Battle of Belmont

This article is about the American Civil War battle. For the Second Boer War battle, seeBattle of Belmont (1899).

Battle of Belmont
Part of theTrans-Mississippi Theaterof the American Civil War
Charleston defenses, Belmont battlefield by Julius Bien & Co., Lith., N.Y.
Date November 7, 1861(1861-11-07) Location Belmont,Mississippi County, Missouri 36.7657°N 89.1240°W/36.7657; -89.1240 Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United States(Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Ulysses S. Grant	Leonidas Polk
Strength
3,114	5,000
Casualties and losses
607 (120 killed; 383 wounded; 104 captured/missing)	641 (105 killed; 419 wounded; 117 captured/missing)

TheBattle of Belmontwas fought on November 7, 1861, inMississippi County, Missouri.It was the first combat test in theAmerican Civil WarforBrig. Gen.Ulysses S. Grant,the futureUnion Armygeneral in chief and eventualU.S. president,who was fighting Major GeneralLeonidas Polk.Grant's troops in this battle were the "nucleus" of what would become the UnionArmy of the Tennessee.

On November 6, Grant moved by riverboat fromCairo, Illinois,to attack theConfederacy'ssmall outpost nearBelmont, Missouriacross theMississippi Riverfrom the Confederate stronghold atColumbus, Kentucky.He landed his men on theMissouriside and marched to Belmont. Grant's troops overran the surprised Confederate camp and destroyed it. However, the scattered Confederate forces quickly reorganized and were reinforced from Columbus. They counterattacked, supported by heavy artillery fire from across the river. Grant retreated to his riverboats and took his men toPaducah, Kentucky.The battle was relatively unimportant, but with little happening elsewhere at the time, it received considerable attention in the press.

Background

Operations in the Western Theater from Belmont (November 1861) toShiloh(April 1862)

Confederate

Union

At the beginning of the war, the criticalborder stateofKentucky,with a pro-Confederate governor but a largely pro-Union legislature, declared neutrality between the opposing sides. Pro-Confederate Kentuckians crossed into Tennessee to enlist, but the Union men openly formed a recruiting camp inside Kentucky, violating the state's neutrality.

In response, ConfederateMaj. Gen.Leonidas Polkmoved Confederate forces into Kentucky on September 3, 1861, and occupiedColumbus,a key position on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Three days later UnionBrig. Gen.Ulysses S. GrantseizedPaducah.Grant, commanding the District of Southeast Missouri, requested permission fromtheatercommander Maj. Gen.John C. Frémontto attack Columbus, but no orders came. For the next two months only limited demonstrations were conducted against the Confederates.

Frémont learned the Confederates planned to reinforce their forces inArkansas,and on November 1 he ordered Grant to make a feint toward Columbus to keep the Confederates there. Grant sent about 3,000 men underCol.Richard Oglesbyinto southeastern Missouri. Grant learned that Confederate reinforcements were moving into Missouri to intercept Oglesby's column. He sent reinforcements and also ordered Brig. Gen.Charles F. Smithto move from Paducah into southwestern Kentucky to distract the Confederates. Grant chose to attack Belmont, a ferry landing and tiny hamlet of three shacks, directly across the river from Columbus. Grant's Expeditionary Command numbered 3,114 officers and men, and was organized into two brigades under Brig. Gen.John A. McClernandand Col.Henry Dougherty,two cavalry companies, and an artillery battery. On November 6, escorted by the gunboatsUSSTylerandUSSLexington,Grant's men leftCairo, Illinoison the steamboatsAleck Scott,Chancellor,Keystone State,Belle Memphis,James Montgomery,andRob Roy.

Confederate Maj. Gen.Leonidas Polkhad about 5,000 troops guarding Columbus. When he learned of Grant's movements, he assumed that Columbus was their primary objective and that Belmont was a feint. He ordered 2,700 men under Brig. Gen.Gideon J. Pillowto Belmont, retaining the rest to defend Columbus.

