They imposed martial law on the whole Altai Railway line, made Altayskaya station its capital, and proceeded to meet attackers near the Cherepanovo.

The Whites decided to cross the river by nightfall under the cloak of darkness to cover the Red Guards' escape routes since the plan was to strike them from the front and rear.

At first the Reds' attack was successful, but as the Whites counterattacked, they suffered losses and had to retreat to the Altayskaya station.

They organized a meeting with the local population and explained the necessity of keeping such an important railway station.

The Whites, however, were able to instigate a revolt within Barnaul so that, on June 11, the Red Guards had to leave the trenches and return to the city to suppress it.

By this time, the army received word that a reinforcement of 200 men on a ship that sailed from Novonikolaevsk was underway under the command of colonel A.A.Budkevich.

During the night of June, 13–14, a company of soldiers crossed the Ob river at 20 km north-west of Barnaul near the Gonba village.

They then joined Budkevich's reinforcent as well as the detachment of Barnaul rebels, who retreated from the city to the Vlasikha village.

By 1920, a Red Guard officer assessed the success of the White movement in Barnaul, highlighting fundamental mistakes in the policy formulated in Moscow.