ORDER OF BATTLE // October 23, 1864
Battle of Westport
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 30,500 estimated
United States
22,000
Medium-confidence figure
Confederate States
8,500
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Westport on October 23, 1864, marked the decisive turning point of Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition, the last major Confederate offensive west of the Mississippi River. Union forces under Samuel R. Curtis, fielding roughly 22,000 troops against Price's 8,500, inflicted a defeat that compelled the Confederate army to retreat and abandon any remaining prospect of seizing Missouri. With more than 30,000 troops engaged, it ranked among the largest engagements fought west of the Mississippi. Following the battle, the United States Army consolidated control over most of Missouri for the remainder of the war, effectively closing the trans-Mississippi theater to large-scale Confederate offensive action.
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