On November 7, 1861, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant invaded a Confederate camp at the Battle of Belmont, Missouri, but were forced to flee when additional Confederate troops arrived. Although Grant claimed victory, the Union gained no ground and left the Confederates in firm control of this section of the Mississippi River.
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This engagement was part of Grant’s plan to capture the Confederate fortress at Columbus, Kentucky, just across the river from Belmont, first driving out the Confederate garrison at Belmont. General Leonidas Polk, Confederate commander in Columbus, had posted about 1,000 men around Belmont to protect both sides of the river. On the evening of November 6, Grant brought 3,000 troops down the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois. They landed early on November 7, just three miles above Belmont, and attacked. Hearing the sound of battle, Polk sent another 2,500 soldiers across the river to relieve his besieged rebels. The Yankees routed the incoming reinforcements and dispersed them along the river. At this point, Union troops began to celebrate their victory and plunder the Confederate camp.
Grant had ordered a small Union force under General Charles Smith to advance from Paducah, Ky., Which lay to the northeast, to provide a diversion and prevent Polk from sending more reinforcements to Belmont. Grant hoped Polk would believe Smith’s lead was the main attack and Belmont was the diversion. Polk didn’t buy it, and he sent additional reinforcements to Belmont. Five Confederate regiments arrived when Grant ordered his men to return to the ships. Grant himself narrowly escaped capture, but managed to bring most of his strength back to the river. The Yankees have withdrawn to Cairo.
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Grant lost 120 dead and 487 wounded or captured, while the Confederates lost 105 dead and 536 wounded or captured. Although he did not gain any ground, Grant demonstrated that, unlike many other Union generals, he was prepared to mount a campaign using available resources rather than calling for reinforcements. This trait served Grant well during the war, and he ultimately carried him to the top of the Union Army.
