The Battle of Wisconsin Heights, 1832

The brief war that Black Hawk waged against the United States in 1832 saw half of the people under his leadership killed in savage massacres and the entire Sauk tribe removed to Iowa. Yet this dismal outcome cannot obscure the superb military leadership that Black Hawk demonstrated during many phases of the war. His crowning glory occurred at a place called Wisconsin Heights, where his force of about 120 warriors held off an estimated 700 American militia volunteers while the women, children and elderly under his protection escaped across the Wisconsin River.