Wisconsin Heights Battlefield Map

[Larry Koschkee]

Mr. Braun has a remarkable "Virtual Tour" of the Battle of Wisconsin Heights on the OLRHS website and along with some great photography of the site he included a map of the battlefield. Correct me if I am in error, Bob, but I believe its source is William Salter's book The Life of Henry Dodge from 1782 to 1833.

This map appeared in The Iowa Historical Record for January, 1890, published by State Historical Society at Iowa City in 1889.

There is a similar map of the battle site in the Illinois State Historical Library (re-sketched by Col. Russell Burrows) that shows a rectangle shape in the "Ravine" with a footnote "Planned Ambush Area."

I do not know what to make of this... can anyone shed some light on this "ambush?"

Larry Koschkee

[Robert Braun]

Larry.. hello!

Thank you for your kind words regarding the WH "virtual tour" www.geocities.com/old_lead/wisheights01.htmYou are correct: the source of the map is indeed the Salter book. By placing one's cusor over the map, a credit box should pop up (let me know if it doesn't; we want to give proper credit for materials used!)

I have a photocopy of a map of the battlefield, drawn by a participant, if memory serves. As I write this, I do not recall if this is the Burrows map to which you are referring.

That being said, in the "virtual tour" I do offer comment on the "ambush" theory that rises from time to time. I believe that it is the natural, normal tendency of persons that view the present-day battlefield to presume that the ravine area (called by some "Spy's Ravine") was indeed an "ambush site."

By all comparisons... it appears just perfect!

It is so perfect, that some modern viewers have forgotten that an alert opponant would also see the potential for ambuscade in the ravine and avoid the area if possible.

But a supposed ambush site, or the ability to see it, is irrelevant to what apparently happened at WH. BH haden't planned an ambush here... and even if he had, Dodge and Ewing failed to offer up their companies for destruction.

Let us return to the accounts of Black Hawk and Henry Dodge:

First, Black Hawk--

. . . . we were proceeding to the Ouisconsin, with our women and children. We arrived and had commenced crossing them to an island, when we discovered a large body of the enemy coming towards us. We were now compelled to fight, or sacrifice our wives and children to the fury of the whites! I met them with fifty warriors, (having left the balance to assist our women and children in crossing) about a mile from the river, when an attack immediately commenced.

I was mounted on a fine horse, and was pleased to see my warriors so brave. I addressed them in a loud voice, telling them to stand their ground, and never yield it to the enemy. At this time I was on the rise of a hill, where I wished to form my warriors, that we might have some advantage over the whites. But the enemy succeeded in gaining this point, which compelled us to fall back into a deep ravine, from which we continued firing at them and they at us, until it began to grow dark.

My horse having been wounded twice during this engagement, and fearing from his loss of blood, that he would soon give out--and finding that the enemy would not come near enough to receive our fire, in the dusk of the evening--and knowing that our women and children had had sufficient time to reach the island in the Ouisconsin, I ordered my warriors to return, in different routes, and meet me at the Ouisconsin--and were astonished to find that the enemy were not disposed to pursue us.

In this skirmish, with fifty braves, I defended and accomplished my passage over the Ouisconsin, with a loss of only six men; though opposed by a host of mounted militia.

Henry Dodge--

...our spies met with three and pursued them within a mile of their camp, our men were pursued in turn by the enemy on horseback. Believing the main body of the enemy near us, I dismounted my squadron of horse, which formed the right and left columns of the advanced guard, the centre column was composed of the spies commanded by Colo. Ewing, I ordered my squadron to advance in front, and fortunately met with a good position, a natural elevation of ground which covered my men who were ordered to squat down, the Enemy raised the Yell and Galloped up within thirty yards of us, we fired on them and killed one and wounded one or two others, when they retreated.

The Indians occupied a height which enabled them to kill one of Genl Henry's men & wounded one of mine.
After consulting Genl Henry we determined to charge the enemy. . . . we dislodged him from his position & drove him down the height into the high grass in the swamp. Our fire was so heavy he soon gave way. . . . the enemy then gave way in every direction retreating to the river.

The Winnebagoes scalped eleven Indians killed by the whites, and the whites took thirteen scalps last night--eight were found today and three were killed in the chase. The enemy were seen to carry a number from the field during the action, so that the numbers killed cannot fall short of forty (perhaps more) many were wounded but the number is not known.

We lost one killed & seven wounded, one of our men was wounded before the battle, on our march.

