From previous marker continue east on 55th, turn left on Summit, bear right, turn right at 51st St. This marker is located about 200 yards west of Wornall Road on 51st Street.
Confederate Position Historical Marker
Confederate Position Historical Marker Inscription
"At 8:30 A.M. Sunday, October 23, 1864, General Shelby's Division moved north and struck Union troops near the Wornall House. General Blunt's Union cavalrymen were driven across Brush Creek. Shelby stopped to bring up ammunition. About 3,000 men were behind a stone fence along 51st Street facing a heavily wooded area to the north. Here their line extended from Oak Street to State Line. From 9:30 - 10:30 A.M. They came under heavy artillery fire and were forced eventually to pull back to 55th Street."
Fifty-First Street marks the high water mark for the Confederate advance on October 23, 1864. Back then there was a long stone wall running east/west, broken just east of here where Wornall Lane passed.
It was cold and foggy at dawn when the First, Second and Fourth Brigades advanced through the woods walking out of the Brush Creek valley and passing this point into the open fields of Bent’s Farm. They did not encounter the men from Shelby’s Division until they had walked another half mile or so south of present day 55th Street. The Battle of Westport had begun.
After a couple of hours of incessant fighting, the battle hardened Confederates had steadily forced the Federals back to the edge of the woods at the north end of present day Loose Park. Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt ordered his forces to retreat down the hill and cross back to the north side of Brush Creek. Blunt waited for reinforcements before making a second attack. General Blunt described the events in his official report.
Soon after sunrise the First, Second, and Fourth Brigades were deployed into line of battle on the south side of the timber skirting Brush Creek, where Shelby's division, of Price's army, was advancing upon my line. Skirmishers were thrown forward and the engagement with small-arms and artillery soon became general. My advance line being hard pressed … [and] time being required to get the militia arriving from Kansas City dismounted and in position, and the contest in front being severe and unequal, I directed my advance line to fall back to the north side of Brush Creek. The enemy advanced a short distance, but did not attempt to attack my second line, with the exception of a small force that approached through the timber to attack my left flank. This force was promptly repulsed.
When dawn arrived on Sunday, Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby formed his division into lines about a mile south of present day Loose Park and advanced north to attack the Federals. Shelby described their success in his official report.
My division moved squarely against the enemy about 8 o'clock in the direction of Westport, and very soon became fiercely engaged, as usual. The enemy had regained all the strong positions taken from them the day before by General Thompson, and it became imperatively necessary to force that flank of the enemy back. Inch by inch and foot by foot they gave way before my steady onset. Regiment met regiment, and opposing batteries draped the scene in clouds of dense and sable smoke … Again were the Federals driven within sight of Westport, and here I halted to reform my lines, naturally broken and irregular by the country passed over, intending to make a direct attack upon the town.
But a serious mistake had been made by the Confederates. After a couple of hours of intense fighting, their men began to run low on ammunition. To make matters worse, the ammunition train was moving south, away from Shelby’s position at Bent’s Farm. It took over an hour to bring ammunition forward, and by that time, other events occurred which doomed the Confederates. Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson later recalled his frustration at how events unfolded.
On the morning of the 23rd of October, we … moved towards Westport … The regiments were brought into line … Jackman’s Brigade took the extreme left. Smith's, Johnson's, Gordon's and Slayback's commands were on the left center, and Irwin, Elliott and Williams on the right of the main road [Wornall Lane].
We moved to [our] positions under a hot artillery fire, and soon reached the small arms. While awaiting the others to gain their positions, we were peppered by the enemy, and several small demonstrations were made … Now came our time. Smith was repulsed, and Slayback moved to take his place in the line and fearlessly charging among the enemy they broke, and the whole command advanced, and soon drove them from all their defenses into Westport.
The men were now thoroughly exasperated, and had we not had to wait for more ammunition, I believe that I could have taken Westport with that portion of the Brigade then with me. An hour or more was lost in obtaining ammunition.
Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt
Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby
Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson
