However, many of these new recruits were unarmed. After learning of a Union weapons cache at Glasgow, Price sent Brigadier General John B. Clark Jr. with two brigades on a side raid to capture it. The Union garrison of Glasgow was commanded by Colonel Chester Harding, and was mostly composed of militia and men of the 43rd Missouri Infantry Regiment. At 05:00 on October 15, Confederate artillery opened fire on the Union position, although the main attack did not begin until about 08:00. Harding's men were driven back into the town itself, and surrendered at 13:30 after burning 50,000 rations to prevent them from falling into Confederate hands. Clark's men paroled the Union soldiers, captured 1,000 overcoats and 1,200 weapons, and burned a steamboat. The Confederate column rejoined Price's main army the next day. On October 23, the Confederates were decisively defeated at the Battle of Westport. Price's men retreated, but were harried for much of the way by Union pursuit; the retreat eventually reached Texas, although the pursuit did not follow that far.