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

Work Continues on Monument in the Quad Cities-- Part 1

From the September 29, 2017, Quad-Cities Times  "Work continues on War of 1812 monument" by Alma Gaul.

The work on the bas-relief bronze sculpture depicting the Battle of Campbell's Island, created by sculptor Albert Louis Vander Berghen is nearing completion.

Volunteers from the Moline Chapter Mary Little Deere Daughters of the American Revolution have been making headway on the monument, located on Campbell Island in the Mississippi River.  They have also gotten the State of Illinois to blacktop and stripe the parking lot.

The Davey Tree Service has removed a dead tree and there is a new sidewalk around it.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of Rock Island Rapids-- Part 2: Sixteen Americans Killed, Including One Woman and One Child

The 143 Americans encountered friendly Indians at first, but as they moved into the Rock Island Rapids, they were attacked.  Sixteen Americans were killed (one woman and one child among  them) and twenty-four, including Lt. Campbell were wounded.

Black Hawk claimed that he had two killed.

Afterwards, the Sauk Indians controlled the Quad-Cities area for almost twenty years.

The island was named in honor of Lt. Campbell and the monument to the action was dedicated July 20, 1908 with a huge crowd, speeches, music and a reenactment.

--Brock-Perry

Local DAR Group to restore War of 1812 Monument-- Part 2: Three Phases of Work

The monument reads:  "This shaft bears witness to the heroism of Lieuts. John Campbell, Steve Rector, Jonathan Riggs and John Weaver, Surgeon John Steward, 33 US Regulars and 65 Illinois Rangers who on this spot valiantly battled for their country."

On Wednesday, 108 years after the initial dedication, the DAR group launched a fundraising campaign to restore the monument, which stands in an Illinois state historic site on Campbell's Island, East Moline.

It is expected that $65,000 will be needed to accomplish this.

Three phases have been detailed for the project.

First will replace the broken sidewalk and a protruding stump.  Second will rehabilitate a low wall surrounding the monument.  Phase three will repair the monument and secure and repair the commemorative plaques.

--Brock-Perry

Local DAR Group To Restore War of 1812 Monument in the Quad-Cities- Part 1

From the July 20, 2016, Quad Cities (Ill-Iowa) Dispatch-Argus "Local DAR kicks off drive to restore War of 1812 monument" by Roger Ruthhart.

The Quad-Cities is a living history museum and one of the things that make it really historical is the War of 1812 Battle of Campbell's Island.

Members of the Mary Little Deere Fort Armstrong Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Wednesday launched a campaign to restore the monument there for future generations.

The battle took place on July 19, 1814, when a band of Sauk warriors led by Black Hawk attacked U.S. soldiers and their families traveling north on the Mississippi River to reinforce the American garrison at Fort Shelby at Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.

About 500 Saul warriors allied with the British attacked the First U.S. Regiment of Infantry and a company of Illinois Rangers led by Lt. John Campbell passed near the island.Eight men of tye First Regiment were killed and 16 (including Lt. Campbell) were wounded.  The Rangers lost four killed and 8 wounded.

A monument to one of the War's most western battles was dedicated in 1908, being erected by the State of Illinois and the Moline chapters of the DAR.

--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