Minor attacks of the Black Hawk War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minor attacks |
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| Part of the Black Hawk War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
Various factions affiliated with the Sauk, Fox, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and Ho-Chunk | ||||||
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| various | various | ||||||
The Black Hawk War in 1832 saw many small attacks and fights. These "minor attacks" happened after the first big battle, called the Battle of Stillman's Run, in May 1832. The war was between white settlers in what is now Illinois and Wisconsin and the Sauk Chief Black Hawk.
These smaller attacks happened in many different places. Often, they were carried out by groups of Native Americans who were not directly part of Black Hawk's main group, known as the British Band. For example, in May 1832, a minister and his wife disappeared and were killed by a group of Potawatomi. Another minister, Adam Payne, was killed at Holderman's Grove. These events, along with others, made people in the area very scared during the war.
Contents
Why the War Started
The Black Hawk War began because of a land treaty from 1804. This treaty was made between the Governor of Indiana Territory and some Sauk and Fox leaders. It said that these tribes would leave their lands in Illinois and move west of the Mississippi River. By 1828, they had moved.
However, Sauk Chief Black Hawk and others disagreed with this treaty. They said that the whole tribe was 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, the "British Band" (about 1,000 warriors and their families), back into Illinois several times. Each time, he was convinced to go back west without fighting.
In April 1832, Black Hawk tried again. He thought other tribes and the British would help him. But he found no allies. He then tried to return to Iowa. However, the actions of the Illinois militia (a group of citizen soldiers) led to the Battle of Stillman's Run. After this, more fights happened, and the militias from Michigan Territory and Illinois tried to find Black Hawk's Band. This conflict became known as the Black Hawk War.
Many things happened between the Battle of Stillman's Run and the Battle of Apple River Fort on June 24. There were attacks at places like Buffalo Grove, the Plum River settlement, Fort Blue Mounds, and the famous Indian Creek massacre. Two important battles in mid-June, at Waddams Grove and Horseshoe Bend, helped the militia feel better after their loss at Stillman's Run.
After a fight at Kellogg's Grove in late June, Black Hawk and his band ran through Wisconsin. They went through places like Beloit and Janesville, following the Rock River towards Horicon Marsh. Then they headed west near modern-day Madison. On July 21, 1832, the militia caught up with them as they tried to cross the Wisconsin River. This fight was called the Battle of Wisconsin Heights. The war ended at the Battle of Bad Axe on August 1 and 2. Hundreds of Native American men, women, and children were killed by soldiers, their Native American allies, and a U.S. gunboat.
The Buffalo Grove Ambush
When the Black Hawk War started, settlers at Buffalo Grove were told about Black Hawk's win at Stillman's Run. They were ordered to leave their homes. Most of them went to Peoria for the rest of the war.
On May 19, 1832, a small group of soldiers was sent to deliver messages from Colonel James M. Strode in Galena to General Henry Atkinson at Dixon's Ferry (now Dixon, Illinois). The Buffalo Grove ambush happened near Buffalo Grove, Illinois. On May 20, Sergeant Fred Stahl returned to Dixon's Ferry with four other survivors. He reported that his group was ambushed by Native Americans the night before at the edge of the grove. One man, Durley, was killed right away.
The Attack at Holderman's Grove
Adam Payne was a traveling preacher from Pennsylvania. He was described as a large and strong man. Two days after the Indian Creek massacre on May 21, Payne was riding his horse from Chicago to Ottawa. He passed through areas like Holderman's Grove, Lisbon, and Plainfield, Illinois.
In Plainfield, a friend named Johnathan Wilson warned Payne that it was dangerous to travel alone. Payne was convinced at first and turned back towards Chicago. But as he rode, he changed his mind and decided to go back towards Ottawa. His trip was calm until he got close to Holderman's Grove, which was about halfway between Plainfield and Ottawa. There, a group of Native American warriors ambushed him. They shot their weapons, and Payne was wounded. He tried to escape on his horse, but the horse was also wounded. After chasing him for about 14 or 15 miles, the horse fell dead. Payne, who had no weapon, was caught by his attackers and killed. This event is sometimes called the Holderman's Grove raid.
