Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hawk War
Encyclopedia
Abraham Lincoln
served as a volunteer in the Illinois Militia from April 21, 1832-July 10, 1832 during the Black Hawk War
. Lincoln never saw combat during his tour but was elected captain of his first company. He was also present in the aftermath of two of the war's battles, where he helped to bury the militia dead. He was mustered in and out of service during the war, going from captain to private and finishing his service in an independent spy company commanded by Captain Jacob Early.
Lincoln's service had a lasting impression on him and he related tales about it later in life with modesty and a bit of humor. Through his service he was able to forge lasting political connections. In addition, he received a land-grant from the U.S. government for his military service during the war. Though Lincoln had no military experience when he assumed command of his company, he is generally characterized as an able and competent leader.
led a number of incursions across the Mississippi River
beginning in 1830. Each time, he was persuaded to return west without bloodshed. In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliances with other tribes and the British, he again moved his "British Band
" into Illinois
.
On April 5, 1832, Black Hawk and around 1,000 warriors and civilians recrossed the Mississippi River
into Illinois in an attempt to reclaim their land. About half of Black Hawk's band were combatants and the rest were a combination of women, children, and elderly. The band consisted of Sauk, Fox
, some Potawatomi
, and some Kickapoo; in addition some members of the Ho-Chunk
nation were sympathetic to Black Hawk. Black Hawk's reason for crossing into Illinois
was that he wanted to reclaim lost lands, and perhaps, create a confederacy of Native Americans to stand against white settlement. Promises of aid from other Illinois tribes were made to the British Band and Black Hawk believed that promises of assistance were made by the British in Canada.
Finding no allies, Black Hawk attempted to return to Iowa
, but ensuing events led to the Battle of Stillman's Run. A number of other engagements followed, and the state militia
s of Wisconsin
and Illinois were mobilized to hunt down Black Hawk's band. The conflict became known as the Black Hawk War
.
At the time of Black Hawk's incursion into Illinois Abraham Lincoln
was living in New Salem, where he had lived for two years. Prior to the Black Hawk War, in March 1832, Lincoln announced his candidacy for the Illinois House of Representatives
but the election was several months away. One month later, he responded to the governor's call for volunteer militia.
near Beardstown, Illinois
. The men were officially sworn in and began the process of choosing a company
commander. The men voted for a captain, and between Lincoln and one William Kirkpatrick, Lincoln received three-fourths of the votes and was elected captain. Many years later, Lincoln said this election as militia captain was "a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since."
Lincoln was commissioned as a captain in the 31st Regiment of Militia of Sangamon County
, 1st Division and put in charge of a rifle company of the 4th Regiment of Mounted Volunteers within Samuel Whiteside's brigade by April 30.
The men spent time in Beardstown where they drew provisions and weapons, as many of the men, including Lincoln, owned no weapons. Other downtime in Beardstown was occupied by inter-company rivalry. One such incident occurred when Lincoln was challenged for a prime camping spot. Lincoln and his challenger wrestled for the spot and Lincoln was beaten before a crowd of fellow soldiers. After the April 22 wrestling match Lincoln and the other commanders spent April 23–26 conducting light drills and drawing supplies. On April 28 Lincoln's company was enrolled into state service by Colonel John J. Hardin and Lincoln drew further supplies including whiskey, food staples, and tin pans. The volunteers marched to Rushville
, a distance of 10 miles (16.1 km) miles, on April 30, 1832.
Following their arrival in Rushville the troops continued marching for several days, toward the mouth of the Rock River
. Much of the rest of early May was spent marching and resupplying. General Samuel Whiteside
, brigade commander, moved the volunteers to the Prophet's Village
, which they burned on May 11, and then continued the men toward Dixon's Ferry
, another 40 miles (64.4 km) upstream. The men reached Dixon's Ferry on May 12 and the next day Isaiah Stillman
and David Bailey
led their troops toward Old Man's Creek, where it was rumored that Black Hawk and his men were encamped.
Lincoln engaged in no combat during the Black Hawk War, Lincoln himself described his experiences as such. He did, however, see scalped
corpses and witness the results of the war's atrocities. Lincoln was 23 years old at the time of the Black Hawk War and his experience in the volunteer militia was his only military experience prior to becoming president.
