The War of 1812 Shaped Wisconsin's Destiny-- Part 2

The British sent a couple soldiers and commissioned a fur trader to raise a militia unit and to enlist Indian allies.  By the time the group reached Prairie du Chien, they numbered 600.  About 60 US soldiers from the 7th Infantry were stationed at the fort.  The British demanded a surrender, the Americans refused and fighting started.

After a two and a half day fairly bloodless battle, the fort surrendered.  Nothing is left of the original fort as the British burned it.  But the fighting occurred of the grounds of the Villa Louis estate built in 1870.  Two years later, Americans returned and built Fort Crawford.  The Treaty of Ghent put the Midwest off limits to British fur trading.

The Society of the War of 1812 was founded about twenty years ago and, on Wisconsin, consists of 15 members, all descendants of soldiers and sailors who fought in the conflict.  About half live iin the Milwaukee area.

Four military ships are going to visit Milwaukee August 8-14th:  Frigate USS DeWert, coastal patrol ship Hurricane, US Coast Guard cutter Neah Bay and the Canadian cutter HMCS Ville de Quebec.

Join the Descendants.  --Brock-Perry