Attacks at Fort Blue Mounds - Prelude

Prelude

Upon hearing of Black Hawk's return, settlers throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin hastily constructed forts. Construction on a fort began at Ebeneezer Brigham's Moundville settlement (now Blue Mounds, Wisconsin) on May 10. As construction of the fort commenced Black Hawk found no allies so he attempted to return to Iowa, but events overtook him and led to the Battle of Stillman's Run. The battle likely caused the builders of Fort Blue Mounds to accelerate the pace of construction.

One week after the clash at Stillman's Run, on May 21, 1832, the Indian Creek massacre occurred well south of Fort Blue Mounds, near present-day Ottawa, Illinois. During the attack, two teenage girls were kidnapped by a raiding band of Potawatomi. The girls, Sylvia and Rachel Hall, were released on June 1 at Fort Blue Mounds by the party of Ho-Chunk who had helped secure their release; the party included several important chiefs. Commander of the Michigan Territory militia Henry Dodge arrived with a company to retrieve the girls but became suspicious of the Ho-Chunk and took them prisoner in an attempt to secure the alliance and good behavior of other Ho-Chunk in the vicinity of Blue Mounds. The chiefs were soon released but friction between white settlers at Moundville and the Ho-Chunk residing in the area increased. Indian Agent Henry Gratiot tried to calm the situation by appeasing the Ho-Chunk through gifts. Despite Gratiot's attempts, the tension exploded into violence a few days later.