Various sources, many compiled at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
, document the movements of Lincoln's company after the outbreak of hostilities at the Battle of Stillman's Run. On May 15, 1832 Lincoln's company set out under the command of Whiteside and reached the site of Stillman's Run by sunset. According to letters from Whiteside to militia commander Henry Atkinson, the soldiers, including Lincoln, arrived to find militia men dead, scalped, and mangled. In a 2006 article, author Scott Dyer asserted that Whiteside's men, including Captain Lincoln, "paraded" the area the morning after, and buried the dead from Stillman's Run. Their movements were in an unsuccessful effort to draw out the Sauk, after which they returned to Dixon's Ferry. Lincoln's presence at Stillman's Run was still under investigation as of 2003.
The marble facade on the Stillman Valley
monument, erected in 1901, commemorating the battle, includes the reference to Lincoln's presence at Stillman's Run, "The presence of soldier, statesman, martyr, Abraham Lincoln assisting in the burial of these honored dead has made this spot more sacred."
Still, other sources assert that it was General Whiteside who originally buried the dead in a common grave on a ridge south of the battlefield, marked with a rudimentary wooden memorial. These sources make no mention of Lincoln.
Two days after Stillman's Run Lincoln and his company drew 10 quarts of meal and 10 pounds of pork from supply at Dixon's Ferry, Illinois. After a 20 miles (32.2 km) march on May 25 Lincoln's company camped near Paw Paw Grove
. The next day Lincoln and his company marched another 20 miles (32.2 km) and camped two miles (3 km) above the mouth of the Fox River
. On May 27 Lincoln's company was mustered out service. Lincoln was discharged from his command and re-enlisted as a private in the company of Captain Elijah Iles in Ottawa, Illinois
.
Atkinson arrived in Ottawa on May 28 and on May 29 Lieutenant Robert Anderson formally mustered Lincoln and a hodgepodge of 71 other former officers into a company of mounted volunteers under Iles. Atkinson left and met with Governor Reynolds; he returned to Ottawa on May 30 and decided not to pursue Black Hawk
until further militia reinforcements arrived on June 15. On June 6, 1832 Captain Iles' company, including Lincoln, began the march to Dixon's Ferry, they arrived during the afternoon of June 7. From June 8-June 10 the company moved on orders toward Galena
, and on June 8 the group camped 20 miles (32.2 km) from Dixon's Ferry, and on June 9 near the Apple River Fort
. The company found the people in Galena demoralized and was ordered to return to Dixon's Ferry on June 11, the group made camp at the same campsites it used on its march toward Galena. The men arrived back in Dixon's Ferry on June 13 and on June 16 Anderson mustered them out of service at Fort Wilbourn.
Before the end of the war Lincoln and the units he was attached to were mustered out of service and Lincoln re-enlisted twice. On June 16 he was mustered out of Iles company, and from that day until July 10 Lincoln served as a private in Captain Jacob Early's independent company. Early's company was known as an "independent spy company" which was ordered into federal service by Atkinson and meant to operate separately from the other brigades. Later, Lincoln told William Herndon, "I was out of work and there being no danger of more fighting, I could do nothing better than enlist again." Early's company was officially mustered into service on June 20 and two days later it was ordered to report to General Hugh Brady
at Dixon's Ferry. The company remained at Dixon's Ferry through June 25, 1832. Early's company was then dispatched to Kellogg's Grove at 4 p.m. on June 25.
A number of sources assert that on June 26, 1832, the morning after the Second Battle of Kellogg's Grove members of the company of Captain Jacob M. Early arrived at Kellogg's Grove to help bury the dead. Lincoln assisted with the burial and later made a statement about the experience that has been connected with both the battle at Kellogg's Grove and the fight at Stillman's Run.
The Lincoln quote appeared both in William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Wiek's Life of Lincoln and Carl Sandburg's
Lincoln biography, Abraham Lincoln The Prairie Years. Documentation for the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
listing for Kellogg's Grove cites Lincoln's presence as part of its historic significance.
The same day, June 16, Captain Early wrote General Atkinson, describing the situation in his own words.
Early's company, along with Lincoln, remained at Kellogg's Grove until June 28 when they began their march back to Dixon's Ferry, reaching the ferry sometime around 6 a.m. on June 29.
