Talk Tonight About Battle of Rock Island Rapids-- Part 2

Campbell's Island (near East Moline) was the site of the Battle of Rock Island Rapids, one of the western-most battles of the War of 1812.  (The Battle is also called the Battle of Campbell's Island.)

A band of approximately 500  Sauk warriors, allied with the British Army, clashed on July  19, 1814, with an American force let by Lieutenant John Campbell of the 1st United States Regiment of Infantry.

Campbell was leading three small gunboats along the Mississippi River to carry military supplies to Fort Shelby, located at the present-day site of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, when they were ambushed by Sauk, Fox and Kickapoo Indians led by  Chief Black Hawk.

There were some 400 Indians versus 33 U.S. Regulars and  65 Illinois Rangers.  This was an American loss.

Losses for the Indians put at more than two killed.  For the Americans 14 killed and 37 total casualties.

--Brock-Perry

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

This John B. Campbell Is Not the One From the Battle of Rock Island Rapids

I was looking to find out more information on the commander of American forces at the Battle of Rock Island Rapids and for whom Campbell island was named for in Illinois.

I came across the name of John B. Campbell, an American officer during the War of 1812, and initially thought he was the same.  This is the man I wrote about in yesterday's post.

It turns out they are two different men, but I did see some sources confusing the two.

The Battle of Rock Island Rapids was fought July 19, 1814.  The Colonel John B. Campbell I wrote about in the last post was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chippawa on July 5, 1814, and died August 28, 1814.

--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