Battle of Apple River Fort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Apple River Fort |
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| Part of the Black Hawk War | |||||||
 Reconstructed Apple River Fort, near its original site |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
Sauk/Fox | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Captain Clack Stone/Illinois Militia | Black Hawk | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 28-30 | 150-200 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 KIA 2 WIA |
Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Apple River Fort happened on the afternoon of June 24, 1832. It took place at Apple River Fort, near what is now Elizabeth, Illinois. During this battle, Black Hawk and about 200 of his "British Band" of Sauk and Fox warriors attacked the fort.
The attack started when four messengers from Galena, Illinois were surprised by Black Hawk's group. One messenger was shot in the leg. The others quickly rode to warn the 70 settlers at the fort. This warning saved their lives.
Inside the fort, a small group of about 28-30 men and boys, led by Captain Clack Stone, defended against Black Hawk's larger force of 150 warriors. The fight lasted about an hour. The strong gunfire from the fort made Black Hawk believe it was too well defended for a direct attack. He thought about burning the fort but decided to raid nearby cabins instead. His warriors took food, clothes, and cooking tools. As darkness fell, Black Hawk and his group left the area.
After the battle, some defenders were praised for their bravery. These included Elizabeth Winters, Rebecca Hitt, Sarah Vanvoltinburg, and Elizabeth Armstrong. Mrs. Armstrong helped organize about 40 women and children inside the fort. They were split into two groups: one made rifle balls, and the other prepared gunpowder cartridges. Some married women even reloaded weapons for the militia to help them fire faster.
Sadly, messenger George Harkleroad was shot in the neck and died. He was the only person killed at the fort. The number of Native American casualties is not known. After the war, the old fort was used by settlers. In 1847, the land and fort remains were sold. The new owner used many of the fort's timbers to build a barn. The rest of the fort was burned down. Today, a replica of the fort stands near the original site in Elizabeth. It was built in the late 1990s and is now managed as the "Apple River Fort State Historical Site."
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The Black Hawk War began because of a disagreement over land. In 1804, a treaty was signed between William H. Harrison, who was the Governor of Indiana Territory, and some Sac and Fox leaders. This treaty said that the Sac and Fox tribes would move west of the Mississippi River from their lands in Illinois.
However, the Sac warrior Black Hawk and others did not agree with this treaty. They said that the full tribal councils were not asked, and the leaders who signed it did not have the right to give away the land. Black Hawk was upset about losing his birthplace. Between 1830 and 1831, he led his group, called the "British Band," back into Illinois several times. Each time, he was convinced to return west without fighting.
In April 1832, Black Hawk tried again. He was hoping other tribes and the British in Canada would help him. He moved his group of about 500 warriors and their families into Illinois. But he found no allies among the local Ho-Chunk people. When he tried to go back to Iowa, he was stopped by militia groups. At night, the Illinois militia ran away from Black Hawk's warriors in a fight known as Battle of Stillman's Run. After this, more battles happened, and the militias from Michigan Territory and Illinois were called to find Black Hawk's group. This conflict became known as the Black Hawk War.
The time between Stillman's Run and the Battle of Apple River Fort was busy with war activities. There were attacks at Buffalo Grove, the Plum River settlement, Fort Blue Mounds, and the sad Indian Creek massacre. These events happened from mid-May to late June 1832. Just before the Apple River Fort battle, two important smaller fights took place. These were "Stephenson's Fight" (now called Battle of Waddams Grove) and the battle at Horseshoe Bend in Wisconsin. These fights helped change how people saw the militia after their earlier defeat.
Before the Fight
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Apple River Fort
Michigan Territory (Wisconsin)
Illinois
Unorganized
Territory (Iowa)  |
Map of Black Hawk War sites Battle (with name)  Fort / settlement  Native villageSymbols are wikilinked to article |
After the militia's big loss at Stillman's Run on May 14, settlers near Galena were very scared. Many left the area. Stories spread that 2,000 "bloodthirsty warriors" were destroying everything in Northern Illinois. This caused a lot of fear.
At the Apple River Settlement, people decided to form a 46-man militia. Captain Vance L. Davidson was in charge for a short time. By late May, Captain Clack Stone was elected to lead the militia company. The main building of the Apple River Fort was finished around May 22. The wooden fence (stockade) around it was completed later. Just before June 18, 1832, horses were stolen from Apple River Fort during the night. This led to a small fight between Illinois militia officer James W. Stephenson and some warriors.
