Army of the Border facts for kids
The Army of the Border was a special group of soldiers from the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was formed in 1864 to stop a big attack by Confederate General Sterling Price into Missouri. General Samuel Ryan Curtis was in charge of this army for its entire time.
The army was made up of different units from Kansas. Major General James G. Blunt led the 1st Division, which had volunteer cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and Kansas state militia (local citizen soldiers). Major General George Dietzler commanded the 2nd Division, made up of more Kansas state militia.
Blunt's division fought in battles like Lexington and Little Blue River. They then joined General Curtis and the rest of the army at Westport. At the Battle of Westport, another cavalry division led by Alfred Pleasonton joined them. This made the Union army about 22,000 soldiers strong! After this big battle, the militia soldiers went home. But Blunt's volunteers and Pleasonton's cavalry kept chasing General Price. Blunt's division fought Price one last time at the Newtonia.
Who Led the Army of the Border?
- Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis (October 14 – November 8, 1864)
Important Battles and Campaigns
The Army of the Border was mainly involved in stopping Price's Missouri Expedition. Here are some of the key battles they fought:
- Second Battle of Lexington (Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
- Battle of Little Blue River (Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
- Battle of Byram's Ford (Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
- Battle of Westport (Blunt's division and parts of Dietzler's militia were involved)
- Battle of Mine Creek (Pleasonton's 2nd Division was involved)
- Second Battle of Newtonia (Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
