Price in Missouri and Kansas: September-October 1864 :
      Big Blue River (Byram's Ford), Missouri (MO026) , Jackson County, October 22-23, 1864

US General Curtis's Army of the Border established a strong defensive line along the Big Blue River, blocking CS General Price's advance into Kansas. Price feinted against Curtis at the main ford on the road between Independence and Kansas City while he sent CS General Shelby south to find another crossing. On October 22 Shelby's troopers stormed across Byram's Ford, southwest of Independence, flanked the Federals, and forced them to fall back to Westport, to a battle line along the north side of Brush Creek. Price led his forces, including more than five hundred wagons and a large herd of cattle, across the captured ford.

Price ordered his wagon train to head south the next morning on the Harrisonville Road. US General Pleasonton sent US Brigadier General John H. McNeil's brigade south on the east side of the river toward Little Santa Fe to intercept the wagon train. Pleasonton and his three other brigades attacked Marmaduke's troopers, who were defending Byram's Ford, and overpowered them. The Confederates fled west across the open prairie. The Federals pursued them and hit Price's rear and right flank. McNeil did not attack the train; he concluded that the 5,000-man guard was too strong to attack. Pleasonton later court-martialed him for not attacking since the guards were mostly unarmed recruits.

Estimated Casualties: unknown

One hundred acres of the Big Blue River battlefield are owned by Kansas City, Missouri, a gift of the Monnett Fund. The walking tour, in the area of the Byram's Ford Industrial Park, was established by the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund of the Civil War Round Table of Kansas City. Brochures are available through the Westport Historical Society in the Harris-Kearney House and through the Jackson County Historical Society in the Wornall House Museum.