On June 24, 1832, a wagon full of meat and lead arrived at Apple River Fort around noon. Around the same time, Black Hawk and his 200 warriors were also heading to the fort. They gathered at a spot in Terrapin Ridge. Black Hawk's forces were not seen until they started firing. At about 4 p.m., four messengers from Galena arrived at the fort. They were on their way to an army camp at Dixon's Ferry. The people at the fort were eager to hear news from Galena and about the conflict with Black Hawk.
At the time of the attack, there were 28-30 armed militia members inside Apple River Fort. About 40 women, children, and other settlers also lived in the Apple River Settlement. Captain Clack Stone and his officers led the fort's defenders. Most of the defenders were part of Stone's militia, with a few civilians helping. Some militia members were away from the fort and missed the battle.
The Battle Begins
The four messengers from Galena were George Harkleroad, Fred Dixon, Edmund Welch, and J. Kirkpatrick. They were military messengers traveling from Galena to Dixon. They stopped at the fort for a quick meal and then continued their journey.
About 600 yards (550 m) east of the fort, Black Hawk's advance group of about 30 warriors ambushed them. Welch, the only one with a loaded gun, was shot in the hip and fell from his horse. His friends pointed their unloaded guns at the attackers to protect Welch. They managed to get Welch and move away from the warriors towards the fort. Fred Dixon stayed behind to cover their retreat as they rushed to the fort.
Three of the messengers made it safely inside the fort. Dixon rode his horse towards the Apple River. He ended up at John McDonald's farm, but it was also taken over by Native Americans. Dixon then left his horse, walked across the river, and got to the road to Galena. There, he reported that Apple River Fort was under attack.
The settlers quickly took shelter inside the fort. The men and boys took their places at the portholes (small openings) in the fort walls. A fierce firefight began, involving about 150 of Black Hawk's "British Band" warriors. The battle lasted for about an hour with heavy gunfire from both sides.
At the start of the battle, many women were hiding in the cabins. But several married women, including Elizabeth Armstrong, encouraged the women and older children to help the soldiers. She gave tasks to the unmarried young women, boys, and girls as young as eight years old. They cut and rolled gunpowder cartridges and molded rifle balls. The married women reloaded the weapons so the soldiers could fire faster.
The intense fighting made Black Hawk believe that Apple River Fort was very strong. He thought about burning the fort, but he worried the smoke would warn other militia groups nearby. His warriors then slowed their firing and raided cabins near the fort. They took meat, flour, clothes, and cooking tools. They did not cause much damage otherwise. The warriors also raided the livestock. As it got dark, Black Hawk quietly pulled his war party back to Terrapin Ridge and then to the Galena Road.
Despite the intense battle, there were few casualties. Messenger George Harkleroad was shot in the neck early in the battle and died. He was killed while looking over the fort's wooden wall. Besides Welch, the only other person wounded at the fort was Josiah Nutting, who had a minor head injury. The number of Sauk casualties is not known.
What Happened Next
The defenders at Apple River Fort stayed in their positions all night, waiting for Black Hawk's next move. But dawn came without any more attacks. The day after the battle, June 25, two companies of mounted rangers arrived at the fort from Galena to help. On that same day, Black Hawk's group met Major John Dement and his Spy Battalion at the Second Battle of Kellogg's Grove. George Harkleroad, the only person who died at Apple River Fort, was buried near the fort. Today, there is no sign of his grave.
Elizabeth Armstrong was praised as a hero for her actions during the battle. She showed great courage, which the militia had often lacked in the early months of the Black Hawk War. Her actions helped trick Black Hawk into thinking Apple River Fort was much stronger than it actually was.
The fort was taken down around 1847, and its wood was used to build a barn. Today, the fort and its three buildings have been rebuilt by the Apple River Fort Historic Foundation. The Apple River Fort Site is listed twice on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places because of its importance in military history and archaeology.
On January 1, 2001, the state of Illinois took over running the rebuilt Apple River Fort and its visitor center. The state now operates the area as the Apple River Fort State Historic Site. Illinois bought the site partly with a US$160,000 grant from the state.
Images for kids
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Reconstructed Apple River Fort
