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

Battle of Prairie du Chien to Be Commemorated-- Part 2

The Battle of Prairie du Chien began July 17, 1814, when a British force under Col. William McKay attacked American Fort Shelby at Prairie du Chien.

Many Prairie du Chien and Green Bay residents joined the British and more than 300 Indians did as well.  After a three-day siege, Lt. Joseph Perkins surrendered the fort.

There were no casualties except 3 British and 7 Americans wounded as well as the fort's 53-man garrison which was captured.

The British renamed the place Fort McKay and they remained in Prairie du Chien until the spring of 1815 when word of the Treaty of Ghent arrived at which time the British withdrew after setting the fort on fire.  The U.S. constructed Fort Crawford on the site in 1816 which is when all the important military persons served.

--Brock-Perry