Tour: The Battle of Byram's Ford
Note: This annotated tour has been inspired, in part, by the Big Blue Battlefield Self-Guided Walking Tour available from the Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation Department.
| Map | Waypoints | Google Earth Placemarks (kmz) |
The Big Blue Battlefield is located in Kansas City, Missouri 64132 in the Byram's Ford Historic District, part of the | National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, the area is being used as a dumping ground for unwanted trash. The walking trail is overgrown with brush in some areas and a couple of the trail markers are missing. I am in the process of contacting the authorities to determine whether I could clean up the walking trails.
The area you will be touring was the scene of the Battle of Byram's Ford.
On October 22nd Union forces from Major General Samuel R. Curtis' Army of the Border were defending the ford against an attack by Confederate forces from Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby's Division.
On October 23rd Confederate forces from Major General John S. Marmaduke's Division were defending the ford against an attack by Union Cavalry from Major General Alfred Pleasonton's Division.
This is a walking tour. It is possible to use your car to get some of the tour stops. Finding places to park can be a challenge, and some of the tour stops are accessible only on foot. If you choose to complete the entire tour on foot, the most convenient place to park is near Tour Stop #5.
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