Second Fort Crawford

[Robert Braun]

Several years ago, archaeology of the site of the second Fort Crawford revealed some interesting artifacts.

Check it out at www.uwlax.edu/mvac/SpecificSites/ft_crawford.htm

The bone handled forks, plus the blade shape of the recovered table knife closely match similar artifacts unearthed at Apple River Fort, Elizabeth, IL.

[Greg Carter]

Given the shape of the blade and size it certainly backs up the practice of eating with one's knife and not a fork. Also, it is interesting that it is quite plain, compared to some of those other handles that are ornately carved.

GMC

[Gretchen]

I am looking for information on an ancestor of mine. Thomas Burlock served in the regular US Army from 1830 to 1835, and mustered out at Fort Crawford at the end of his enlistment period. He had a wife, two boys born in NY, and a daughter born at Fort Snelling in 1832. Any help with source material or persons having knowledge of this locale in 1835 would be greatly appreciated. Gretchen

[Greg Carter]

Hello, Gretchen, and welcome to the Black Hawk War discussion forum!

For information on Fort Crawford in general, I would recommend this book:

MAHAN, BRUCE E.
Old Fort Crawford and the Frontier
Prairie Du Chien: Howe Printing Company, 2000

It is a reprint of a text published in 1926, and offers many details on general goings-on about Fort Crawford and Prairie Du Chien from 1812 to just after the Civil War. It is available for a modest price from the Villa Louis gift shop at the historic site. For information on Fort Snelling, I defer to site director Stephen Osman, who has always been a friendly provider to me and is intimately knowledgeable on the early times of the fort, including the late 1820's to the Civil War.

For more personnel-related information, I would recommend the national archives, www.nara.gov

Greg Carter