Qualla: Battle of Little Blue River

Battle of Little Blue River: Introduction

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. Confederate cannoneers fired blank cartridges, hoping the noise alone would fool the Union cavalry into retreating. It was that kind of fight -- improvised, desperate, fought across shallow fords and burning bridges by exhausted men on both sides. On October 21, 1864, the Battle of Little Blue River unfolded along a small waterway east of Independence, Missouri, as part of Sterling Price's audacious cavalry raid through the state. The engagement pitted roughly 2,800 Union troops against 5,500 Confederates in a day-long struggle that previewed the decisive Battle of Westport two days later. It was a Confederate tactical victory, but the delay it imposed helped seal Price's ultimate defeat.

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0

Battle of Little Blue River: Price's Desperate Gamble

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. By the autumn of 1864, the Confederacy was running out of options. Major General Sterling Price proposed an invasion of Missouri designed to trigger a popular uprising, divert Union troops from critical theaters, and influence Abraham Lincoln's reelection prospects. On September ...

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0

Battle of Little Blue River: Moonlight's Stand at the River

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. After being pushed out of Lexington on October 19, Union Major General James G. Blunt fell back toward Independence. He wanted to make a stand at the Little Blue River, but the Kansas State Militia was politically restricted from crossing the Big Blue River, leaving him short of ...

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0

Battle of Little Blue River: Blank Cartridges and Repeating Rifles

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. From their hilltop position, the 11th Kansas Cavalry repulsed the 10th Missouri Cavalry's uphill assault with devastating fire from their repeating rifles. Confederate Colonel Colton Greene managed to get his 3rd Missouri Cavalry across the ford -- all 150 men of it -- supported ...

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0

Battle of Little Blue River: Blunt Returns to the Fight

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. Around 11:00 AM, Blunt received permission from Curtis to bring his troops back to the Little Blue. He returned with reinforcements including Colonel James H. Ford's command -- the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, part of the 16th Kansas Cavalry, and McLain's Colorado Battery. Union strengt...

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0

Battle of Little Blue River: The Road to Westport

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864, CC BY 4.0. Casualties were significant but difficult to tally precisely. The 11th and 15th Kansas Cavalries and 2nd Colorado Cavalry together lost 20 killed. The Confederate 3rd Missouri Cavalry suffered 31 killed and wounded. Among the dead was Confederate guerrilla leader George Todd, sho...

Image: Hal Jespersen. Verification of details can be found in Kyle Sinisi's The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864 | CC BY 4.0