Battle of Belmont  "A Star Begins To Shine"  November 7, 1861

After four hours of hard stand-up fighting, the 2,300 Confederate soldiers under the command of Gen. Gideon Pillow had given way and, panic-stricken, found a protected refuge under the bank of the Mississippi River. Early that morning they had marched out to meet an attacking force of 3,100 Union troops under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant that had been transported by boat from their camp at Cairo, Ill. The Rebels fought stubbornly but had been pushed back to their camp at the shabby hamlet of Belmont, MO., where they finally broke and ran. Grant's troops were celebrating and looting the Confederate camp when they suddenly came under fire from Confederate cannon on the high bluff across the river at Columbus, KY. There was the main Confederate encampment, commanded by Gen. Leonidas Polk. Polk ferried another 2,700 Confederate troops across the river, placed them both up- and downstream of the Union force, and attacked.

An agitated aide rode up to Grant, exclaiming that they were surrounded. Unperturbed, Grant calmly replied, "Well, we must cut our way out as we cut our way in." And that is exactly what they did. Although hard-pressed, the Union soldiers fought their way back upriver to their transport ships, with Grant the last to get on board; then they steamed back north. Grant, who had been forced to leave behind his wounded and the captured Confederate materials, had been fortunate to escape with his command intact, but still claimed a victory. The Confederates also declared victory in the battle, which had claimed about 600 casualties on each side.

The whole affair was in fact a worthless waste of men and supplies; Belmont was of no strategic importance. The battle did, however, showcase the talents of the previously unknown Union general, Ulysses S. Grant. The attack was well planned and initially successful, and the retreat was conducted well under his supervision. He showed his superiors that he would fight, a quality sadly lacking in Union generals during the first years of the war.

Fascinating Fact:  The Battle of Belmont was Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's first Civil War battle.


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