Lincoln and his wartime compatriot bought a canoe and made their way down the Illinois River
to Havana
. At Havana, they disembarked and made the final 23 miles (37 km) jaunt on foot.
Lincoln had no military experience when he was elected captain of his company but a large number of sources have described his command ability as capable and describing him as a popular leader. Lincoln himself expressed a desire to get into combat, though his company has been described as wild and the outcome of such a fight may not have been positive for Lincoln. John Todd Stuart noted that during Lincoln's Black Hawk War service he stood out for his great strength and athletic ability, as well as his kind manner and as a story teller.
One popularly repeated story from Lincoln's Black Hawk War service illustrates Lincoln's qualities of honesty, and courageous, competent leadership. It involved a Potawotami who wandered into Captain Lincoln's camp and Lincoln's men assumed him a spy and wanted to kill him. The story goes that Lincoln threw himself between the Native American and the men's muskets, knocking their weapons upward. The militia men backed down after a few heated seconds.
Another popularly repeated story about Lincoln's leadership during the war illustrates his inexperience as a military commander. The story relates that Lincoln was marching his company and encountered an open gate, through which his formation needed to pass. Unable to remember the proper command to direct his men through the gate Lincoln called "Halt!" and ordered the men to fall out for two minutes and then reform on the other side of the gate.
Cecil Eby's 1973 work That Disgraceful Affair The Black Hawk War contained one negative description of Lincoln's leadership during the Black Hawk War.
for his service during the Black Hawk War. Soldiers in the Indian Wars
often received land grants in exchange for their service. Lincoln received 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) in total, with the other 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) given to him in 1856. Besides the tangible rewards, Lincoln's service during the Black Hawk War helped him cultivate political connections throughout Illinois. David Herbert Donald
stated in his 1996 work Lincoln:
Later, in 1859, Lincoln referred to his service during the Black Hawk War fondly, noting his election as captain as one of the proudest moments in his life. His Black Hawk War service has been referred to as a "shaping circumstance in his life", as well as something he later referred to with modesty and self-depreciation. Lincoln made one tongue-in-cheek remark concerning his Black Hawk War service during an 1848 speech before the U.S. Congress in which he referenced his Black Hawk War service, mentioning the Battle of Stillman's Run by name.
Some have regarded Lincoln's brief stint in the militia as important to his presidential leadership later on, during the American Civil War
. The 2002 essay collection, Rediscovering Abraham Lincoln described Lincoln's familiarity with military affairs during the Civil War as "alien", noting that he regarded his own military service as a subject suited to mockery.
While campaigning for president the story of how Lincoln stopped his men from killing the Potawatomi they encountered before the outbreak of the war made its way into a campaign biography. Reporting by The New York Times
during the campaign of 1860
noted Lincoln's war time service as a captain. The same article implies that his bravery during the Black Hawk War may have led to his post-war appointment as postmaster
in New Salem. Following Lincoln's assassination, Ralph Waldo Emerson
gave a speech in Concord, Massachusetts
which highlighted Lincoln's Black Hawk War service.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
served as a volunteer in the Illinois Militia from April 21, 1832-July 10, 1832 during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
. Lincoln never saw combat during his tour but was elected captain of his first company. He was also present in the aftermath of two of the war's battles, where he helped to bury the militia dead. He was mustered in and out of service during the war, going from captain to private and finishing his service in an independent spy company commanded by Captain Jacob Early.
Lincoln's service had a lasting impression on him and he related tales about it later in life with modesty and a bit of humor. Through his service he was able to forge lasting political connections. In addition, he received a land-grant from the U.S. government for his military service during the war. Though Lincoln had no military experience when he assumed command of his company, he is generally characterized as an able and competent leader.
Background
Angered by the loss of his birthplace via prior disputed treaties, and against the best interests of other tribes affected, Black HawkBlack Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
led a number of incursions across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
beginning in 1830. Each time, he was persuaded to return west without bloodshed. In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliances with other tribes and the British, he again moved his "British Band
British Band
The British Band was a group of Native Americans which fought against Illinois and Michigan Territory militia units during the 1832 Black Hawk War. The band was composed of about 1,500 men, women, and children from the Sauk, Meskwaki, Fox, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Ottawa nations;...
