Union Position Historical Marker

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.

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 51^st 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.

“Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865.” Battle of Westport | Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854 1865, civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/battle-westport. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

Civil War Round Table of Kansas City - Monnett Battle of Westport Fund, cwrtkc.org/monnett_battle_of_westport_fund. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

Collins, Charles D. Army University PressHome,  www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/educationalservices/staffrides/StaffRideHB_AtlasofPricesMissouriExpeditionof1864.pdf. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

Gerteis, Louis S. The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History. University of Missouri Press, 2015.

Jenkins, Paul Burrill. Battle of Westport. Nabu Press, 2010.

Lause, Mark A. Price’s Lost Campaign: The 1864 Invasion of Missouri. University Of  Missouri Press, 2013.

Lause, Mark A. The Collapse of Price’s Raid: The Beginning of the End in Civil War Missouri. University of Missouri Press, 2016.

Roe, Jason. “Gettysburg of the West.” KC History, kchistory.org/week-kansas-cityhistory/gettysburg-west#:~:text=Curtis%20set%20up%20a%20new,to%20more%20than%2020%2C000%20soldiers. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

“Union Position Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, 10 Feb. 2023, www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21725.