The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of Missouri" was a battle of the American Civil War, took place on October 23, 1864, in present-day Kansas City, Kansas. U.S. Army forces under General Samuel R. Curtis defeated two outnumbered Confederate Army forces under General Sterling Price in a decisive Union victory. The conflict was the turning point of Price's Missouri Expedition and effectively ended the threat of a Southern invasion in the North as the Confederates forces retreated from Missouri.

Westport

Westport (which is now within the boundaries of present-day Kansas City) was already a historical city by the time Union and Confederate forces clashed there in 1864. Pioneers traveling along the Oregon, California and Santa Fe Trails had all passed through the town on their way to the West.

Price's Missouri Expedition

In September 1864, U.S. General Sterling Price and his Army of the Border began his raid into Missouri. Suffering a setback at the Battle of Fort Davidson, Confederate troops in Sterling Price's Army of Missouri had enjoyed a successful campaign, steadily driving back Union forces. Avoiding Jefferson City which he feared as too heavily defended, Price turned and moved towards Kansas City, defeating Union forces at the Battle of Glasgow.

Forces

By October, Confederate forces were down to 8,500. The Army of Missouri was made up of Confederate cavalry in three divisions under distinguished Confederate generals: Joseph Shelby , James F. Fagan and John S. Marmaduke . The main Union force opposing Price was the Army of the Boarder was under the capable command of General Samuel R. Curtis. Curtis had not yet engaged Price with his main force because had had a major problem. One-third of his army was Kansas State Militia, under Gen. George Dietzler. Dietzler's militia refused to fight anywhere except on Kansas soil. While Curtis persuaded the militia to join in the fight he sent his cavalry division under Gen. Alfred Pleasonton and the 1st Division under Gen. James G. Blunt to delay Price. Only when Price's army arrived along the Kansas-Missouri boarder did the Kansas militia agree to fight, bringing Curtis' army to three divisions and a total of 22,000.

The Battle

Curtis set up Blunt's division in a defensive position along Brush Creek with Dietzler's Militia on the right flank. Price hoped to defeat Curtis' main force before Pleasonton joined him. He planned to strike Blunt's division with Shelby and Fagan while Marmaduke was to guard Byram's Ford across the Big Blue River to prevent Pleasonton from joining Curtis. At dawn on October 23 Price attacked and dove back the Union forces. Curtis counter-attacked and drove the Confederates back across Brush Creek. For four hours the fighting see-sawed back and forth across Brush Creek. Finally Dietzler's militia found their way through a small ravine and hit Price's exposed left flank. The Confederates fell back to a new defensive line, with Curtis now taking the offensive. At this time Pleasonton arrived and routed Marmaduke's force at Byram's Ford. Another Union cavalry force had been sent south and was now attacking Price's rear guard. The Union army was converging on three sides and Price was forced to retreat.

Results

The Battle of Westport was one of the largest battles west of the Mississippi River with over 30,000 troops involved and roughly 1,500 casualties on both sides. The Union victory put an end to Price's threat to Missouri. The greatly contested boarder state of Missouri was now firmly in Union control. Price continued to fight mostly rear guard actions on his retreat to Arkansas where his expedition officially ended November 1, 1864. This was the last campaign in the Trans-Mississippi Theater and the last Confederate threat to any northern states.