The Beginning of the Black Hawk War

Here is some interesting information that I found, in response to a FB post from the Abraham Lincoln Book Store. On April 5, 1832, the Sauk chief Black Hawk (Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa) crossed the Mississippi from Iowa into Illinois with about 1000 warriors and civilians, contrary to an earlier treaty. Although his motives have been debated by historians, his actions greatly alarmed white settlers in Illinois. Governor John Reynolds called up the state militia. The first engagement of the "Black Hawk War" was on May 14, 1832, The Battle of Stillman's Run. A detachment of 275 militiamen made a panicked retreat after being attacked by a group of Native warriors--estimated to be as few as 50 or as large as 200. The conflicts between militia and warriors lasted until Black Hawk was defeated in August. Some of my relatives participated in the conflict--James Carson, Henry Brown, Paton Pilcher, and John A. Wakefield. The war is known for participants who became famous later, like Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Winfred Scott, James Cayman, and Zachary Taylor.