Battle of Apple River Fort The Battle of Apple River Fort , also known as the Siege of Apple River Fort , occurred on June 24 , 1832 at the hastily constructed Apple River Fort , in present - day Elizabeth , Illinois , when Black Hawk and his " British Band " of Sauk and Fox stumbled across a group of messengers en route from Galena , Illinois . The small group of militia at the fort , led by Captain Clack Stone , fought off Chief Black Hawk ' s band in a firefight that lasted for 45 minutes . The withering pace of the gunfire eventually convinced Black Hawk that the fort was too heavily defended to lead a direct attack , and he and his band of warriors retreated . After the battle , certain individuals were honored above the others for their bravery in assisting the numerically inferior force . Elizabeth Armstrong rallied the settlement ' s women , who had taken shelter inside the fort , to mold musket balls and reload weapons so that the militia could keep up with the pace of the battle . Fred Dixon rode ahead to warn some 40 settlers of the approaching Sauk and Fox , thus saving their lives . Though the fort was torn down in 1847 , a replica was built in its place and still stands in Elizabeth . George Herclerode was the only casualty inside the fort . Background . As a consequence of an 1804 treaty between the Governor of Indiana Territory and a group of Sauk and Fox leaders regarding land settlement , the Sauk and Fox tribes vacated their lands in Illinois and moved west of the Mississippi in 1828 . However , Sauk Chief Black Hawk and others disputed the treaty , claiming that the full tribal councils had not been consulted , nor did those representing the tribes have authorization to cede lands . Angered by the loss of his birthplace , between 1830 – 31 Black Hawk led a number of incursions across the Mississippi River , but was persuaded to return west each time without bloodshed . In April 1832 , encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and the British , he again moved his so - called " British Band " of around 1000 warriors and non - combatants into Illinois . Finding no allies , he attempted to return to Iowa , but the undisciplined Illinois militia ' s actions led to the Battle of Stillman ' s Run . A number of other engagements followed , and the militias of Michigan Territory and Illinois were mobilized to hunt down Black Hawk ' s Band . The conflict became known as the Black Hawk War . The period between Stillman ' s Run and the Battle of Apple River Fort was filled with war - related activity and events . A series of attacks at Buffalo Grove , the Plum River settlement , Fort Blue Mounds and the war ' s most famous incident , the Indian Creek massacre , all took place between mid - May and late June 1832 . The week preceding the Battle of Apple River Fort was an important turning point for the militia : between June 16 – 18 two key battles , one at Waddams Grove and the other at Horseshoe Bend , played a key role in changing public perception about the militia after its defeat at Stillman ' s Run . Prelude . Following the militia ' s disastrous defeat at Stillman ' s Run in May , settlers in the lead - mining region around Galena panicked ; many left the area altogether . The exaggerated claim that 2 , 000 " bloodthirsty warriors were sweeping all Northern Illinois with the bosom of destruction " sent terror through the region . At the Apple River Settlement , the situation prompted residents to form a 46 - man militia under Captain Vance L . Davidson . By late May Davidson was at the Plum River settlement ( present - day Savanna , Illinois ) and Captain Clack Stone had taken over command ; under his lead the Apple River Fort was completed by May 22 , 1832 . In the days immediately preceding June 18 , 1832 , Apple River Fort ' s stables were broken into and horses were stolen during the night . This incident was one of several around that time that led Illinois militia officer James W . Stephenson to clash with British Band warriors at Waddams Grove on June 18 . On June 24 , 1832 , a supply wagon from Galena arrived at Apple River Fort around noon . Unknown to the men traveling with the wagon , Black Hawk and his British Band , also en route to the fort , had fallen in line with them . Black Hawk ' s forces were able to elude detection until the time they opened fire . As the wagon team unhitched , four men traveling on the trail from Galena passed by ; the women inside the fort were eager to hear their news of the conflict with Black Hawk . There were 20 – 25 armed militia inside Apple River Fort at the time of the attack . Another 40 women , children