Stillman's Defeat, Illinois, United States
5.0 (2 reviews) Spent Ranking #1 in Stillman Valley Points of Interest & Landmarks • Battlefields • Monuments & Statues
The first engagement of the Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a paragraph in the history of the United States, a conflict between Illinois militia and Native Americans that lasted from April 6 to Aug. 26 in 1832. It was mostly notable for the fact that Abraham Lincoln served but saw no combat. However, the brief conflict made national heroes of Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis. And the country became aware of Chief Black Hawk. Today, virtually all that is left to remember is Stillman's Run Battle Site or Stillman's Defeat, a site at Roosevelt and Spruce Streets in Stillman Valley, Illinois, where Illinois militia clashed with Black Hawk and his Sauk Indian band on May 14, 1832 in what was the first battle of the Black Hawk War. It wasn't much of a battle. Outnumbered 2-to-1, the detachment of 275 Illinois militia fled in a panic. Twelve militia men were killed while making a stand on a small hill. Black Hawk said at least three and maybe as many as five of his warriors were killed. Today, a marble and granite monument stands at the site of the battlefield. According to one inscription, "The presence of soldier, statesman, martyr Abraham Lincoln assisting in the burial of these honored dead has made this spot more sacred." The tombstones of the 12 fallen are part of the memorial. The one-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Address
225 S Spruce St, Stillman Valley, IL 61084-8981
Website
http://www.legion.org/memorials/236939/blackhawk-war-memorial
Current local date and time now
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 16:49
User Ratings
5.0 based on (2 reviews)
Reviews
-
5Taylor B 5:00 PM Nov 8, 2022
The first engagement of the Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a paragraph in the history of the United States, a conflict between Illinois militia and Native Americans that lasted from April 6 to Aug. 26 in 1832. It was mostly notable for the fact that Abraham Lincoln served but saw no combat. However, the brief conflict made national heroes of Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis. And the country became aware of Chief Black Hawk. Today, virtually all that is left to remember is Stillman's Run Battle Site or Stillman's Defeat, a site at Roosevelt and Spruce Streets in Stillman Valley, Illinois, where Illinois militia clashed with Black Hawk and his Sauk Indian band on May 14, 1832 in what was the first battle of the Black Hawk War. It wasn't much of a battle. Outnumbered 2-to-1, the detachment of 275 Illinois militia fled in a panic. Twelve militia men were killed while making a stand on a small hill. Black Hawk said at least three and maybe as many as five of his warriors were killed. Today, a marble and granite monument stands at the site of the battlefield. According to one inscription, "The presence of soldier, statesman, martyr Abraham Lincoln assisting in the burial of these honored dead has made this spot more sacred." The tombstones of the 12 fallen are part of the memorial. The one-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
