Battle of Glasgow The Battle of Glasgow was fought on October 15 , 1864 , in and near Glasgow , Missouri as part of Price ' s Missouri Expedition during the American Civil War . Although the battle resulted in a Confederate victory and the capture of significant war material , it had little long - term benefit as Price was ultimately defeated at Westport a week later , bringing his campaign in Missouri to an end . Background . The battle of Glasgow was a part of Price ' s Missouri Expedition , a raid by Confederates under the command of Major General Sterling Price into Missouri which began on 19 September 1864 . Price ' s primary aims were to recruit men from pro - Confederate areas of northern Missouri , capture the Federal arsenal at St Louis , and seize animals and supplies for Confederate use . He hoped that his raid might relieve the pressure on Confederate forces in Tennessee , Georgia , and Virginia by diverting Union troops to fight him ; he also hoped his raid would influence the November presidential election , by reducing support for Abraham Lincoln . After sustaining heavy casualties during the Battle of Fort Davidson , Price turned away from St . Louis , and headed towards Jefferson City , the state capital . Nearing his objective , Price concluded that it was too heavily defended , and ordered his troops to move further west towards Lexington and Kansas City . At this point , Price detached troops from his army to capture the city of Glasgow , on the Missouri River , having been informed of a storehouse there containing weapons and supplies . A Union garrison of 800 men was located in Glasgow , under the command of Colonel Chester Harding . The size of the Confederate forces engaged against them was reported as being between 1 , 500 and 1 , 800 troops including infantry , cavalry , and artillery . These were commanded by Brigadier General s John Bullock Clark , Jr . , and Joe Shelby . Battle . When the Confederates reached Glasgow , they laid siege to the town . Four pieces of Rebel artillery commenced shelling the city at 5 AM on October 15 , 1864 , and continued firing until 1 PM . Additional cannon were deployed to support the infantry assault , which began at 7 AM as Rebel soldiers advanced into Glasgow from multiple directions . Hereford Hill , a nearby promontory which the Union soldiers had fortified , was also brought under attack . After fierce resistance , the Federals were compelled to fall back from the town to their breastworks on the hill , but not before blowing up the Glasgow city hall , which they had been using to store their munitions . The ensuing explosion destroyed a half - block of downtown Glasgow . Once atop the hill , the Union troops formed a line of defense . However , as the Confederates continued their steady advance , Harding became convinced that his forces could not win and accordingly surrendered his command at 1 : 30 PM , upon receipt of generous terms from his foes . The Confederates occupied Glasgow for three days , taking 1 , 200 muskets , 1 , 200 overcoats , and 150 horses before leaving to rejoin Price ' s command . A Federal steamboat captured at the Glasgow wharf was burned . Captain G . A . Holloway , U . S . Adjutant General , testified to the " uniform , kind and gentlemanly treatment " the Federals received at the hands of Clark and Shelby . The paroled Union troops were permitted to retain their personal property , and officers were allowed to keep their sidearms after the surrender . Clark equally permitted his defeated foes to proceed by any route they might select to Union lines at Boonville , and promised not to disturb private property or citizens remaining in the town . Aftermath . The Confederate victory at Glasgow and the captured supplies proved a boost to the Confederates ' morale , especially after their failures to take St . Louis or Jefferson City . Price ' s army would continue to advance through Missouri , but the high losses in men and material at the Battle of Westport on 23 October 1864 finally convinced Price to withdraw his forces from the state . During the retreat , Price ' s men were attacked repeatedly by Union troops as they made their way through eastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri into Arkansas . Price had not been able to gain enough recruits to replace his losses , and the large number of troops deployed against him in Missouri had solidified the already - formidable Union hold over that state . Hence , Price ' s raid would ultimately be described as being " barren of results " . Although a bright spot in an otherwise rather dismal campaign , the Battle of Glasgow is considered to have been at best a " token " victory , though it did provide Price ' s forces with much - needed supplies .