and other settlers were resident in the Apple River Settlement . Stone was in command of the garrison stationed at the fort , most of whom were not present for the battle . Battle . The group of men , George Herclerode , Fred Dixon , Edmund Welsch , and a Mr . Kirkpatrick were part of a military message escort known as an " express " . They were travelling from Galena to Dixon , stopped briefly at the fort and then continued on their way . The group was about 900 feet ( 274 m ) east of the fort when the only man with a loaded gun , Welsch , was ambush ed by Black Hawk ' s warriors . He was shot in the thigh and fell from his horse . His companions aimed their unloaded weapons at the band , putting themselves between the wounded man and his attackers . The group recovered Welsch and moved away from their assailants toward the fort . Dixon , who has been credited with saving the lives of those settlers who would otherwise have been caught outside the fort , rode ahead of his companions to raise the alarm before he left the scene to spread news of the attack . At least two of the group attained the safety of the fort , while Dixon fled on horseback into the forest towards the nearby farm of John McDonald , only to find it overrun by Native Americans as well . Dixon then abandoned his horse and traveled to Galena , where he reported the Apple River Fort to be under siege . The villagers took shelter inside the fort while the 20 – 25 men stationed there immediately fell back and took up their positions at the porthole s inside the blockhouse . A vicious firefight erupted , involving around 150 – 200 of Black Hawk ' s British Band . The battle raged for at least 45 minutes with heavy gunfire from both sides . At the battle ' s onset most of the settlement ' s women had been huddled in the cabins , but one woman , Elizabeth Armstrong , rallied the others to provide support to the soldiers . She assumed command of the women , assigning them to such tasks as molding musket balls and reloading the weapons while the soldiers tried to keep up their stream of gunfire . The ferocity of the fight convinced Black Hawk that Apple River Fort was a heavily armed garrison , impossible to defeat at the time , and he abandoned the fight . His band raided cabins near the fort for much - needed supplies , and retreated . Casualties were few , given the intensity of the battle . Herclerode was shot in the neck or head early in the battle and died ; it has been documented that he was killed while peering over the stockade wall ' s pickets . Besides Welsch , the only other garrison casualty was James Nuting , who suffered a non - lethal wound . The number of Sauk casualties is unknown . Aftermath . The defenders at Apple River Fort awaited the next move by Black Hawk , holding their positions through the night , but dawn came without incident . On the day following the battle , June 25 , Colonel James M . Strode arrived at the fort from Galena , with Dixon and a relief party . The next day Black Hawk ' s band would encounter Major John Dement and his detachment at the Second Battle of Kellogg ' s Grove . The only militia member killed in the fighting , Herclerode , was buried near the fort ; there is no trace of his grave . Elizabeth Armstrong was praised as a heroine for her actions during the battle , displaying the kind of courage under fire the militia had so badly lacked during the first months of the Black Hawk War . Her actions , in part , helped give Black Hawk the impression the Apple River Fort was heavily defended and a frontal attack would be inane . There has been disagreement regarding the name of the woman who assumed command at Apple River Fort ; a 1900 collection from the Wisconsin Historical Society described her as " Mrs . Graham . " The same source stated that Armstrong was " cursing & swearing like a pirate " throughout the battle ; so angry that even Black Hawk ' s band purported to hear her . The same collection described such action as " profane " and " a great drawback upon her credit . " The fort was demolished in 1847 and its lumber used to construct a barn , but the building has been reconstructed by the Apple River Fort Historic Foundation . The Apple River Fort Site is listed on the U . S . National Register of Historic Places for its military and archaeological significance . On January 1 , 2001 , the state of Illinois took over operation of the reconstructed Apple River Fort and its interpretive center . The state now operates the area as the Apple River Fort State Historic Site . Illinois ' purchase was funded , in part , through a US $ 160 , 000 grant from the state of Illinois .