The vanguard of Price's army reached Boonville on October 9. Boonville was part of a pro-Confederate area known as Little Dixie, and many men, including Bloody Bill Anderson and his guerillas, joined the Confederates; Price detached Anderson to operate north of the main body to harass the Northern Missouri Railroad. Meanwhile, Union troops were following Price. One body was to the east of Boonville at Rocheport, and another, under Brigadier General John B. Sanborn, was to the south at California. On the 11th, Sanborn moved north and skirmished with the Confederates, who abandoned the town the next day and continued west in the direction of Marshall. While the new recruits added to the numerical strength of Price's army, a significant proportion of them were unarmed. Late on the 12th, Price learned of rumors that a substantial store of weapons was held by the Union garrison of Glasgow, which was across the Missouri River and from Boonville. On October 14, Price authorized two raids away from his main body for the purpose of taking supplies. One under Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson, commander of Shelby's Iron Brigade, was sent to Sedalia, which it quickly captured on October 15. The second was led by Brigadier General John B. Clark Jr. and was directed towards Glasgow.