuit. Union forces under Col. Charles Jennison and Col. James H. Ford pursued the Confederate forces for about four miles and then eventually stopped due to nightfall and exhaustion. After a fierce fight the prior three days, Union officers decided their men needed to rest and they needed time to decide the next course of action. Price continued for about 20 more miles to put some distance between his army and Union forces. Union forces camped Little Santa Fe and at Indian Creek.

Marker Inscription: In 1864 this village straddled the state line. The military road running north and south was ¼ mile west of the line. On October 23, 1864, General Sterling Price's wagon train moving southwest on this road turned south on the military road at 2 P.M. followed by most of his army. Shelby's Division withdrew south at 3 P.M. with Union troops in pursuit. Jennison's and Ford's Brigades continued for four miles and stopped. Price continued south for 20 miles that night. Union troops camped near here and at Indian Creek.This marker notes that Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and his Army of the Missouri passed by on this road, fleeing Union pursuit. Union forces stopped the pursuit for the evening due to the need to rest after having fought all day at Westport. This is part of the larger three-day Battle of Westport.

New Santa Fe Tour Stop 22 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

In the Battle of Westport in October of 1864, General Curtis and his Union forces outnumbered and defeated Confederates led by General Sterling Price. This victory proved to be a turning point in Price's Missouri Campaign and ended the last major Confederate offensive west of the Mississippi River. For the remainder of the Civil War, the Union maintained control of Missouri.At the time of the battle and victory, however, Union leaders feared a return of Confederate raiders and decided upon an aggressive pursuit of Price's army. As a result, Union generals and area government leaders met at the Thomas Farmhouse to make a plan of attack. Curtis wanted a vigorous pursuit while Pleasanton thought his unit was too exhausted for immediate action. Dietzler and Carney wanted their units home in time for the upcoming elections. An agreement was met here, with men under Pleasanton and Blunt pursuing the Confederates. Thanks to this decision, what was left of Price's Confederate army was practically destroyed two days later at Mine Creek near Pleasanton, Kansas.  Two Confederate divisions were obliterated two days later at Mine Creek, which is located along the state line about 68 miles south of Westport. There were several additional fights, the Battle of the Mounds, the Battle of the Marais des Cygnes River, the Battle of Mine Creek, and the Second Battle of Newtonia as the Union army worked to push Price’s Army out of Missouri and back into Arkansas. At Mine Creek, Confederate Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke was captured. Price also burned most of the wagon train the night of the 25th of October. Price’s Raid (sometimes known as the Missouri Expedition) failed to achieve any of its objectives. Lincoln was reelected, the Union maintained control of Missouri, and a significant portion of the wagon train was burned and lost. In total the Raid ended up with about 4,000 Confederate casualties – mostly to desertion. This is the last stop on the Battle of Westport Driving Tour.

Marker Inscription: About 4 p.m. Oct. 23, 1864 after their victory at Westport the Union leaders met here for consultation. Included were Generals Curtis, Blunt, Pleasonton and Dietzler; Gov. Carney and Sen. Jim Lane of Kansas. The Confederates had lost over 1,000 men and General Price was forced to retreat south but with his army intact. The Union also suffered heavy losses. Union leaders discussed their next step. Pursuit would be started with Blunt's and Pleasonton's Cavalry. Two days later two of Price's Divisions were practically destroyed at Mine Creek near Pleasanton, Kansas.End of Tour. Start at Westport and Pennsylvania.This historical marker shares the historical significance of the Thomas Farmhouse, which was the location of an important meeting of Union leaders following a victory at Westport. Present at the meeting were Generals Curtis, Blunt, Pleasanton, and Dietzler as well as Governor Corney and Senator Jim Lane of Kansas. The marker was placed in 1964 by the Civil War Round Table of Kansas City.

Battle Of Westport Driving Tour

Collins' Battery Battle of Westport Action on the Third Day Historical Marker Tour Stop 9 (Battle of Westport Driving Tour) (Price's Raid)

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information