Illinois Militia

[Gene]

Anyone having info on Illinois units in the BHW are encouraged to post info on this thread!

[Bugler Sean]

From what I have learned from Naper Settlement and my own research is that his militia was a band of townsmen that travelled the area on patrols. The militia formed after Major Joseph Payne (not sure of the first name) came from the area of Danville after the Indian Creek Massacre and wrongly said that Black Hawk had made his way down into that area with his band. Naper, with the help of Payne's men formed together and built a fort to defend Naper's Settlement. The for was 100 x 100, with two blockhouses and a powder house in the center. One man was killed during the building the fort. He was killed by a group of Potawatamie indians. The man was out collecting wood for shingles with another man and he was shot by a group of indians, his name was William Brown. The other man got away safely with the wagon, horses, and body. I am not sure where the body is buried- but that would be an interesting project. After the fort was built Naper regularly traveled between his settlement and Chicago, also travelling on patrols to different areas but not too far. There is a story of when Naper was traveling with a group of men and a young boy was with them, he kept on misfiring his rifle. It would hit something on his saddle and fire. After the third or fourth time, Naper took the gun away from the boy saying he might alert the indians to thier presence, but in actuality is was becasue Naper was riding in front of the boy. After the hostilities were over the fort fell apart and was used as a cattle pen and used as fire wood. The fort was said to be the best guarded pigpen in the midwest. I have a whole lot of stories. From what I've gathered Naper's militia would have been clothed in thier civilian frocks and sack coats with maybe a hunting frock or hunting shirt over it to protect the clothing- if even that. Almost all the militia men had horses, so they rode them. Also the friendly indians were given white bands to wear on thier arms, so the settlers would know that they were friendly. Any other settlements do something like this? If anyone would like to talk more about this stuff or Illinois militia in general send me an e-mail.

[Robert Braun]

Regarding clothing of the era... strictly speaking, the dress coat of the Jacksonan Age was the so-called "citizen's coat," a tight fitting coat with a broad collar, and claw-hammer tails. This style gave way to the fuller-cut tails of the "frock coat" in the 1850's, in response to European fashion.

Likewise, there was really no such coat like the "sack" coat in  the 1820's-1830's. We start seeing sack caots and sack suits in the 1850's in response to the public demand for men's clothing that was looser fitting and less expensive. What they did have was a jacket of sorts...basically little more than a dress coat with the tails removed.

As for the hunting frock, my research indicates it was a common and commonly worn item of frontier attire. This and/or the "wamus" or an overshirt were, IMHO, very familiar to average Americans. The hunting shirt had a long and deep appeal in America, stemming from its history in the Revolution and the War of 1812. I suspect you would be apt to see more dress coats and such in more settled and definatley wealthier areas like Galena or St. Louis. For Illinois farmers or lead diggers, a cheap, practical, and long-lasting garb probably suited them better.

My $.02 worth.   Bob.

[Gene]

In the southern end of Elgin Illinois, betweeh St. Charles and Elgin, there is a large park area known as Black Hawk Forest or Black Hawk Park (can't remember which one exactly).
Inside the park area are two graves, both located just off the Fox River. The graves are marked as veterans graves. There is a plaque there which declares both graves to contain the remains of soldiers from the BHW period. I have no other information.

[Bugler Sean]

Well if you were portraying Joseph Naper of his brother a dress coat would be more proper, he ran the town more thna farmed.

[Robert Braun]

Sean... given these qualifications, I would agree that the tailcoat would probably be more appropriate.

Are there any portraits, etc. or clothing inventories done at the time of Mr. Naper's passing that might support our suppositions?

Just curious...  Bob.

[Bugler Sean]

We don't have any period portraits but there are portraits done by Les Schrader, who was painting mainly durng teh 70's. He put a lot of research into his paintings. And there are a few showing Naper when he first moved from his ship in Chicago to the area we now call Naperville. The closest thing to a period portrait was one done in the 1850's of Joseph Naper- who is by then quite old.

[Gene]

Where is Kelloggs Grove located?

[Bugler Sean]

I am not sure as to who the question "Where is Kellogg's Grove locate" was directed to. But I believe that maybe the name of the place the man building Fort Payne was show at...again not entirely sure.

[Greg Carter]

The problem with Kellogg's Grove is the fact that there were actually two. The first was in the vicinity of present-day Oswego. The settlement apparently folded, with Mr. Kellogg reclaiming settlement near present day Stockton and Freeport. If you are driving, go west towards Galena on US 20. After Freeport there will be a sign that says Black Hawk War Battlefield or something in that nomenclature, also directing you to the village of Kent. If you turn left (south), you eventually will get to a turn-off on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere. the road climbs uphill to a park, then y's off. The park has a large stone obelisk with a pyramid of cannonballs on it. The dead of the Kellogg's Grove skirmish and also of the St. Vrain massacre are buried there. If you turn back to the main road and cross over 20, this time heading north, you will end up in the general area of where the Waddam's Grove fight supposedly took place. The park there offers a nice scenic view in all directions, and covers part of the original "Galena Road".
GMC

[Gene]

The question about Kelloggs Grove was directed to anyone who wished to answer. I did get the response that I was looking for. Thansks to GMC

                          Gene

[Gene]

In reference to the earlier post on the two soldiers buried near the Fox River, south of the Elgin area. A little more infor can be found at:

www.co.kane.il.us/forest/fp/blackhawk.htm

[Greg Carter]

No problem on the directions! I have been to most of the Sauk War sites in Illinois, excepting a couple of the fort sites, or alleged fort sites, along the Illinois River. If you need or want directions to any of them don't hesitate to ask. If you want  to cover them, I recommend a serious bike trip rather than a car. I rode to Apple River Fort-to-Waddam's Grove circuit the other day and it really gives you an appreciation for the terrain they covered, if nothing else.

GMC

[Gene]

I decided to conduct some additional research on the two graves located in south Elgin. I contacted the forest preserve district offices, the person on the phone did about five minutes of research and determined that the remains buried there were formally soldiers from General Lee's Army...now I'm not sure if she meant the Army of Nothern Virginia or some other Army unit that participated in the BHW. I assumed that she was in error. So I politely said thank you and terminated my phone call.  The search for info continues........

[gussie]

I'm interested in Biographical infromation on Clack Stone,
Commander of the APF on 6/24/1832. Why was he chosen Capt.? What happen to him after the war? etc.

Thanks, Don Prentiss(gussie)