To Cross The Big Blue

Sterling Price

The Battle of Byram’s Ford [sometimes called the Battle of the Big Blue River] was really a small skirmish fought October 22^nd 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri.

Confederate Major General Sterling Price was moving his Army of Missouri toward Fort Leavenworth and Kansas City, planning to enter Missouri.  In response Union Major General Samuel R Curtis’ Army of the Border blocked his way, while Union Major General Alfred Pleasonton’ cavalry pushed from the rear.  Price was traveling with about 500 supply wagons and so needed a good crossing on the Big Blue River.  Byram’s Ford was the best crossing in the area.

Union Major General James G Blunt’s division was holding the west bank of the Big Blue River on October 22^nd 1864.  At about 10 am a part of Confederate Brigadier General Joseph O Shelby’s division made a frontal attack on the Union men, while the rest of the force flanked them.  Blunt’s troops were forced to pull back to Westport.  Price moved his wagons over Byram’s Ford, safely crossing the Big Blue River, and moving on to the south.

Cutting Through The Screen

In Loudoun County, Virginia on June 17^th 1863 the cavalry fight known as the Battle of Aldie took place.

Confederate Major General JEB Stuart’s cavalry was screening the march being made north by General Robert E Lee’s troops advancing into Pennsylvania.  On June 17^th 1863 the Union cavalry commander Brigadier General Alfred Pleasonton decided to cut through this screen, by sending Brigadier General David Gregg’s division west out of Manassas Junction on the Little River Turnpike toward the town of Aldie, Virginia.

In the early morning, Confederate Colonel Thomas Munford led the 2^nd and 3^rd Virginia Cavalry from Upperville on towards the Bull Run Mountains looking for forage and doing some reconnaissance.  When he reached Aldie he put out a line of pickets and then moved the rest of his men northwest on the Snicker’s Gap Turnpike.  Around 4 pm the Union’s 1^st Massachusetts Cavalry ran into Munford’s pickets and pushed them in.  The 1^st Massachusetts was then confronted by the 5^th Virginia Cavalry who pushed the Union back to their main line.  Then the 1^st joined by the 4^th New York Cavalry charged, but the Confederates with some help from some sharpshooters drove the Union Cavalry back and secured their lines and hold of Ashby’s Gap Turnpike.  The 1^st Massachusetts was trapped in a curve on the Snicker’s Gap Turnpike and lost 198 of their 294 men, one detachment almost eliminated in hand to hand fighting.

Somewhere around 8 pm the fighting died off.  Munford took his men and moved west towards Middleburg.  The Union lost about 305 men, dead and wounded, the Confederate side had losses of about 110.

An Up Front Leader

Colonel Benjamin Franklin “Grimes” Davis was killed June 9th 1863 while leading a charge during the Battle of Brandy Station.


Benjamin Franklin Davis was born 1832 in Alabama. He grew up in Mississippi. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1856. He saw fighting with the 1st United States Dragoons in New Mexico against Apache.

When the Civil War started Davis stayed with the Union where he was a Captain in the 1st United States Cavalry [he had two brothers who served with the Confederacy]. On June 25th 1862 Davis received a commission to Colonel in the 8th New York Cavalry. He and his cavalry fought their way out of Harpers Ferry when it fell to Confederate General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Following this he received a promotion to Major. David led the First Brigade in the Untied States Cavalry division for Brigadier General Alfred Pleasonton as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign.

Leading the First Brigade in the early morning hours of June 9th 1863 at the Battle of Brandy Station, his men charged a South Carolina artillery battery near Beverly’s Ford. Davis and his men were met by a Confederate cavalry counterattack. Most of Davis brigade fell back, but he refused to and challenged the on coming cavalry. The men of Confederate Major Caball E Flournoy’s 6th Virginia Cavalry charged Davis. Confederate Lieutenant Owen R Allen hugged his horse’s neck and fired his pistol point blank at Davis. The shot hit Davis in the forehead killing him instantly. Davis is buried in the cemetery at West Point.

If you like to more about Colonel Benjamin Franklin Davis this is a good site.