 On 5 August 1861, Colonel Martin Green's force of about 2,000 Missouri State Guardsmen with three cannons tried to capture the town from about 500 Missouri Home Guard.Moore's pickets warned of the secessionists' advance at 5 AM, and Moore called out the regiment to begin assembling it for battle.Between men still absent on weekend leaves and removing the sick across the river, Moore had only 333 men in line.