The Battle of Glasgow ( born Battle of Glasgow ; October 15–18, 1864) is a battle that took place on October 15, 1864, near Glasgow ( Missouri ). The battle was part of the Missouri campaign during the US Civil War . The result of the battle was the victory of the Confederation and the seizure of ammunition, however, it did not bring any benefits, since a week later the Sterling Price was defeated at Westport and the Missouri campaign came to an end [1] .
| Glasgow Battle | |||
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| Main Conflict: American Civil War | |||
Price Missouri Campaign Route | |||
| date | October 15-18, 1864 | ||
| A place | , Missouri | ||
| Total | Confederation Victory | ||
| Opponents | |||
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| Commanders | |||
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| Forces of the parties | |||
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| Losses | |||
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Content
Background
The battle of Glasgow was part of the Confederation's Missouri campaign, which began on September 19, 1864. The initial goals were to recruit North Missouri , capture the Federal Arsenal in St. Louis, and supply animals for the Confederation. Price hoped his raid would lessen pressure on Confederate troops in Tennessee , Georgia, and Virginia , and influence the November presidential election , reducing support for Abraham Lincoln .
After heavy casualties at the Battle of Fort Davidson , Price was forced to turn away from St. Louis in Jefferson City , the state capital. Moving closer, he saw that the city was well protected and turned west towards Lexington and Kansas City . At this point, Price sent a detachment of his army to capture the city of Glasgow on the Missouri River , learning that weapons and food were in stock. In Glasgow, under the command of Colonel Chester Harding, a Union garrison of 800 was based. Confederate forces fielded 1,500 - 1,800 men against them, including infantry, cavalry and artillery under the command of brigadier generals John Bullock Clark Jr. and Joe Shelby.
Battle
When Confederate troops reached Glasgow, they besieged the city. The four artillery corps began shelling at 5 a.m. on October 15, 1864, and continued shelling until one in the afternoon. Additional artillery came up to support the infantry attack, which began at 7 am, Confederate soldiers arrived in Glasgow from all sides. Hereford Hill near the cape, fortified by Union soldiers, was also under fire. After increasing pressure, Union forces were forced to leave the city, losing their equipment during the explosion of Glasgow City Hall.
Allied forces are forced to retreat outside the city in the direction of fortifications on Hereford Hill. There they formed a defensive line, but the opponent continued to advance. Harding saw that forces were unequal and had to surrender at 1:30 in the afternoon. The Confederacy occupied Glasgow in 3 days and captured 1,200 muskets, 1,200 coats and 150 horses before joining Price. The steamer captured in the Glasgow pier was burned. After the surrender, the soldiers were allowed to keep their property, and officers could leave their weapons. Clark allowed his defeated enemies to continue moving towards the Union lines in Bunville and promised not to touch the citizens remaining in the city and their property [2] .
Consequences
A convincing victory and seizure of resources raised the morale of the Confederate army, especially after the recent setbacks in St. Louis and Jefferson City. Price’s army continued to advance through Missouri, but the high casualties at the Battle of Westport on October 23, 1864 finally convinced him to retreat. Retreating, Price’s troops were re-attacked by the Union on the road to Arkansas . Price could not get enough recruits to replace the losses, having met the great forces of the rival in Missouri, and the Union troops already completely controlled the course of the war. Consequently, the price raid ultimately proved futile. The battle of Glasgow was, at best, an “apparent” victory, although it left a bright mark on the generally unsuccessful campaign, as it provided the army with the necessary supplies.