Confederate Position Historical Marker

This historical marker was dedicated in 1979 to designate the initial position held by Confederate troops on October 23, 1864, as they initially repelled Union attacks from the north before retreating during the pivotal day of the Battle of Westport. The Confederate position here reflects Sterling Price's attempt to attack Union forces in the area one at a time before they could surround his forces. At that time, Price's soldiers and wagon train were located between the Blue River crossing five miles to the east and today's Loose Park, where Confederate troops faced a larger army under General Samuel Curtis, who had built a defensive line along Brush Creek, a few blocks to the north, and were defending the town of Westport. Confederate forces clashed here on the morning of the 23rd with General James Blunt's cavalry, which was part of Samuel Curtis's army. The Confederate force here stretched along a stone fence on what is now 51st Street from current-day Oak Street to State Line Road, while a smaller Confederate force formed a defensive line along present-day 55th Street, the southern border of today's Loose Park. After several skirmishes with the Union troops along Brush Creek to the north, Union forces had successfully outflanked Confederate lines to the west. With dwindling ammunition, artillery fire, and more Union troops arriving from the north, east, and west, the Confederate troops here retreated south to the defensive lines along 55th Street before joining a rapid general retreat from the Kansas City area that afternoon. In the following days, Sterling Price’s Army of the Missouri disintegrated as they retreated south through Kansas and towards Arkansas. After the battle, Union control of most of Missouri was secure, and the Confederate defeat bolstered Lincoln's electoral prospects in November. The marker is located next to a stone fence near 51st Street. While this fence was created after the Civil War, it provides a visual marker of the original fence that Confederate troops on their front lines used as they clashed with Union forces to the north before retreating to the south.

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 position. In response to General James G. Blunt’s attack from Westport and his troops moving south down 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 today). There, 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. Instead of continuing the pursuit, Shelby 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, advancing and retreating in response to ever-changing circumstances. Confederates forces under Colonel Sidney D. Jackman’s cavalry brigade were located to the left and rear of this marker, near modern-day 55th Street and Ward Parkway by the Bent House. His skirmish line caused Union Colonel Charles W. Blair to think he was going to be outflanked, and in response, Blair initiated a counterattack that accidentally desynchronized the Union line’s attack. General Shelby’s Cavalry Division was located in the middle on the southeast side of modern-day 55th Street and Wornall Road. Confederate General Sterling Price’s Army of the Missouri was to the right in front of Shelby’s Division, who was covering the rear of Price’s Army. Confederate General Meriwether Thompson’s Brigade was north of Price, with his men stationed just east of here at the modern-day 51st Street and Wornall Road. Thompson’s brigade was also Shelby’s main defensive line and his men took cover using a stone fence. This allowed the Confederates some visual cover as well. The stone fence near the historical marker is not the same fence (that fence was higher, while this one has modern cement). General 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. Confederate General James Fagan’s Division was next to Thompson’s and extended around two miles to the east, giving the appearance that Confederate forces facing the Union position to the north had their right flank covered. Most of Fagan's men were not part of that line. Instead, they were with Colonel Marmaduke, who was being defeated by Union forces at Byram's Ford five miles to the east of this marker (see Byram's Ford marker).

The Confederate line assembled here repulsed several Union assaults, causing the Union forces to regroup on the north side of Brush Creek. A Union brigade under James Ford had fought hard at Wornall Road earlier in the day, which may have led Shelby and Thompson to think the main Union threat was concentrated at this location just to the east of this marker. Union General Curtis decided after several failed frontal assaults from the north that he needed a different approach. Deploying part of his force in a flanking maneuver, Curtis was able to outflank Confederate troops to the west, forcing Confederate forces to retreat and eventually win the battle. (To learn more, look at the marker for the Union Flanking Movement at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Rockwell Lane.)

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.

In 1979, the Howard N. Monnett Battle of Westport Fund erected historical 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, 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 Kansas City and Civil War history. Understanding how Confederate troops selected and then were forced from this position is crucial to understanding the pivotal Union victory that forced Confederate forces to retreat. While Confederates had a superior position, their logistical and supply problems cost them the battle when facing a larger Union force that outflanked them. The marker also serves as a reminder of the Battle of Westport, given its place on the northern end of one of the most popular parks in Kansas City. 

“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 12 Nov. 2023.

Civil War Round Table of Kansas City - Monnett Battle of Westport Fund, cwrtkc.org/monnett_battle_of_westport_fund. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Collins, Charles D. Staff Rides, Price’s Expedition of 1864, Army University Press, www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/educational-services/staff-rides/StaffRideHB_AtlasofPricesMissouriExpeditionof1864.pdf. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Confederate position historical marker. Historical Marker. (2023, February 10). https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21705

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-city-history/gettysburgwest#:~:text=Curtis%20set%20up%20a%20new,to%20more%20than%2020%2C000%20soldiers. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.