Talk Tonight About the Little-Known War of 1812 Battle of Rock Island Rapids

From the January 11, 2022, Quad Cities.com "Learn about War of 1812 Battle of Rock Island Rapids on Wednesday library program" by Jonathan Turner.

Rock island is part of the Quad-Cities straddling the Iowa-Illinois border on the Mississippi River.

Kevin Braafladt,   the Army   Sustainment Command Deputy Historian at the Rock Island  Arsenal and Army  Sustainment Command History Office will give a free talk Wednesday, January 12 at 6 pm (CST) about a Quad-City battle fought during the War of 1812. 

This session (presented by the Davenport Public Library) will discuss the Battle of Rock Island Rapids within the context of the War of 1812 as well as the local conflicts that broke out during the war on the Mississippi River.

This program is scheduled to be held in person at the Main Davenport Public Library at 321  N. Main Street and it will also be held virtually.

So, if you're living in the area you have time to go, or you can attend virtually by going to the library site and registering for Zoom.

--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

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