Siege of Prairie du Chien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Prairie du Chien
Part of the War of 1812
Date July 17–20, 1814 Location Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin 41°39′37.15″N 91°31′42.82″W / 41.6603194°N 91.5285611°W / 41.6603194; -91.5285611 Result British-Native American victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Native Americans	United States
Commanders and leaders
William McKay	Joseph Perkins
Strength
77 Canadian militia Native Americans: Menominee Winnebago Fox *(Total force approximately 650)	61 Army regulars 140 volunteers
Casualties and losses
3 wounded	7 wounded prisoners 53 captured

The Upper Mississippi River during the War of 1812. This map shows important places like Fort Shelby (4).

The Siege of Prairie du Chien was an important battle during the War of 1812. It was a victory for the British and their Native American allies. Prairie du Chien was a small town in the American West. Some people there supported the Americans, and others supported the British.

By 1814, both sides wanted control of Prairie du Chien. It was important for the fur trade. It was also a key spot where the Mississippi River met the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway. This waterway connected the Mississippi to the Great Lakes.

Why Prairie du Chien Was Important

American Plans for Control

Even though Prairie du Chien became part of the United States in 1783, the Americans did not really control it. It stayed mostly under British influence for many years. In the spring of 1814, American forces decided to take control of the area. They knew that if the British took it, there would be nothing to stop an attack on St. Louis.

William Clark, who was the governor of Missouri Territory, put together a group of soldiers in St. Louis. This group included 61 regular soldiers and 140 volunteers. Lieutenant Joseph Perkins took command of the regular soldiers. On May 1, Governor Clark and his forces started moving up the Mississippi River. They were heading for Prairie du Chien. On May 17, they fought some Sauk warriors who tried to block their way.

The American soldiers arrived in Prairie du Chien on June 2. A few days later, on June 6, they started building a fort. The fort was built on a large hill north of the main village. They named it Fort Shelby, after Governor Isaac Shelby of Kentucky.

Governor Clark left to go back to St. Louis on June 7. The Americans kept working on the fort. Even though it was not finished, soldiers moved into the barracks by June 19. Many of the volunteers who had joined for 60 days went home. However, some stayed on an American gunboat called the Governor Clark. This boat was anchored in the Mississippi River next to Fort Shelby.

British Plans to Respond

The British at Fort Mackinac in Michigan heard about the American advance on June 21. Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDouall was in charge there. He did not want the Americans to get a strong hold in the northwest. He worried it would hurt the British fur trade. It would also affect Britain's friendships with many Native American tribes.

To stop the Americans, he sent a force. This force included Canadian militia, some regular British soldiers, and several hundred Menominee, Winnebago, and Fox warriors. They also had a powerful 3-pounder cannon. Captain William McKay was put in charge of this force. As they traveled, McKay's group gathered more militia and Native American allies. In the end, his force had about 650 men.

The Siege Begins

On July 17, the British force arrived at Prairie du Chien. In the late morning, a British officer approached Fort Shelby. He gave Lieutenant Perkins a note demanding that the Americans surrender. Perkins refused and got ready to defend the fort.

The battle started early in the afternoon. The British 3-pounder cannon began firing. The cannon hit the Governor Clark gunboat. This forced the boat to retreat down the river. The boat carried the Americans' cannons and many supplies. It also carried the remaining American volunteers.

With the gunboat gone, the British focused their fire on Fort Shelby. But the British cannon was not very effective against the fort. The Americans and British kept shooting at each other all through the next day. Neither side seemed to be winning.

Running Out of Supplies

By the third day of the battle, the Americans inside Fort Shelby were running low on ammunition and other supplies. Even worse, the well inside the fort had dried up. An attempt to dig it deeper made it collapse completely.

Meanwhile, Colonel McKay was getting impatient. He started planning to fire red-hot cannonballs into the fort. This would set it on fire. Lieutenant Perkins then offered to surrender. He asked that the British promise his men's safety. McKay agreed. He asked Perkins to wait until the next day to formally surrender. This would give him time to make sure the Native American forces would not harm the Americans.

The Surrender

On July 20, the Americans officially surrendered and left the fort. The British took control of the fort. They also took the Americans' weapons, ammunition, and supplies. The American soldiers were allowed to return to St. Louis. Sixty American soldiers were captured, and seven of them were wounded. The British force had three Native Americans wounded.

Perkins had sent messages asking for help to St. Louis. Major John Campbell quickly led 120 soldiers up the river in six boats. But on July 22, they were ambushed by several hundred Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo warriors. This happened at the Rock Island Rapids. Campbell's force was able to fight their way out when the Governor Clark gunboat unexpectedly arrived. Campbell's force had 35 casualties.

After the Battle

The British force took over Fort Shelby and renamed it Fort McKay. The Americans returned to St. Louis by August 6. In September, the United States sent a second force upriver to try and take back the fort. But they were stopped at the Battle of Credit Island.

The British stayed at Fort McKay through the winter, even though they had little food. Captain Andrew Bulger was in command. They stayed until they heard about the Treaty of Ghent in the spring of 1815. This treaty ended the War of 1812. The treaty said that Prairie du Chien would go back to the United States. So, the British force left the fort on May 25, burning it as they retreated. The next year, the United States built Fort Crawford on the same spot. This helped them gain stronger control over the area.