" into Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
On April 5, 1832, Black Hawk and around 1,000 warriors and civilians recrossed the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
into Illinois in an attempt to reclaim their land. About half of Black Hawk's band were combatants and the rest were a combination of women, children, and elderly. The band consisted of Sauk, Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, some Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
, and some Kickapoo; in addition some members of the Ho-Chunk
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
nation were sympathetic to Black Hawk. Black Hawk's reason for crossing into Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
was that he wanted to reclaim lost lands, and perhaps, create a confederacy of Native Americans to stand against white settlement. Promises of aid from other Illinois tribes were made to the British Band and Black Hawk believed that promises of assistance were made by the British in Canada.
Map of Black Hawk War sites Battle (with name)  Fort / settlement  Native villageSymbols are wikilinked to article |
Finding no allies, Black Hawk attempted to return to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, but ensuing events led to the Battle of Stillman's Run. A number of other engagements followed, and the state militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Illinois were mobilized to hunt down Black Hawk's band. The conflict became known as the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
.
At the time of Black Hawk's incursion into Illinois Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was living in New Salem, where he had lived for two years. Prior to the Black Hawk War, in March 1832, Lincoln announced his candidacy for the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
but the election was several months away. One month later, he responded to the governor's call for volunteer militia.
Enlistment and election as captain
On April 21, 1832 Lincoln and the other volunteers gathered at the property of Dallas Scott. Lincoln rode a horse from New Salem to Richland Creek where neighbors had gathered to form a company of volunteer militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
near Beardstown, Illinois
Beardstown, Illinois
Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,123 at the 2010 census. The public schools are in Beardstown Community Unit School District 15.-Geography:Beardstown is located at...
. The men were officially sworn in and began the process of choosing a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
commander. The men voted for a captain, and between Lincoln and one William Kirkpatrick, Lincoln received three-fourths of the votes and was elected captain. Many years later, Lincoln said this election as militia captain was "a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since."
Lincoln was commissioned as a captain in the 31st Regiment of Militia of Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
, 1st Division and put in charge of a rifle company of the 4th Regiment of Mounted Volunteers within Samuel Whiteside's brigade by April 30.
The men spent time in Beardstown where they drew provisions and weapons, as many of the men, including Lincoln, owned no weapons. Other downtime in Beardstown was occupied by inter-company rivalry. One such incident occurred when Lincoln was challenged for a prime camping spot. Lincoln and his challenger wrestled for the spot and Lincoln was beaten before a crowd of fellow soldiers. After the April 22 wrestling match Lincoln and the other commanders spent April 23–26 conducting light drills and drawing supplies. On April 28 Lincoln's company was enrolled into state service by Colonel John J. Hardin and Lincoln drew further supplies including whiskey, food staples, and tin pans. The volunteers marched to Rushville
Rushville, Illinois
Rushville is a city in Schuyler County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,212 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schuyler County.-Demographics:...
, a distance of 10 miles (16.1 km) miles, on April 30, 1832.
Following their arrival in Rushville the troops continued marching for several days, toward the mouth of the Rock River
Rock River (Illinois)
The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois. It rises in southeast Wisconsin, in the Theresa Marsh near Theresa, Wisconsin in northeast Dodge County, Wisconsin approximately south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
. Much of the rest of early May was spent marching and resupplying. General Samuel Whiteside
Samuel Whiteside
Samuel Whiteside was an Illinois pioneer, political figure and military leader. He is not the same person as the Major Samuel Whitside who participated in the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.-Biography:...
, brigade commander, moved the volunteers to the Prophet's Village
Prophetstown, Illinois
Prophetstown is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,080 at the 2010 census, up from 2,023 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prophetstown is located at ....
, which they burned on May 11, and then continued the men toward Dixon's Ferry
Dixon's Ferry
Dixon's Ferry was the former name for Dixon, Illinois, United States. It was located on the bank of the Rock River near present day Illinois Route 26, John Dixon operated a rope ferry service to transport mail from Peoria to Galena. He also established the first post office. The surrounding...
