Illinois' 200th-- Part 3: The War of 1812

In September 1813, Americans built Fort  Clark in Peoria.  In June 1814,  William Clark built Fort Shelby  at Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin Territory.  This was the William Clark who was in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The British captured Fort Shelby in July and renamed it Fort McKay.  Two American attempts to recapture it were turned back at Rock Island Rapids and Credit Island, which I have written about before.  Click on the labels.  These were the final actions of the War of 1812 in this area.

Hostilities between Indians and Americans would continue, reigniting in the Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832.

Five million acres of land in the Illinois Territory between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, below Rock Island were set aside as the Military Tract of 1812 to pay soldiers land grants for their War of 1812 service.This is over one-eighth of the land in present-day Illinois and some of it was in Indian occupied area, causing many to side with Black Hawk in the forthcoming hostilities.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Johnson-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in modern-day Warsaw, Illinois.  Was established in 1814 by Major Zachary Taylor after retreating from the loss at the Battle of Credit Island.  The fort was able to hold a full company of troops. and had a commanding view of both the Mississippi River and the mouth of the Des Moines River.

Taylor and his men remained there into October 1814,when their supplies ran out.  They retreated from here to Cap au Gris, near St. Louis.

--Brock-Perry

St. Charles, Mo. & the War of 1812-- Part 3: Battle of Credit Island

William Becknell witnessed a conversation between Benjamin Howard and James Callaway where Howard either borrowed $400 from Callaway or had somehow ended up indebted to Callaway.  This came up in litigation several years later.

Shortly afterwards, the U.S. Mounted Rangers traveled up the Mississippi River to the Rock River in present day Quad-Cities, where the Battle of Credit island took place September 4 and 5.  The American force was led by General Zachary Taylor and was defeated forcing a retreat down the Mississippi River to Fort Johnson, located where the state boundaries of Missouri, Illinois and Iowa meet.

Benjamin Howard returned to St. Louis, but fell sick along the way and died soon afterward.

--Brock-Perry

Defenses and Battles in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois Territories-- Part 2

4.  Fort Shelby, defeated 1814. Where the Wisconsin River flows into the Mississippi River at present-day Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

5.  Battle of Rock Island Rapids, July 1814 and the Battle of Credit Island, September 1814, by the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois.

6.  Fort Johnson, abandoned 1814.  Where the Des Moines Rover joins the Mississippi River.

7.  Fort Cap au Gris and the Battle of Sinkhole, May 1815.  On the Mississippi River, a short distance above St. Louis.

--Brock-Perry

Battlefield Tour of Iowa's Credit Island Offered in 2013-- Part 2

Among the participants at the Battle of Credit Island was future president of the United States Zachary Taylor and Sauk Warrior Black Hawk.

Zachary Taylor led the Americans from St. Louis and had the objective of destroying Sauk and Fox Indian villages, who were aiding the British.  Badly outnumbered, Taylor was forced to withdraw.

The battlefield tour will be at 3 p.m..

Commonwealth Cultural resources Group, Inc. is doing archaeological research and military terrain analysis on Credit Island.

In 2012, the City of Davenport received a $47,105 grant from the Department of the Interior's National Park Service for the study.

--Brock-Perry

Battlefield Tour of Iowa's Credit Island Offered in 2013-- Part 1

From the November 9, 2013, Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) "Researcher invites you to battlefield tour of Credit island" by Alma Gant.

Davenport has the distinction as the westernmost site of a War of 1812 battle..  Two lectures were given on this battle on November 11, 2013.

It was fought in September 1814, one of only two battles west of the Mississippi River, the other being at Fort Madison, Iowa.

The Battle of Credit island was fought between 335 Americans in eight fortified keelboats who fought 1,200 Indians on both banks of the Mississippi River assisted by 26-30 British soldiers with one 3-pdr light cannon and two 1-pdr. swivel guns.

it was fought on Credit and Pelican islands.

--Brock-Perry

Davenport OK's Archaeological Survey of Credit Island-- Part 2

In September 1814, the United States sent eight large boats upstream on the Mississippi River under Major Zachary Taylor to win control of the area back from the British. //// As Taylor neared the island, the wind shifted and he was unable to go farther. His force stopped for the night at the head of Willow Island (near Credit Island) and had anchor issues with some of his boats. //// His troops began driving the Indians off Willow Island who fled to Credit Island where they fired upon the Americans. The Americans were outnumbered by the British and their Sauk and Fox Indian allies. Three Americans were killed and eleven wounded in the action. //// Historians think they might find 3-pdr. cannonballs and musket balls on the island. //// Brock-Perry

Davenport, Iowa, OK's Archaeological Survey on Credit Island-- Part 1

From the February 20, 2013, Quad-Cities Dispatch-Argus "Davenport OKs archaeological survey of War of 1812 battle site" by Stephen Elliott. //// The City Council ok'd $46,007.84 for a survey to be done by Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group, Inc. of Jackson, Michigan, to do work on Credit Island where a battle took place during the War of 1812 between Sauk Indian leader Black Hawk and Major Zachary Taylor (later president). //// The group will be looking for battle sites on the island that might be candidates to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. //// The island has had several names over the years, the current one dating to its use as a fur-trading post in the early 1800s. //// --Brock-Perry

Battle of Credit Island

From the Nov. 11, 2013, Quad-City (Iowa) Times "Researcher talks about 200-year-old battle at Credit Island" by Alma Gaul.

Almost 25 people were at Davenport, Iowa's Credit Island on Nov. 11th as researcher Chris Espenshade of Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group , Inc., hired by the City of Davenport, gave a talk on a very little-known battle in the "Forgotten War."

Around 334 Americans led by future U.S. President Zachary Taylor fought between 20-30 British troops and 800-1200 Indians.

The Americans were outnumbered and retreated to St. Louis.

The battle did not have a big impact on the war, but might have helped bring on the later Black Hawk War in 1832 as Indians feared the continued encroachment of whites into their territory.

Espenshade had been using Zachary Taylor's account of the action as well as two British reports, but is looking for Indian input. He has done some archaeological work but has found no battle-related items. 

--Brock-Perry