When he reached Belmont, Grant found Camp Johnston, a small Confederate observation post, supported by anartillerybattery. He decided to attack to keep the Confederates from reinforcing Maj. Gen.Sterling Priceor Brig. Gen.M. Jeff Thompsonof theMissouri State Guard,and to protect Oglesby's exposed left flank.

Opposing forces

Battle of Belmont,Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper

Union

Further information:Union order of battle

Confederate

Further information:Confederate order of battle

Battle

Map of Belmont Battlefield core and study areas by theAmerican Battlefield Protection Program

At 8:30 a.m. on November 7, Grant's force disembarked at Hunter's Farm, 3 miles north of Belmont, out of range of the six Confederate batteries at Columbus. (The Columbus heavy water batteries featured 10-inchColumbiadsand 11-inchhowitzersand one gun, the "Lady Polk", was the largest in the Confederacy, a 128-pounder Whitworth rifle.) He marched his men south and east on the single road. A mile away from Belmont, they formed a battle line in a corn field. The line consisted of the22nd Illinois Infantry,7th Iowa Infantry,31st Illinois Infantry,30th Illinois Infantry,and27th Illinois Infantry,intermixed with a company of cavalry. The Confederate battle line, on a low ridge northwest of Belmont, from north to south, was made up of the 12th Tennessee Infantry,13th Arkansas Infantry,22nd Tennessee Infantry, 21st Tennessee Infantry, and 13th Tennessee Infantry.

Grant's attack drove in the Confederate skirmish line and for the remainder of the morning, both armies, consisting of green recruits, advanced and fell back repeatedly. By 2 p.m., the fighting became one-sided as Pillow's ill-sited line began to collapse, and the Confederates began withdrawing toward Camp Johnston. Grant was constantly at the front, leading his men. His horse was shot from under him, but his aide CaptainWilliam S. Hillyeroffered his mount and Grant continued to lead. The orderly retreat began to panic when four Federal field pieces opened up on the retreating soldiers. A volley from the 31st Illinois killed dozens of Confederates, and the Union soldiers attacked from three sides and surged into the camp, after clearing the obstructions of fallen timber that formed anabatis.The Confederates abandoned their colors and their artillery, and ran toward the river, attempting to escape.

Grant's inexperienced soldiers became, in his own words, "demoralized from their victory." Brig. Gen. McClernand walked to the center of the camp, which now flew theStars and Stripes,and asked for three cheers. A bizarre, carnival-like atmosphere prevailed; the troops were carried away by the joy of their victory, having captured several hundred prisoners and the camp. To regain control of the men, who were plundering and partying, Grant and others ordered the camp set on fire. In the confusion and blinding smoke, wounded Confederate soldiers in some of the tents were accidentally burned to death, causing returning Confederates to believe the prisoners had been deliberately murdered.

LexingtonandTylerduel the Confederate batteries

The Federals began to march back to their transports, taking with them two captured guns and 106 prisoners. They were suddenly attacked by Confederate reinforcements brought over from Columbus on the transportsPrinceandCharm,who threatened to cut off Grant's retreat. These were the men of the 15th Tennessee Infantry, the 11th Louisiana Infantry, and mixed infantry under Pillow and Col.Benjamin F. Cheatham.By this time Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk had also crossed the Mississippi River from Columbus and took charge of Confederate forces during the fighting.As the Union men turned to face the Confederate reinforcements, the cannon "Lady Polk" fired into their ranks from Columbus and numerous other Confederate guns opened fire. The Union gunboats exchanged fire in a battle with the Confederate batteries. Grant said, "Well, we must cut our way out as we cut our way in."

