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Dec 22, 2009, 9:17pm

Black Hawk War Society :: Battles of the Black Hawk War :: Bad Axe River :: Bad Axe River

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Topic: Bad Axe River (Read 430 times)

Gene Stevens
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Bad Axe River
« Thread Started on May 7, 2006, 7:20am »

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Battle of Bad Axe
Part of Black Hawk War
Date: August 1-2, 1832
Location: near present Victory, Wisconsin
Result: Decisive United States victory

Combatants
Black Hawk's "British Band" confederacy United States
Commanders
Black Hawk. Not present on second day. Gen. Henry Atkinson
Col. Henry Dodge
Strength
500* (including non-combatants) 750
Casualties
150 (estimated)
75 captured N/A
Other battles of the Black Hawk War of 1832
Stillman's Run – Old Man Creek – Buffalo Grove – Indian Creek – St. Vrain – Spafford Farm – Bloody Lake – Kellogg's Grove – Yellow River – Apple River Fort – Wisconsin Heights – Bad Axe

The Battle of Bad Axe, one of the last major battles during the Black Hawk War, was fought between the combined forces of the Sauk (Sac) and Fox tribes and United States troops under Gen. Henry Atkinson. The battle marked the last conflict east of the Mississippi.

Following the Battle of Wisconsin Heights, Sauk (Sac) and Fox forces (referred to as the "British Band" as a distinction between pro-American forces) fled westward across northeastern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin from the pursuing Gen. Henry Atkinson troops consisting of members of the Illinois and Wisconsin militia. Reaching the mouth of the Bad Axe and Mississippi Rivers near present day Victory, Wisconsin, the tribes were forced to halt their retreat as, intending to escape across the Mississippi, they began to construct bark rafts to transport the 500 men, women and children across the river.

On the afternoon of August 1, 1832 however, as the rafts were nearing completion, the steamboat Warrior arrived with US troops. As the tribes attempted to surrender, due to a miscommunication the commanding officer, a Lt. Kingsley, ordered to troops to open fire at the approaching tribesmen which instigated the battle. After two hours, the Warrior withdrew from battle, due to lack of fuel, and returned to Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin leaving twenty-three tribesmen dead.

Despite Black Hawk and the Winnebago prophet White Cloud's advice against the long process of stripping elm trees and cutting timber (with Atkinson's forces only 10 miles behind them), instead advising to head north and find refuge with the Winnebago, the majority of the tribe chose to continue constructing rafts as Black Hawk left with thirty to forty followers upriver.

The following morning, the remainder of the tribe was met by Atkinson's forces which, with Col. Henry Dodge, launched another attack. With the confusion among the mass of fleeing Sauk and Fox, as well as a number of non-combatants including women and children hiding in the surrounding forests and underbrush, as over one hundred and fifty members of the tribe were killed and around seventy-five were taken prisoner with minimal losses by US forces. Although some were able to escape across the river during the fighting, they were soon attacked by Sioux war parties.

The battle would end the Black Hawk war.

References
Keenan, Jerry. Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars, ABC-CLIO, Inc.: California, 1997.

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