, another 40 miles (64.4 km) upstream. The men reached Dixon's Ferry on May 12 and the next day Isaiah Stillman
Isaiah Stillman
Cavalry Major Isaiah Stillman led Illinois militia in the first armed confrontation of the Black Hawk War against Black Hawk’s Sauk Indian Band...
and David Bailey
David Bailey (militia officer)
David Bailey was an American militia officer in the Illinois Militia who fought during the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War, most notably serving at the Battle of Stillman's Run where he and Lt. Col...
led their troops toward Old Man's Creek, where it was rumored that Black Hawk and his men were encamped.
Stillman's Run
Lincoln engaged in no combat during the Black Hawk War, Lincoln himself described his experiences as such. He did, however, see scalped
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
corpses and witness the results of the war's atrocities. Lincoln was 23 years old at the time of the Black Hawk War and his experience in the volunteer militia was his only military experience prior to becoming president.
Various sources, many compiled at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st century showmanship techniques, the popular museum continues to rank as one of the most visited...
, document the movements of Lincoln's company after the outbreak of hostilities at the Battle of Stillman's Run. On May 15, 1832 Lincoln's company set out under the command of Whiteside and reached the site of Stillman's Run by sunset. According to letters from Whiteside to militia commander Henry Atkinson, the soldiers, including Lincoln, arrived to find militia men dead, scalped, and mangled. In a 2006 article, author Scott Dyer asserted that Whiteside's men, including Captain Lincoln, "paraded" the area the morning after, and buried the dead from Stillman's Run. Their movements were in an unsuccessful effort to draw out the Sauk, after which they returned to Dixon's Ferry. Lincoln's presence at Stillman's Run was still under investigation as of 2003.
Stillman Valley, Illinois
Stillman Valley is a village in Marion Township, Ogle County, Illinois, United States. It lies east of Byron, south of Rockford, and west of Davis Junction. The population was 1,120 at the 2010 census, up from 1,048 at the 2000 census. The village is located on the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern...
monument, erected in 1901, commemorating the battle, includes the reference to Lincoln's presence at Stillman's Run, "The presence of soldier, statesman, martyr, Abraham Lincoln assisting in the burial of these honored dead has made this spot more sacred."
Still, other sources assert that it was General Whiteside who originally buried the dead in a common grave on a ridge south of the battlefield, marked with a rudimentary wooden memorial. These sources make no mention of Lincoln.
From captain to private
Paw Paw, Illinois
Paw Paw is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census the village was home to 870 people, up from 852 at the 2000 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S...
. The next day Lincoln and his company marched another 20 miles (32.2 km) and camped two miles (3 km) above the mouth of the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
. On May 27 Lincoln's company was mustered out service. Lincoln was discharged from his command and re-enlisted as a private in the company of Captain Elijah Iles in Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
.
Atkinson arrived in Ottawa on May 28 and on May 29 Lieutenant Robert Anderson formally mustered Lincoln and a hodgepodge of 71 other former officers into a company of mounted volunteers under Iles. Atkinson left and met with Governor Reynolds; he returned to Ottawa on May 30 and decided not to pursue Black Hawk
Black Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
until further militia reinforcements arrived on June 15. On June 6, 1832 Captain Iles' company, including Lincoln, began the march to Dixon's Ferry, they arrived during the afternoon of June 7. From June 8-June 10 the company moved on orders toward Galena
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
, and on June 8 the group camped 20 miles (32.2 km) from Dixon's Ferry, and on June 9 near the Apple River Fort
Apple River Fort
Apple River Fort, today known as Apple River Fort State Historic Site, was one of many frontier forts hastily completed by settlers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin following the onset of the 1832 Black Hawk War. Located in present-day Elizabeth, Illinois, United States, the fort at the...
. The company found the people in Galena demoralized and was ordered to return to Dixon's Ferry on June 11, the group made camp at the same campsites it used on its march toward Galena. The men arrived back in Dixon's Ferry on June 13 and on June 16 Anderson mustered them out of service at Fort Wilbourn.
Before the end of the war Lincoln and the units he was attached to were mustered out of service and Lincoln re-enlisted twice. On June 16 he was mustered out of Iles company, and from that day until July 10 Lincoln served as a private in Captain Jacob Early's independent company. Early's company was known as an "independent spy company" which was ordered into federal service by Atkinson and meant to operate separately from the other brigades. Later, Lincoln told William Herndon, "I was out of work and there being no danger of more fighting, I could do nothing better than enlist again." Early's company was officially mustered into service on June 20 and two days later it was ordered to report to General Hugh Brady
Hugh Brady
Hugh Brady was an American general from Pennsylvania. He served in the Northwest Indian War under General Anthony Wayne, and during the War of 1812. Following the War of 1812, Brady remained in the military, eventually rising to the rank of major general and taking command of the garrison at Detroit...
at Dixon's Ferry. The company remained at Dixon's Ferry through June 25, 1832. Early's company was then dispatched to Kellogg's Grove at 4 p.m. on June 25.
