Price's 1864 Missouri Raid 

Next Scheduled Class - SPARK September 24 - October 29, 2013

It's the Summer of 1864 and things are not going well for the Confederate States of America. But Major-General Sterling Price, former Governor and Mexican War hero, has a daring plan to invade his home state of Missouri and capture it for the Confederacy. With 12,000 cavalry, Major-General Price enters Missouri in the Fall of 1864, intent on capturing the state's largest city, Saint Louis. Many of the invading Confederates are Missourians intent on gaining control of their home state.

Missouri is ripe for the taking. Although Missouri has been plagued constantly by guerrilla warfare, Federal authorities have continued to pull Federal forces out of Missouri to fight in other places. What few forces remain are scattered throughout the state. Major-General William S. Rosecrans is the Federal commander in Missouri and the Confederate invasion has him scrambling to mount a defense.

Price’s plans change and he must turn west towards the hated State of Kansas. The Federal commander in Kansas, Major-General Samuel R. Curtis is also scrambling to mount a defense against the Confederate onslaught. As Price’s army moves across Missouri towards Kansas, they are pursued by Federal cavalry from the State of Missouri. On October 23, 1864, the Confederates have reached Kansas City, Missouri. In front of them is the Army of the Border of Major-General Samuel R. Curtis. Closing in on their rear is a division of Federal cavalry commanded by Major-General Alfred Pleasonton. It will turn out to be the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil.

This class is six weeks long, each session lasts for two hours. This story is told by the participants themselves using their own words from official reports, diaries or works published following the war. Photographs of the participants and sketches and photos of battle sites will be shown during the class. The sixth session will be a field trip to visit the local battlefield sites at Byram’s Ford and Loose Park.

Course Objectives

• Learn what key events took place during Price's Raid into Missouri in 1864.

• Learn why the Confederates decided to launch a raid into Missouri in 1864.

• Learn who the decision makers were and what decisions changed the course of events in Missouri in 1864.

• Learn where key events from Price's Raid took place in and around Kansas City.

• Learn what resulted from Price's Raid into Missouri in 1864.

Partial List Of Topics

• Battle of Fort Davidson (September 27, 1864)

• Battle of Boonville (October 11, 1864)

• Battle of Glasgow (October 15, 1864)

• Battle of Sedalia (October 15, 1864)

• Second Battle of Lexington (October 19, 1864)

• Battle of Little Blue River (October 21, 1864)

• Second Battle of Independence (October 21–22, 1864)

• Battle of Byram's Ford (October 22–23, 1864)

• Battle of Westport (October 23, 1864)

• Battle of Marais des Cygnes (October 25, 1864)

• Battle of Mine Creek (October 25, 1864)

• Battle of Marmiton River (October 25, 1864)

• Second Battle of Newtonia (October 28, 1864)