On October 23, 1864 the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi river took place just a few miles south of Kansas City near the old trail town of Westport, Missouri. Author and Historian, Paul Kirkman traces the roots of the conflict through to its conclusion in "The Battle of Westport: Missouri’s Great Confederate Raid". In September of 1864 General Sterling Price had set out with several thousand men on a desperate cavalry raid into Missouri. Tens of thousands of federal troops were deployed to protect St. Louis and the capitol at Jefferson City and other potential targets from the raiders. In a sweeping arc across the state Price’s army gathered loot and recruits, while eluding pursuing state and federal forces. The armies finally met in a running battle that would leave wounded and dead from Kansas City down the Kansas state line to the Arkansas border and beyond. The History Press honors the 150th Anniversary of the War Between the States with this latest offering in its Civil War Sesquicentennial series. Contact The History Press at www.historypress.net or email Paul Kirkman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..