When these Union forces were pulled away to meet Price's army, Confederate sympathizers from northwestern Missouri seized St. Joseph and sacked the town.

At the same time, Union Lieutenant-Colonel John Scott led a small force (500 men of the 3rd Iowa Infantry, about 100 Missouri Home Guards, and one 6-pound smoothbore cannon) from Cameron towards Liberty.

On 16 September, Scott camped in Centerville (ten miles north of Liberty), where he heard artillery fire in the distance.

He arrived in Liberty at 7:00 A.M. At that point Southern troops were already crossing the Missouri River at Blue Mills Landing.

At a location near the modern day intersection of Liberty Landing Road and Old Highway 210, the rear guard of Atchison's troops waited in ambush.

The Union force continued to withdraw, firing as they retreated, taking with them nearly all their wounded, but abandoning their ammunition wagon and a caisson.

Atchison and the State Guards from northern Missouri crossed the river to reinforce Price in his successful attack on Lexington.