Kellogg's Grove
I remember just how those men looked as we rode up the little hill where their camp was. The red light of the morning sun was streaming upon them as they lay head towards us on the ground. And every man had a round red spot on top of his head, about as big as a dollar where the redskins had taken his scalp. It was frightful, but it was grotesque, and the red sunlight seemed to paint everything all over. I remember one man had on buckskin breeches.
The Lincoln quote appeared both in William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Wiek's Life of Lincoln and Carl Sandburg's
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
Lincoln biography, Abraham Lincoln The Prairie Years. Documentation for the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
listing for Kellogg's Grove cites Lincoln's presence as part of its historic significance.
The same day, June 16, Captain Early wrote General Atkinson, describing the situation in his own words.
I arrived here by day brake this morning [26th] & found Gen. Posey's men encamped here The circumstances connected with the attack on Maj. Dement's Bat[talion].are as well as I can gather substantially these Yesterday morning the Maj. ordered out a small party for the purpose of examining a trail leading to the Mississippi The detachment had not proceeded more than half a mile when they discovered a few Indians at a small distance from them the men rushed on them in a disorderly manner till they came to the main body of Indians where they were secreted in a thicket on seeing the Indians the men wheeled & fled precipitately & all the efforts of Maj. Dement to rally them were unavailing (for at the time the men commenced retreating before the Indians Maj. Dement came up with a reinforcement from the garrison The Maj. stated to me that his force on the field was equal in numbers to that of the enemy After the men retreated to the fort the Indians surrounded the house & commenced killing the Horses, they kept up a constant fire on the House & Horses for 2 or 3 hours. Major Dement Lost 5 killed & several wounded but none mortally when the Indians left the ground they retreated toward their encampment on the 4 lakes
When Gen Posey came up about an hour by sun he sent a regiment in the direction in which the Indians had retired. When they had proceeded about ½ mile the Indians showed themselves from a thick wood which skirted the praeria . . . they [regiment] retired to their camps without engaging the enemy. The trail spoken of above has not yet been examined. Gen Posey says he will send a detachment with me to examine it. As soon as I see it you shall have the best information in my power to give you.
Mustered out
On July 10, 1832 Atkinson decided he had too many men and mustered Early's company out of service, Lincoln's military career ended less than three months after it began. In his last duty as a soldier Lincoln wrote out the company role for Lieutenant Robert Anderson, the man who had mustered him into service in his second company under Iles. Lincoln's horse, along with a comrade's, was stolen the night before he was discharged from service, thus they made their way back to New Salem mostly on foot and occasionally on a comrade's horse. Once in PeoriaPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
Lincoln and his wartime compatriot bought a canoe and made their way down the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
to Havana
Havana, Illinois
Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:...
. At Havana, they disembarked and made the final 23 miles (37 km) jaunt on foot.
Lincoln's military ability
One popularly repeated story from Lincoln's Black Hawk War service illustrates Lincoln's qualities of honesty, and courageous, competent leadership. It involved a Potawotami who wandered into Captain Lincoln's camp and Lincoln's men assumed him a spy and wanted to kill him. The story goes that Lincoln threw himself between the Native American and the men's muskets, knocking their weapons upward. The militia men backed down after a few heated seconds.
Another popularly repeated story about Lincoln's leadership during the war illustrates his inexperience as a military commander. The story relates that Lincoln was marching his company and encountered an open gate, through which his formation needed to pass. Unable to remember the proper command to direct his men through the gate Lincoln called "Halt!" and ordered the men to fall out for two minutes and then reform on the other side of the gate.
Cecil Eby's 1973 work That Disgraceful Affair The Black Hawk War contained one negative description of Lincoln's leadership during the Black Hawk War.
