Work Continues On Quad-Cities Monument-- Part 2: Black Hawk Vs. Americans

A cleanup will be held October 11 and they are asking for help from the public.

They are also seeking monetary contributions to repair the low perimeter wall around the monument.

The Battle of Campbell's Island pitted Chief Black Hawk and his Sauk Indians, around 500 of them, against a group of American soldiers in small boats.  Sixteen Americans were killed and it is not known how many Indians.

Lt. John Campbell was in charge of the Americans.

The monument was erected in 1906 by the State of Illinois and  the DAR chapter and is a white granite obelisk with four plaques around the base.  One is a bronze relief sculpture of the battle.

--Brock-Perry

Work Continues on Monument in the Quad Cities-- Part 1

From the September 29, 2017, Quad-Cities Times  "Work continues on War of 1812 monument" by Alma Gaul.

The work on the bas-relief bronze sculpture depicting the Battle of Campbell's Island, created by sculptor Albert Louis Vander Berghen is nearing completion.

Volunteers from the Moline Chapter Mary Little Deere Daughters of the American Revolution have been making headway on the monument, located on Campbell Island in the Mississippi River.  They have also gotten the State of Illinois to blacktop and stripe the parking lot.

The Davey Tree Service has removed a dead tree and there is a new sidewalk around it.

--Brock-Perry

Campbell's Island-- Part 2: An American Defeat

Three American gunboats were heading up the Mississippi River with military supplies for Fort Shelby at present day Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.  One of the boats had 42 people in it, including soldiers of the 1st U.S. Infantry regiment and their families.  The other two had 66 United States Rangers.

The Indians attacked and forced the Americans to turn back.  The Americans lost eight killed in the 1st U.S. Infantry and sixteen wounded.  Four Rangers were killed and eight wounded.

This defeat helped the Sauk Indians to maintain control over the Quad City area (Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois) for almost twenty more years.

The Campbell's Island State Memorial was dedicated in 1908.

--Brock-Perry

Campbell's Island-- Part 1: One of the Westernmost Battles

From Wikipedia.

Campbell's island is adjacent to the city of East Moline, Illinois and is connected to it by a bridge.  It is the site of the Campbell Island State Memorial, overseen by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

During the War of 1812, it was the site of one of the western-most battles and is called the Battle of Rock Island Rapids.  A band of Sauk warriors, allied with Britain clashed here with an American force led by Lt. John Campbell of the 1st Regiment United States Infantry.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of Rock Island Rapids-- Part 1: Ambushed by Black Hawk

From the March 5, 2017, Quad-City Dispatch-Argus "Campbell's Island 1814 battle recalled by 'survivor' by Jonathan Turner.

Susan McPeters, portraying the wife of one of the soldiers at the battle, put on a one-woman show in period dress.

On July 19, 1814, 500 Sauk Indians, led by the famous warrior Black Hawk attacked U.S. soldiers in boats in an expedition led by Lieutenant John Campbell in one of the westernmost battles of the war.

Lt. Campbell had command of three gunboats and was carrying military supplies north from St. Louis along the Mississippi River to Fort Shelby, at the present-day site of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

--Brock-Perry

Illinois War of 1812 Engagement at Campbell's Island-- Part 2

The battle of Campbell's Island took place between American forces and Indians led by Sauk warrior Black Hawk.  The American soldiers were in three boats which were headed upstream on the Mississippi River.

One boat was attacked by Black Hawk and his warriors.  Women and children of some of the American officers were also in the boat.

There is a current exhibit at the museum containing documents of the war.

The D.A.R. wants to restore a monument to the engagement on Campbell's Island.

--Brock-Perry

Illinois War of 1812 Engagement at Campbell's Island-- Part 1

From the March 6, 2017, Quad-City Times (Iowa)  "History of War of 1812 battle to be told Sunday" by John Schultz.

Campbell's Island is in East Moline, Illinois, part of the Quad Cities shared by Iowa and Illinois along the Mississippi River.  A battle took place there during the War of 1812 and its story will be told through the eyes of a female survivor of the battle at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Rock Island, Illinois.

The presentation is put on by museum and the Mary Little Deere-Fort Armstrong Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  It starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at 700 22nd Street in Rock Island.

Susan Peters will tell the story.

--Brock-Perry

Local DAR Group to restore War of 1812 Monument-- Part 2: Three Phases of Work

The monument reads:  "This shaft bears witness to the heroism of Lieuts. John Campbell, Steve Rector, Jonathan Riggs and John Weaver, Surgeon John Steward, 33 US Regulars and 65 Illinois Rangers who on this spot valiantly battled for their country."

On Wednesday, 108 years after the initial dedication, the DAR group launched a fundraising campaign to restore the monument, which stands in an Illinois state historic site on Campbell's Island, East Moline.

It is expected that $65,000 will be needed to accomplish this.

Three phases have been detailed for the project.

First will replace the broken sidewalk and a protruding stump.  Second will rehabilitate a low wall surrounding the monument.  Phase three will repair the monument and secure and repair the commemorative plaques.

--Brock-Perry

Local DAR Group To Restore War of 1812 Monument in the Quad-Cities- Part 1

From the July 20, 2016, Quad Cities (Ill-Iowa) Dispatch-Argus "Local DAR kicks off drive to restore War of 1812 monument" by Roger Ruthhart.

The Quad-Cities is a living history museum and one of the things that make it really historical is the War of 1812 Battle of Campbell's Island.

Members of the Mary Little Deere Fort Armstrong Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Wednesday launched a campaign to restore the monument there for future generations.

The battle took place on July 19, 1814, when a band of Sauk warriors led by Black Hawk attacked U.S. soldiers and their families traveling north on the Mississippi River to reinforce the American garrison at Fort Shelby at Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.

About 500 Saul warriors allied with the British attacked the First U.S. Regiment of Infantry and a company of Illinois Rangers led by Lt. John Campbell passed near the island.Eight men of tye First Regiment were killed and 16 (including Lt. Campbell) were wounded.  The Rangers lost four killed and 8 wounded.

A monument to one of the War's most western battles was dedicated in 1908, being erected by the State of Illinois and the Moline chapters of the DAR.

--Brock-Perry