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

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

Preserving the Monument on Campbell's Island, Illinois

From the March 5, 2017, WQAD 8, Quad Cities (Ill. and Iowa)  "War of 1812 reenactment put on in efforts to help preserve local historical monument" by Yessinia Chavez.

I wrote about this in the last post.

The Kapeles Museum in Rock Island and the Marry Little Deere-Fort Armstrong Chapter of the Daughters of the American revolution are having a reenactment of the War of 1812's Battle of Rock Island Rapids.

This is part of their effort to preserve the historical monument on Campbell's Island commemorating the battle.  They years and elements have worn it down.

--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