Action Before Westport Historical Marker 

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This marker is located on the northeast corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.

Shortly after the battle began on the morning of Sunday, October 23, 1864, Curtis moved his headquarters to Harris House Hotel which stood at this spot in 1864. He went to the rooftop where Blunt was observing the battle field just beyond the timber lining Brush Creek. Although it is now difficult to tell, the top of the hotel must have provided a good vantage point of the Confederate position about one mile south of where you are standing. For two hours on this spot Curtis planned his next move.

Action Before Westport Historical Marker

Action Before Westport Historical Marker

 Action Before Westport Historical Marker Inscription

"Confederate General Sterling Price brought three mounted divisions from Arkansas into Missouri, September 19, 1864. Fighting several small battles he marched slowly north toward St. Louis, then struck westward to Jefferson City. Failing to capture either armed city he fought on west toward his secondary objectives: Kansas City and Fort Leavenworth. He reached the Little Blue on October 21 with 15,000 armed men, 5,000 recruits and a huge wagon train.

"Pleasonton's Union Cavalry and a Corps of Infantry were in pursuit. General Samuel Curtis with 10,000 militia was on the Big Blue River. Blunt's Division guarded the Little Blue. Union troops numbered 27,500. Blunt's Division was driven from the Little Blue by Shelby and Marmaduke on the 21st, and Curtis from the Big Blue on the 22nd. Pleasonton pushed Fagan's Confederates from the Little Blue through Independence on the 22nd.

"After Curtis' troops were driven west by Price on the 22nd, they camped near here and at Kansas City. Curtis made his headquarters in the Harris Hotel on this spot and prepared to defend Kansas City and the State of Kansas from the invader."

Just across the street from you on the northwest corner of this intersection stand two of the oldest buildings in Westport. Both buildings were in existence during the battle. In this photograph, the building on the left housed Jim Bridger's store. The building on the right was built sometime in 1852 by two traders named Ewing who hailed from Indiana. The Ewing brothers sold the building to Albert Gallatin Boone, a grandson of Daniel Boone, in 1854. Boone sold it to Robert Campbell in 1859.

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