Among the green officers unable to maintain discipline in his company was a pock-faced, stoop-shouldered, slab-sided assistant storekeeper from New Salem, a two-rut, hilltop settlement near Springfield. The first order Captain Abraham Lincoln ever gave to his men received the retort, 'Go to the devil, Sir!' Some of his men later confessed that they elected Lincoln as their commander, rather than his rival, William Kirkpatrick, because they would be able to do as they liked under Abe.Other negative accounts of Lincoln's ability as a military leader came in the 1870s when J.F. Snyder interviewed several of Lincoln's men from the Black Hawk War days. Snyder claimed the men, "never spoke of malice of Lincoln but always in a spirit of ridicule" and that they characterized Lincoln as "indolent and vulgar", "a joke, an absurdity", and the men "had serious doubts about his courage".
Legacy and influence on Lincoln
On April 16, 1852, by act of Congress from 1850, Lincoln received a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) land-grant in IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
for his service during the Black Hawk War. Soldiers in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
often received land grants in exchange for their service. Lincoln received 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) in total, with the other 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) given to him in 1856. Besides the tangible rewards, Lincoln's service during the Black Hawk War helped him cultivate political connections throughout Illinois. David Herbert Donald
David Herbert Donald
- Career :Majoring in history and sociology, Donald earned his bachelor degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned his PhD in 1946 under the eminent, leading Lincoln scholar, James G. Randall at the University of Illinois...
stated in his 1996 work Lincoln:
Meeting volunteers from different parts of the state was useful to him politically, for it extended his reputation. While he was in the army, he came into contact with a number of rising young political leaders of the state, like Orville Hickman Browning, a cautious, conservative Quincy lawyer, who would become one of his most influential and critical friends. More important was his acquaintance with John Todd Stuart, a Springfield lawyer, who served as major in the same battalion as Lincoln.
Later, in 1859, Lincoln referred to his service during the Black Hawk War fondly, noting his election as captain as one of the proudest moments in his life. His Black Hawk War service has been referred to as a "shaping circumstance in his life", as well as something he later referred to with modesty and self-depreciation. Lincoln made one tongue-in-cheek remark concerning his Black Hawk War service during an 1848 speech before the U.S. Congress in which he referenced his Black Hawk War service, mentioning the Battle of Stillman's Run by name.
By the way Mr. Speaker, did you know that I am a military hero? Yes sir, in the days of the Black Hawk War I fought, bled and came away . . . I was not at Stillman's defeatBattle of Stillman's RunThe Battle of Stillman's Run, also known as the Battle of Sycamore Creek or the Battle of Old Man's Creek, occurred on May 14, 1832. The battle was named for Major Isaiah Stillman and his detachment of 275 Illinois militia which fled in a panic from a large number of Sauk warriors. According to...
, but I was about as near it as CassLewis CassLewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
was HullWilliam HullWilliam Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
's surrenderSiege of DetroitThe Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812...
, and, like him, I saw the place very soon afterwards . . . If he saw any live, fighting Indians, it was more than I did; but I had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes, and although I never fainted from the loss of blood, I can truly say I was often very hungry.
Some have regarded Lincoln's brief stint in the militia as important to his presidential leadership later on, during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The 2002 essay collection, Rediscovering Abraham Lincoln described Lincoln's familiarity with military affairs during the Civil War as "alien", noting that he regarded his own military service as a subject suited to mockery.
While campaigning for president the story of how Lincoln stopped his men from killing the Potawatomi they encountered before the outbreak of the war made its way into a campaign biography. Reporting by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
during the campaign of 1860
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
noted Lincoln's war time service as a captain. The same article implies that his bravery during the Black Hawk War may have led to his post-war appointment as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
in New Salem. Following Lincoln's assassination, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
gave a speech in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
which highlighted Lincoln's Black Hawk War service.
Further reading
- Efflandt, Lloyd H. Lincoln and the Black Hawk War, (Google Books), Rock Island Arsenal Historical Society, 1992. (ISBN 0-9617938-2-1).
- "Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hawk War", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, December 6, 1868, accessed April 13, 2009. - Lanigan, Kelly "Abraham Lincoln: 'First Experience as a Leader of Men'", VFW Magazine, February 2009, accessed April 13, 2009.
External links
- Captain Abraham Lincoln, National Guard, Presidential Series Paintings, (link), accessed April 13, 2009.