The word "ambush" appears in neither account. The presumption here is that ambush was not on either men's minds at the time of writing their accounts--either Dodge (shortly after the battle) or BH (many months after the battle.) Therefore, one might reasonably conclude that a prepared ambush was not among the tactical considerations at Wisconsin Heights-- regardless of the potential opportunities offered by the terrain.

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Thanks for the comments, Bob...

Just the other day I was looking at the "Burrows" map and wondered why I had not come across any reference to a "ambush" plan at the battle.

BTW, when I place the cursor on the battle map on OLRHS website the credit does come up. When I started the post I was relying on my memory.

Larry K.

[Larry Koschkee]

I am calling on message board members to offer opinions on the accuracy of the battle field map at Wisconsin Heights referenced in this thread. I am especially interested in what Mr. Rich Worthington's interpretation of landscape map symbols are. i.e., swamp or marsh, high ground and grade or relief.

The map I am speaking of can be found in Whitney's BLACK HAWK WAR, Vol II, Map 12, Crawford Thayer's THE BATTLE OF WISCONSIN HEIGHTS, pg 137 or by going to Mr. Braun's Wisconsin Heights Virtual Tour which is linked in the beginning of this thread.

Some of the main questions I have are:

1) Moving left to right across the map it appears to be high ground with "G" as a mound or high eminence, then a lower landscape with high grass or marsh icons. Questions are which is it, high grass icon or marsh icon and is the "ravine" the historical accounts reference?

2) Moving to the right we see high ground with three "F" letters which the map maker indicates "Heights occupied by the Indians from which they were driven in the charge". Moving right again the sketch relief indicates lower ground. Is this the "ravine"?

3) Moving right the sketch relief appears to indicate two seperate landscape heights with "C," "D" and "E" militia positions on high ground.

For me the key question here is the definition of sketch icon - marsh or high grass?

Your assistance would be appreciated...

Regards,

Larry Koschkee

[Robert Braun]

larrykoschkee said:

I am calling on message board members to offer opinions on the accuracy of the battle field map at Wisconsin Heights referenced in this thread. I am especially interested in what Mr. Rich Worthington's interpretation of landscape map symbols are. i.e., swamp or marsh, high ground and grade or relief.

The map I am speaking of can be found in Whitney's BLACK HAWK WAR, Vol II, Map 12, Crawford Thayer's THE BATTLE OF WISCONSIN HEIGHTS, pg 137 or by going to Mr. Braun's Wisconsin Heights Virtual Tour which is linked in the beginning of this thread.

Some of the main questions I have are:

1) Moving left to right across the map it appears to be high ground with "G" as a mound or high eminence, then a lower landscape with high grass or marsh icons. Questions are which is it, high grass icon or marsh icon and is the "ravine" the historical accounts reference?

2) Moving to the right we see high ground with three "F" letters which the map maker indicates "Heights occupied by the Indians from which they were driven in the charge". Moving right again the sketch relief indicates lower ground. Is this the "ravine"?

3) Moving right the sketch relief appears to indicate two seperate landscape heights with "C," "D" and "E" militia positions on high ground.

For me the key question here is the definition of sketch icon - marsh or high grass?

Your assistance would be appreciated...

Regards,

Larry Koschkee

Larry, by way of a response to your reasoned inquiry, I would offer the following opinions:

1. The feature marked "G" is most likely "Black Hawk's Mound."

2. The elevation marked with the "F F F" line should in fact be the ridgeline that trails NNW and W towards the Wisconsin River from Black Hawk's Mound.

3. The "swamp" icon may be "swamp" as there was (and is today) a small intermittent stream that meandered through "Spy's Ravine." It may also indicate tall grass. Regardless, I believe the icons on the map indeed mark "Spy's Ravine."

4. The militia locations are reasonably accurate. We know from our field investigations that "Militia Ridge" is generally a contiguous feature, and not the string or collection of hillocks suggested by the map.

I hope these thoughts are of some use.

Best regards,

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Thanks for your comments, Bob.

For sometime, I have worked on debunking a portion of this battlefield map, which is the location of the marsh (or tall grass) indicated by the icons in relation to the stated battle positions of the militia and British Band. My suspicion started with my first examination of the Col. Russell Burrows map designated "Figure 1 - Map of Battle Site on File in Archives of Illinois (Resketched by Col. Russell Burrows)" This map places the "ravine" BETWEEN the two factions, which we must realize is only one of many positions the two factions held during the battle, however is appropriate for both maps.

If we are to believe the marsh icons on the map in question indicates the position of the"ravine," this would, in fact, place the two factions on the same side of the "ravine" with the exception being Black Hawk's commanding height.

This map has never been crystal clear to me, Bob. Set me straight here if you think I am way out in left field.


Larry