Rock Island County Blackhawk War By 1831, quite a little settlement had gathered. So at the commencement of the Black Hawk trouble of that year, a company of fifty-eight men was organized as the Rock River Rangers. The following is a list of the member of that company. Rock River Rangers -- 1831 OFFICERS and NON-COMM Captain Benjamin F. Pike First Lieutenant John W. Spencer Second Lieutenant Griffith Aubrey Sergeants James Haskell Leonard Bryant Edward Corbin Corporals Charles French Charles Case Benjamin Goble Henry Benson MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY Allen, Archibald Johnson, Moses Vanruff, Henry Brashar, Wm. T. Kinney, John W. Vanruff, Samuel Bane, John Kinney, Samuel Vanatta, Benjamin Bartlett, Michael Leek, Conrad Vanatta, Gorham Been, Joseph Levit, Thomas Varner, Edward Case, Jonah H. McNeal, Henry Wells, Levi Danforth, Joseph Miller, George Wells, George Davis, Thomas McGee, Gentry Wells, Joel, Sr. Dance, Russell Noble, Amos C. Wells, Joel, Jr. Frith, Isiah Syms, Thomas Wells, Huntington Gardner, Thomas Syms, Robert Wells, John Harlan, Geo. W. Sarns, Wm. F. Wells, Samuel Hultz, Uriah S. Smith, Martin W. Wells, Rinnah Hubbard, Thomas Stringfield, SevierWells, Asaph Hubbard, Goodridge Thompson, Joel Wells, Eri Henderson, Cyrus Vanruff, Joshua Wells, Ira Events Leading to the Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War did not actually take place in Rock Island County. However, many of the event leading to the war did. This is a summary of those event. In the spring of 1829 the Indian were notified by the agent at Fort Armstrong that the govenment wanted allow settlement of the lands in this section and were requested to remove to the west side of the Mississippi. Keokuk and the majority of the Sac and Foxes complied, but Black Hawk and many of his warriors refused. They were determined to remain in possession of their village. In the spring of 1831, white settlers began to encroach upon the Sac village at Rock River. Black Hawk made clear t the settlers that after the end of the season they must go south of Rock River or above Pleasant Valley. He said the district between the rivers should be occupied exclusively by the Indian. Reasons he gave for this were that they could not leave their pleasant hunting grounds, they were safe from their enemies in this location, the area abounded with game and fish, and it was suited to their mode of living. Petitions were immediately sent to Governor Reynolds, then Governor of the State, asking his interference for the protection of the settlers at Rock River. The Governor, in response, called for seven hundred mounted militia, and at the same time requested General Gaines, then at Jefferson Barracks, to repair to Fort Armstrong with the sixth regiment under his command. General Gaines and his company arrives first and ordered the Indians to leave Rock River and remove to the west side of the Mississippi. Black Hawk and his party did not positively refuse to leave Rock River, but the conclusion reached by General Gaines was that they would fight before they would give up their village. On the following day General Gaines left Fort Armstrong with ten companies of United State infantry, two pieces of artillery, and Captain Pike's company of Rock River Rangers, and preceeded to the Indian village on Rock River for the purpose of driving the Indians off. The Indian town was found evacuated, the Indian having crossed the river during the night. The retreating Indians were summoned to Fort Armstrong and the came reluctantly. A treaty of peaceful surrender of their lands was agreed upon on the 10th of June, 1831. This treaty was signed by Major General Gaines and Governor Reynolds on the part of the United States, and by Black Hawk, Pashapaho and other, on the part of the Indian of the British Band. After the Indians had been driven to the west side of the Mississippi River, their conditions were deplorable; many of them actually died of hunger. For they had left their cornfields before the time of harvest. Their famishing condition and the indignities which some of them suffered, exasperated the animosity of Black Hawk, and induced him to violate the treaty he had made. Early in the spring of 1832, he returned with his band and with his women and children in canoes, and ascended Rock River, for the purpose of regaining his lost territory. The principal engagements of the war were at Stillman's Run, May 13, 1832; Pe Ratonia, June 24; Wisconsin Heights, July 21; and the battle of Bad Axe, which closed the war, August 2. Black Hawk fled, but was returned by Pottawatamie chiefs to Prairie du Chien. He was sent to Washington and imprisoned at Fortress Monroe. He returned to the West, making a tour of the eastern cities, and died at the Sac and Fox Agency, Iowa, October 3, 1838. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Bob Graves (© 1997 Bob Graves ) USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, *and* permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------