The Battle of Westport: Gettysburg of the West 

If you like history and have an idea about individual themes or stories. Contact Bob about sponsoring one at robertmford@aol.com 

It's the first day of school for “How to Command an Army.”

• Lesson 1: Don’t position your force in between two enemy armies. 

... Day 2 of “How to Command an Army.”

• Lesson 2: In case you missed day one, don’t fight the two enemy armies at the same time. 

I’m afraid Confederate Commanding Gen. Sterling Price missed class on both days! 

Union Gen. John Pemberton and his 7,000-man cavalry division were heading West, closing in behind Price.

Ahead, across the Blue River between Independence, Missouri, and Westport was Union Gen. Samuel Curtis and his Army of the Border in waiting.

The vice was tightening on the Confederates, escape wasn’t an option. After two months, 800 miles and numerous battles, Price hadn’t come this far with 15,000 troops, 600 wagons full of spoils and hundreds of confiscated livestock to turn tail and head south. 

At the Blue River, Gen. Marmaduke turned to face Pemberton while Price, Shelby and Thompson crossed to engage Curtis. 

In the three-day battle that followed, 30,000-plus men consisting of cavalry, artillery and infantry maneuvered on both sides constantly trying to gain an upper hand. The armies fought gallantly with minor, in-battle gains occurring at the regiment and brigade levels throughout the clash. 

On Oct. 31,1864, the final day of the battle, the armies faced off on familiar ground. 

Gen. Curtis, headquartered at the Harris House in Westport, watched the battle unfold from its rooftop looking South, towards open terrain that is now the Plaza. Westport was a thriving trading center but surrounding it was prairie.

Cutting south through Westport now is Wornall Road, in those days the trek was known as the Santa Fe Trail. 

Sterling Price’s army held the high ground on the southern banks of Brush Creek, from Swope Park to State Line.

Curtis was the first to move, ordering his 10,000-man army across the icy creek and up the hill in full attack mode, moving on Shelby’s entrenched Confederates. In the Loose Park sector, the Rebels were behind a stone wall that's been partially rebuilt along 51st Street. 

Gen. Price observed the battle at the southern end of today’s Loose Park. I remember as a kid my father showed me the stump of an old Oak, calling it Pap’s Tree where Price commanded. Fittingly, now there is a cannon and great signage at that site detailing the entire battle. 

Marmaduke vs Pemberton and Price vs Curtis. Soon, both adversaries were connected with sides flanking and counter flanking one another, gaining ground and inflicting terrible losses. 

Minimal advancement was made at Loose Park, until 75-year-old farmer George Thorman got involved. Turns out the day before, the Rebs had taken his prize grey mare and “confiscated” food from his farm, infuriating him! 

Going through Yankee lines and ultimately seeing the general himself, Thorman told Curtis he knew of a path to flank the Confederates behind that stone wall. The protected Rebs were cutting down attacking Union soldiers at will as they tried to climb the southern banks out of Brush Creek. Curtis had nothing to lose and sent a regiment with two cannons with Thorman. 

He was right, it worked, ¼ of a mile west of the Plaza is Sunset Drive connecting with present day 51st street. The Confederates were shocked by the Yankees, who were now in firing position parallel and behind Shelby’s troops with hellacious fire. The Rebels broke ranks and scattered south through today’s Loose Park towards Gen. Price’s position. The Rebs did make another stand, but the tide in the Park had turned. 

Price feared the capture of his wagon train and ordered its retreat down the Sante Fe Trail. Marmaduke and his division were slowly giving ground to Pemberton in vicious fighting. 

At the end, both sides were exhausted, having engaged for almost three days straight. Price ordered Shelby to provide rear guard cover as his army retreated. 

Now go back and re-read lessons No. 1 and No. 2. 

The Wornell House at 61st Terrace and Wornell Road served as a hospital for both sides during the battle, and still stands as a testament to that day. 

As Price headed south he was hounded by Union Calvary all the way to Arkansas, losing battles and hundreds of wagons full of loot. 

The bitter fighting between North/South and Kansas/Missouri had come to a bloody end in the West.

Healing between these two diametrically-opposed sides would take generations to uncomfortably settle, Osceola, Lawrence, slavery, John Brown, Jim Lane, Quantrill, Bloody Bill and all the others left an ingrained bitterness in the region, but open warfare was over. 

The Confederacy was reeling on all fronts, the end was imminent ... for most. 

The vast majority of Confederates surrendered and received paroles, but Price and a few others dedicated to the “Lost Cause,” could not bring themselves to concede. 

Continuing south, Gen. Price and his compatriots emigrated to Mexico, settling in Carlota, Veracruz, to start a Confederate colony. These soldiers never surrendered, cementing personal commitment and honorable duty to their Confederate States of America. 

A significant battle like Westport cannot be covered properly in an article, it is my hope this will stimulate your curiosity in wanting to know more ... go explore. Kansas City is full of information and signage concerning the Battle of Westport. It’s amazing that such a large important battle of the Civil War was fought in our backyard. 

My appreciation to, “Battlefield Atlas of Price’s Missouri Expedition of 1864,” by Charles D. Collins Jr., for supplying much of the information used in this series. 

———————————— 

Bob Ford’s History will appear in each edition of the Weekender, Midweek and Corner Post. You can find more of Bob’s work on his website bobfordshistory.com and videos on YouTube, TikTok and Clapper.