This minor engagement restored U.S. militia confidence after the humiliating defeat at Stillman's Run during the Black Hawk War of 1832.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 16, 1832
- Location
- Oxbow lake on Pecatonica River, present-day Wisconsin
- Militia casualties
- 3 killed in action
- Kickapoo warriors killed
- 11
- Memorial erected
- 1922
- Commanding officer
- Colonel Henry Dodge (U.S. militia)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the embarrassing U.S. militia defeat at Stillman's Run during the Black Hawk War, public confidence in the volunteer forces had fallen sharply. A party of eleven Kickapoo warriors operating in the region presented an opportunity for the militia under Colonel Henry Dodge to redeem itself and demonstrate disciplined battlefield conduct.
On June 16, 1832, U.S. militia forces under Colonel Henry Dodge engaged eleven Kickapoo warriors at an oxbow lake known as Horseshoe Bend on the Pecatonica River in present-day Wisconsin. Unlike at Stillman's Run, the militia obeyed orders, waited for commands before advancing, and charged when directed, resulting in a hand-to-hand struggle that ended with all eleven warriors killed and three militia men dead.
Although of minor military significance, the battle was considered a turning point in the Black Hawk War because it demonstrated that militia volunteers could act as a disciplined unit. The small victory helped rebuild public trust in the volunteer force. A memorial marker was erected at the site in 1922, and the battleground is today preserved as a county park.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel Henry Dodge.
Side B
1 belligerent