Key Facts
- Date
- October 22, 1864
- Prisoners captured
- 300 Confederate soldiers
- Cannons captured
- 2
- Part of
- Price's Raid, American Civil War
- Distance from Big Blue River
- 6 miles west of Independence
Strategic Narrative Overview
After forcing Union troops back at the Battle of Little Blue River on October 21, Confederates occupied Independence. On October 22, Price's force split: part pushed Curtis's men across the Big Blue River at Byram's Ford, while Pleasonton attacked Confederate divisions under Fagan and Marmaduke from the east. Two Union brigades drove the Confederates through Independence, capturing two cannons and 300 men, and sustained pressure forced the Confederates southwest of town and back across the Big Blue by nightfall.
01 / The Origins
In late 1864, Confederate Major General Sterling Price led a cavalry raid into Missouri with aims to spark a popular uprising against Union control, divert Union troops from other theaters, and influence the 1864 U.S. presidential election. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis, reinforced by Kansas State Militia near Kansas City, blocked his westward advance, while Major General Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry pursued Price from the east.
03 / The Outcome
The Confederate retreat from Independence left Price's army vulnerable. The following day, October 23, Price suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Westport and was forced to withdraw southward through Kansas, enduring further losses before finally reaching Texas. The raid failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives, and Confederate influence in Missouri was permanently diminished.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Sterling Price, James F. Fagan, John S. Marmaduke.
Side B
1 belligerent
Samuel R. Curtis, Alfred Pleasonton.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.