Westport 1864

An illustrative look at the overlooked final Confederate and Union clash west of the Mississippi.

In September 1864, Confederate Major General Sterling Price decided to try and capture Missouri for the South. After failing to take St. Louis and Jefferson City due to the size of his force, he turned his attention to Westport (part of modern day Kansas City, MO). Warned of the incoming attack, Union forces had already been assembled, bolstered by state militia from Kansas. After a decisive battle at Westport, the Confederates fought a retreat through the state, which ended in a cavalry battle at Mine Creek. It would be the last Confederate invasion west of the Mississippi and Missouri would remain firmly in Union hands.

With detailed maps, colorful artwork and period images, Kansas historian Brian Lane Herder explores this lesser known Civil War battle. Involving over 30,000 men, Westport was the largest battle fought in the Midwest and the subsequent battle at Mine Creek was the second-largest cavalry battle of the entire Civil War. Considered to be the "Gettysburg of the West," this Union-won battle was a massive campaign that has fallen into the shadow of its Eastern counterparts. This book shines a light on "Price's Raid," the last strategic Confederate offensive in the Midwest.