Army of the Border


The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration.
Major General James G. Blunt, who commanded the District of South Kansas, was placed in command of the army's 1st Division, which was broken up into three brigade of volunteer cavalry regiments and a fourth of Kansas state militia units. Major General George Dietzler commanded the rest of the Kansas state militia units and organized them into the 2nd Division of the army.
Blunt's division fought at the battles of Lexington and Little Blue River before falling back and joining Curtis and the rest of the army at Westport. At the Battle of Westport, Curtis's two divisions were joined by Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry division from the Department of the Missouri, bringing the Union army to about 22,000, including Pleasonton's cavalry. After the battle, the militia units returned to their respective counties while Blunt's volunteers continued the pursuit along with Pleasonton's division. Blunt's division fought Price in the last major battle of the campaign at Newtonia.

Commander

Major battles and campaigns

Abbreviations used

Military rank

MG = Major GeneralBG = Brigadier GeneralCol = ColonelLtc = Lieutenant ColonelMaj = MajorCpt = CaptainLt = 1st Lieutenant2Lt = 2nd Lieutenant

Army of the Border

MG Samuel Ryan Curtis
Escort:
DivisionBrigadeRegiments and Others

First Provisional Cavalry Division


MG James G. Blunt

Escort:

Company E, 14th Kansas Cavalry: 2Lt William B. Clark		1st Brigade


Col Charles R. Jennison
First Provisional Cavalry Division


MG James G. Blunt

Escort:

Company E, 14th Kansas Cavalry: 2Lt William B. Clark		2nd Brigade


Col Thomas Moonlight
First Provisional Cavalry Division


MG James G. Blunt

Escort:

Company E, 14th Kansas Cavalry: 2Lt William B. Clark		3rd Brigade


Col Charles W. Blair

BG William H. M. Fishbeck
First Provisional Cavalry Division


MG James G. Blunt

Escort:

Company E, 14th Kansas Cavalry: 2Lt William B. Clark		4th Brigade


Col James Hobart Ford
DivisionBrigadeRegiments and Others

Second Division


MG Alfred Pleasonton

Escort:

Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt Henry E. Palmer		1st Brigade


Col John Finis Philips
Second Division


MG Alfred Pleasonton

Escort:

Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt Henry E. Palmer		2nd Brigade


BG John McNeil
Second Division


MG Alfred Pleasonton

Escort:

Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt Henry E. Palmer		3rd Brigade


BG John Benjamin Sanborn
  • 2nd Arkansas Cavalry: Col John Elisha Phelps
  • 6th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Maj William Plumb
  • 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Col Joseph J. Gravely
  • 6th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia: Col John F. McMahan
  • 7th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia: Maj W. B. Mitchell
  • Battery H, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt William C. F. Montgomery
  • Battery L, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt Charles H. Thurber
Second Division


MG Alfred Pleasonton

Escort:

Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt Henry E. Palmer		4th Brigade


Ltc Frederick William Benteen