John McNeil was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for his role in the Palmyra Massacre and other acts of alleged brutality, as well as his participation in the Battle of Westport, the largest battle west of the Mississippi River. For his role in the Palmyra Massacre, he was given the nickname "Butcher of Palmyra".
Brig. Gen. John McNeil
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General Sterling Price. This engagement was the turning point of Price's Missouri Expedition, forcing his army to retreat. The battle ended the last major Confederate offensive west of the Mississippi River, and for the remainder of the war the United States Army maintained solid control over most of Missouri. This battle was one of the largest to be fought west of the Mississippi River, with over 30,000 men engaged.
Westport Battlefield
Cannon at Loose Park. Price was said to have watched the battle from a grove of trees here. The "General Tree", long since gone, was a landmark for many years
John Wornall House, which was used by both sides as a hospital
Byram's Ford