Grant's troops withdraw after the battle

Although a breach was made through the encircling Confederates, the rear of the Union column suffered severely as it ran the gantlet. When Grant reached the landing, he learned that one Union regiment was unaccounted for. He galloped back to look for it, but found only Confederate soldiers moving in his direction. He spun his horse and raced for the river, but saw that the riverboat captains had already ordered the mooring lines cast off. Grant wrote in his memoirs,

"The captain of the boat that had just pushed out recognized me and ordered the engineer not to start the engine: he then had a plank run out for me. My horse seemed to take in the situation. He put his fore feet over the bank without hesitation or urging, and, with his hind feet well under him, slid down the bank and trotted on board."

While embarking on the transports, the Confederates began reaching the riverside and began peppering the men and boats. The two Union woodenclads kept the attackers at bay, while the transport cut their hawsers and backed out into the current. While the riverboats were returning to Paducah, the missing Illinois regiment was seen marching upriver and the men were taken aboard.In the retreat, Grant lost his bay horse, saddle, mess chest, and gold pen, while McClernand lost his "handsome iron-framed cot," field desk with dispatches, and an inkstand inscribed with his name.

Aftermath

The Confederates viewed Belmont as a Southern victory, since Grant had staged an attack and been driven off. Polk's superior, GeneralAlbert Sidney Johnston,remarked that "The 7th of November will fill a bright gap in our military annals, and be remembered with gratitude by the sons and daughters of the South." On the evening of November 7 and the morning of November 8, Grant recalled the units he had ordered forward in Missouri and Kentucky. One Union soldier commented, "Well, Grant got whipped at Belmont, and that scared him so that he countermanded all our orders and took all the troops back to their old stations by forced marches."However, Grant viewed the battle very differently. In his memoirs he states, "The two objects which the battle of Belmont was fought were fully accomplished. The enemy gave up all idea of detaching troops from Columbus. His losses were very heavy for that period of the war."A Mississippi diarist viewed it as a rout of Grant and wrote "I went over to the battlefield today. It was an awful sight. The yankees under a flag of truce were burying their dead comrades. They would sometimes put as many as ten poor fellows in one grave and just barely cover them up."

Union losses were 607 (120 dead, 383 wounded, and 104 captured or missing). Confederate casualties were slightly higher at 641 (105 killed, 419 wounded, 106 captured, and 11 missing). A noteworthy result of the battle was the combat and large unit command experience Grant gained. It also gavePresidentAbraham Lincoln,who was desperate for his armies to attack the Confederates somewhere, a positive impression of Grant.

Belmont AvenueinChicago, Illinois,was named after this battle.

The formerly fortified site on the Kentucky side has been designated as theColumbus-Belmont State Park,commemorating the military operations performed in the surrounding area.

As of mid-2023, theAmerican Battlefield Trustand its partners have preserved 1.2 acres of the battlefield.

See also

• Columbus-Belmont State Park
• Illinois in the Civil War
• Kentucky in the Civil War
• List of conflicts in the United States

References

• Eicher, David J.The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War.New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.ISBN0-684-84944-5.
• Feis, William B. "Battle of Belmont." InEncyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History,edited by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000.ISBN0-393-04758-X.
• Gott, Kendall D.Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry—Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862.Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.ISBN0-8117-0049-6.
• Hughes, Nathaniel Cheairs Jr.The Battle of Belmont: Grant Strikes South.Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991.ISBN0-8078-1968-9.
• Kennedy, Frances H., ed.The Civil War Battlefield Guide.2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998.ISBN0-395-74012-6.
• Nevin, David, and the Editors of Time-Life Books.The Road to Shiloh: Early Battles in the West.Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983.ISBN0-8094-4716-9.
• National Park Service battle description

Further reading

• Catton, Bruce.Grant Moves South.Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1960.ISBN0-316-13207-1.
• Farina, William.Ulysses S. Grant, 1861–1864: His Rise from Obscurity to Military Greatness.Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007.ISBN978-0-7864-2977-6.
• Grant, Ulysses S.Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.2 vols. Charles L. Webster & Company, 1885–86.ISBN0-914427-67-9.
• Smith, Jean Edward.Grant.New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.ISBN0-684-84927-5.

External links

• Battle of Belmontreports fromThe War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armiesat CivilWarChest.com.