Battle Of The Apple River Fort

This year marks the 192nd anniversary of the Battle of the Apple River Fort. In the spring of 1832, Black Hawk led over a thousand of Sauk and Fox warriors and civilians back into Illinois to try and reclaim their lands. His return caused a panic, and settlers across northwestern Illinois and southern Wisconsin began to build small forts to defend themselves-one such fort was built at the Apple River Settlement, now Elizabeth, IL.

On June 24, 1832, the Apple River Fort was attacked by two hundred Sauk and Fox braves, led by Black Hawk himself. The Fort was defended by forty-five men, women, an...