The last battle fought on Illinois soil during the Black Hawk War, notable for Abraham Lincoln's brief participation as a militia member.
Key Facts
- Date of second battle
- June 25, 1832
- Date of first skirmish
- June 16, 1832
- Militia killed (first skirmish)
- 3 men
- Militia killed (second battle)
- 5 men
- Native American force size (first)
- At least 80 warriors
- Last battle in Illinois
- Yes, during the Black Hawk War
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Black Hawk War of 1832, Sauk leader Black Hawk led his band back into Illinois territory, prompting the U.S. government to mobilize Illinois militia forces to intercept and repel Native American incursions into the region around Kellogg's Grove in present-day Stephenson County.
Two separate engagements occurred at Kellogg's Grove: a first skirmish on June 16, 1832, in which militia forces under Adam W. Snyder lost three men fighting a band of at least 80 Native Americans, and a second battle on June 25, 1832, in which Black Hawk's Sauk and Meskwaki forces attacked Major John Dement's detachment, killing five militiamen. Accounts conflict on which side prevailed.
The second battle at Kellogg's Grove proved to be the final engagement fought on Illinois soil during the Black Hawk War. Abraham Lincoln, serving in the relief company that arrived on June 26, helped bury the dead and later reflected on the experience, which was recorded by writers including Carl Sandburg.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Adam W. Snyder, John Dement.
Side B
1 belligerent
Black Hawk.