Battle of the Little Blue River - Independence, Mo. - Missouri Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This marker is located in a small roadside park at the corner of US Hwy 24 and Old Lexington Road. According to the map, the marker is just to the rear of the Union lines. The Confederates were advancing from the east. The overall Confederate commander was Sterling Price - the field commanders were John Marmaduke and Jo Shelby. The overall Union commander was Samuel Curtis and the field commander was James Blunt. The text of the marker reads:

Price's Great Missouri Raid
The Battle of the Little Blue River
"They fought us on the blue grass ridges..."
Pvt. James H. Campbell 14th Missouri Confederate Cavalry

By 11 a.m. on Oct. 20, 1864, Col. Thomas Moonlight had made his first movement after the Little Blue crossing. Maj. Gen. James Blunt received permission from Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis to engage the Confederates and made a rapid movement to this position, deploying the Federal line starting at the Independence-Lexington Road and stretching for about a mile to the south. Blunt dismounted his troops, sending every fourth man to the rear to hold the horses. Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke and Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby, also dismounted, were just 60 yards over the hill. A cannonade signaled the beginning of the last movement for the battle of the Little Blue. Almost simultaneously Confederate and Federal forces swept forward into the attack. On the confederate left Marmaduke charged into Col. Charles R. Jennison's 15th Kansas, the 3rd Wisconsin and 2nd Colorado and Shelby on the right charged the 16th and 11th Kansas. Back and forth along these slopes the fighting was fierce and often hand to hand. After an hour Blunt had pushed the Confederates about a half a mile east, but recognizing that his flanks were about to be engulfed, Blunt ordered a withdrawal back to the heights. Gen. Curtis and staff now came upon the battle and immediately shifted forward Col. W.D.McClain's Artillery, U.S.A. and 2 cannons from 11th Kansas to a recently ploughed field, leaving them exposed to Rebel sharpshooters. Maj. R.H. Hunt, chief of artillery, U.S.A., shifted 2 more 11th Kansas cannons in support. They opened fire on the Confederates and drove them back, but exposed their left flank. The Confederates increased pressure on the Federal line and further exposed the Federal left flank. Shelby sent Col. Sidney Jackman on the attack. Maj. Hunt, U.S.A., seeing this attack forming, searched for help and sent for the 11th Kansas Cavalry who were beginning to pull back to Independence.

Lawson Moore House 20309 E Blue Mills Rd (private residence)
At about 3p.m. the fight here had been going on for 4 hours. Gen. Curtis understood that he could not hold Gen. Sterling Price until Federal help could arrive from the east and so he returned to Independence, taking the ammunition wagons with him. Blunt was glad to see him go. Sometime during this fight Moonlight realized his troops were nearly out of ammunition, but still holding them in line began the troops singing "Rally 'Round the Flag" in order to bolster their courage. Jennison, with the 15th Kansas, 3rd Wisconsin and Barker's Artillery, was holding back Marmaduke on the right in a series of charges and counter charges from rock wall to rock wall, ravine to ravine.

Blunt also realized he must begin his retreat to Independence or face surrender. Forming one line while a second took up a new position, they leap-frogged like this and made stands at the Saunders and Massey farms. Blunt took up his last line of defense on the eastern edge of Independence.

"The Battle continued in Independence on Oct. 22, 1864, 6 miles west, and then on to the Battle of the Big Blue at 63rd and Manchester."

This home was built in 1856 by Lawson Moore, a prosperous slave owner. In August of 1863 following Order No. 11 Mrs. Moore fled with her children, the oldest 19, the youngest 18 months, to Clay County, never to return. The house had survived several fires and was empty at the time of the battle. On the day of the battle it would serve as the rallying point for Shelby's command. It was here that he took time to care for his wounded, utilizing the Moore house as a hospital. Surviving accounts would indicate that buried on the property is a mass grave of 18 Confederate soldiers and in a separate location 6 to 8 officers. It is from the draw behind this property that Shelby launched his final attack of the day.

"About two and one half miles from where the first attack was made, we saw the Second Colorado Battery crossing a field to our right as we were retreating. The rebel advance was within 400 to 500 yards of the battery. Quick work must be done to save the guns, worth a thousand men to us. Colonel Moonlight commanding our brigade came galloping down the line to my company. We were the rear guard. He ordered me to countermarch and charge the enemy with my eighty-eight men in column of eight front. We charged down the road, passing the Little Blue church, straight for the enemy. I saw ahead of me a brick house, just where the road turned from a northerly course straight east, a stone fence dead ahead of us, and a brick house and a stone fence to the right. The rebel cavalry fell back, but a line of infantry occupied the house and were down behind the fence. About 150 yards south of the house between us and the enemy, was a hollow that for a moment or two kept us out of sight and range of their guns.

"As we reached the brow on the hill, a thought flashed through my mind that the first line, in which I was riding, with seven soldiers to my left, would be shot as soon as we came in sight. I clutched the pommel of my saddle and threw myself almost flat on the horse. The volley of bullets came, as I expected. I felt my horse going down, swung my feet clear of the stirrups, and fell on my horse's neck, unhurt. Geo. W. Edwards, who fired the first shot when we were charging through Lexington the day before, fell on my back, dead. My men saw me fall and thought I was killed. They retreated back into the hollow. I jumped up and ran after them, a perfect hailstorm of bullets buzzing past me. I ordered the men to dismount. Every man left his horse in the road. We then jumped the fence into an orchard and charged the brick house, and took it, driving the enemy out; then charged the stone fence and took that. At that moment I heard yells of 400 or 500 men. Maj. J. Nelson Smith, with the first and third battalions of the Second Colorado Cavalry, was charging the enemy to save us, and right before us this gallant officer fell dead at the head of his command. I had a chance to fall back, and found my horses in the hollow where I had left them. The animals showed "horse sense" enough to remain where they were safe from the bullets. This little diversion, costly to my company, saved the Colorado battery."

Captain Henry E Palmer, Company A, 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry

Placed by the Civil War Round Table of Western Missouri with funds from: Sonny Wells Little Blue Battlefield Commission

History of Mark: From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Little_Blue_River The Battle of Little Blue River was a minor battle of the American Civil War, occurring on October 21, 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri during Price's Missouri Expedition of that year. It became the opening round of the Second Battle of Independence, which began on this same day and was essentially a continuation of this engagement. This led in turn to the Battle of Westport on October 23, resulting in Price's defeat and the ending of major Confederate military operations in Missouri. Web link: Not listed Additional point: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
A clear picture of the Marker or Plaque taken by you.
Also would appreciate you input on the text and location.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/01/2019 Woobie491 visited it 04/01/2012 iconions visited it

View all visits/logs