Fires at Hollenbeck's Grove
On May 22, 1832, the day after the Indian Creek massacre, a house belonging to Mr. Hollenbeck was burned in Hollenbeck's Grove. Other parts of the settlement were also burned and looted. People fleeing from Hollenbeck's Grove joined others leaving the Fox River valley. They passed through Plainfield on their way to Danville. In Plainfield, exaggerated stories of Native Americans burning and looting everything spread, making the already scared residents even more worried. This event is also known as the Hollenback's Grove raid.
The Story of Henry Apple
On June 11, Henry Dodge went with General Hugh Brady to the Fox River to talk with the main commander, General Henry Atkinson. After the meeting, Dodge had clear orders to deal with the violence in the mining area. He first went to his fort at Gratiot's Grove, arriving on June 13.
The next day, the Spafford Farm massacre happened. When Dodge heard about it, he and his soldiers immediately left for Fort Hamilton, stopping at Fort Blue Mounds for supplies. On their way to Fort Hamilton, they met a German immigrant named Henry Apple. They greeted him and kept going.
About 150 yards (137 m) from where they met Apple, a Kickapoo ambush was waiting. They were probably waiting for Dodge, who had gone off the main road. Apple walked into the ambush. Dodge later said he heard three gunshots, and one of them killed Apple. Dodge was likely saved because he decided at the last minute to take a different path. Apple's horse galloped wildly past Dodge's men, wounded and bleeding. The horse kept going all the way to Fort Hamilton, causing a panic among the people there.
After hearing the attack on Apple, Dodge continued to Fort Hamilton (now Wiota, Wisconsin). He quickly gathered 29 mounted volunteers and rode off to find the attackers. He led the chase through thick bushes until they reached a prairie and saw the raiding party. The Kickapoo crossed the Pecatonica River and went into a swamp. Dodge's militia crossed the swollen river, got off their horses when they reached the swamp, and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend began.
The Attack at Ament's Cabin
The area of Ament's cabin was settled in 1829 by John L. Ament and his brother Justin. They claimed land in what are now Berlin and Dover Townships, in Bureau County, Illinois. Soon after, Elijah Phillips bought Justin Ament's land and built his own cabin. West of their settlement was a large Native American sugar camp, where Native Americans lived during winter and spring each year. Part of this camp was on Ament's land.
Before the attack, both Ament and Phillips were warned by Potawatomi chief Shabbona about danger to settlers along Bureau Creek. The men and their families had fled, leaving their belongings and animals behind. Eventually, they decided it was safe to return to their homes to check on their deserted possessions.
On the morning of June 17 or 18, a group of about 30 Native Americans returned to their hiding spots and waited for the settlers. When the settlers woke up, Brigham and Phillips went onto the porch of Ament's cabin. They talked for a few minutes, not noticing the moccasin tracks around the property. Phillips decided to go to his cabin, about half a mile (0.8 km) away, to finish a letter to his parents. Brigham went into his cabin for a moment, and then he heard a rifle shot outside. Phillips fell to the ground, hit by two musket balls. The raiding Native Americans immediately attacked him with their tomahawks. Phillips was the only person killed or hurt in this raid.
Other Small Attacks
Besides these main attacks, there were other small fights and incidents during the Black Hawk War. In the week after Stillman's Run and before the Indian Creek massacre, militia members were ambushed at Buffalo Grove, where one was killed. There was also a short fight with no deaths near Savanna along the Plum River.
In June 1832, there were two attacks at Fort Blue Mounds in Michigan Territory, which killed three militia members. A mid-June attack at Spafford Farm killed five people. At the end of June, after the attack on Ament's Cabin and important battles at Waddams Grove and Horseshoe Bend, two militia members were killed at Sinsinawa Mound in what is now southern Wisconsin.
The Impact of These Attacks
All these attacks together spread fear across the region, especially in northeastern Illinois near the Indian Creek massacre site. A wave of terror gripped the area. In the lead mining region around Galena, Illinois, people became very anxious as attacks happened and news of Black Hawk's movements came in. After Adam Payne was killed, no white settlers in the area truly felt safe.
The various attacks in May, after Stillman's Run, made the fear worse and caused many people to leave the areas near the incidents. The attack that killed Henry Apple led to a battle that helped change how the militia felt about themselves and how much the public trusted them. The attack at Ament's Cabin led to a small chase of the attackers, but nothing came of it. Elijah Phillips' body was taken to Hennepin, Illinois for burial.
