been dented. After giving up the proposed St. Louis thrust, Price's army headed for Jefferson City, although the Confederates were slowed by bringing along a large supply train. On October 7, the Confederates approached Jefferson City, which was held by about 7,000 men, mostly inexperienced militia. Faulty Confederate intelligence placed Union strength at 15,000, and Price, fearing another defeat like Fort Davidson, decided not to attack the city, and began moving his army towards Boonville the next day. Boonville was in the pro-Confederate region of Little Dixie in central Missouri, and according to different sources Price was able to recruit around either 1,200 or 2,500 men. Price, needing weapons and supplies, then authorized two raids away from his main body of troops: Brigadier General John B. Clark Jr. was sent to Glasgow, and Missouri State Guard Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson's brigade of Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby's division to Sedalia. Battle The particular allure of Sedalia for Price was a rumor that the Union army had thousands of mules and cattle in the town, which would be helpful in feeding and remounting the Confederate force. Thompson's command consisted of Shelby's Iron Brigade made up of Slayback's Missouri Cavalry Battalion, Elliott's Missouri Cavalry Regiment, the 5th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, and Collins' Missouri Battery; the force totaled around 1,200 or 1,500 men. While Thompson's command had a nominal strength of about 2,000 men, many of the unit's soldiers were absent visiting their homes in the Boonslick area. Slayback's battalion had been performing scouting duties and rejoined Thompson's command at Longwood. The unit reported that Union cavalry were operating in the area but had moved towards the west. Continuing their movement the next day, the Confederate soldiers captured two Union stragglers near Georgetown who claimed to be former Confederates forced into Union service. The prisoners identified the Union cavalry sighted by Slayback as Brigadier General John B. Sanborn's command, and informed Thompson that Union forces were concentrating at Jefferson City and Kansas City, in addition to a Union infantry force at California that was preparing to head to Georgetown. Thompson, who had established a chain of relay couriers along his path, sent a message to Price to inform him of this development. Thompson initially decided to call off the attack on Sedalia, before changing his mind in the belief that the Union infantry was not heading in his direction and that Sanborn