Battle Site

[adjutant7inf]

From one of the other threads, there was a comment that Adams made his stand where the monument now stands in Stillman Valley. Is that the actual site? Just curious.

[Jeffrey]

In Cecil Eby's book he writes: "Governor Reynolds presided at the obsequies on the next morning for the nearest bodies which had been placed in a common grave on the hillside south of the creek. Four other bodies, discovered on the distant fringes of the battleground, were buried where they fell."
So apparently eight of the bodies were buried on the current monument site in this common grave. Eby then has a footnote: (p. 137) "In 1899, when the state decided to dedicate a monument to the deceased, the place of burial had been long forgotten and had to be located by excavation. Pick and shovel uncovered cavalry boots, buttons, and finally a headless skeleton, presumably that of Captain Adams. No others were exhumed." He goes on to list the others in the "ossuary." They now have proper graves that are maintained nicely. Apparently, Adams was beheaded because he was bald and had no hair for the trophy scalp.
--Jeffrey

[Robert Braun]

adjutant7inf said:

From one of the other threads, there was a comment that Adams made his stand where the monument now stands in Stillman Valley. Is that the actual site? Just curious.

According to Fank Steven's Black Hawk War

... the troops came headlong on, Captain Adams, than whom no braver man ever lived, attempted to make a stand with a handful of companions upon the brow of a hill which lies about a half mile to the south of the creek, to cover the retreat of [Stillman's] fugitives. Darkness was upon them, yet they stood their ground to sell their lives as dearly as possible to save those who by the delay might reach points of safety. The moonlight was only sufficient to confuse the panic-stricken troops still more, and in that heroic fight unto death which Captain Adams and his men made, he scarcely knew whether he was fighting friend or foe. In the gloaming the conflict went on, and in the darkness of the night. In the gloaming the conflict went on, and in the darkness of the night, while the scattered forces were safely fleeing on to Dixon's Ferry, Captain Adams and his little band fell one by one, until the last man bit the dust, and then a scene of malignant deviltry almost incredible was perpetrated.

Stevens' text give the clear impression that the hill on whcih the monument is siutated was indeed the site of Captain Adams' "forlorn hope" rear-guard action. The monument commemorates the sacrifice of this forlorn hope-- and not the dubious martial ardor of the balance of Stillam's and Baily's command.

Regards, Bob.

[adjutant7inf]

Thats Bob and company for clearing it up. It does make sense that the monument is to the memory of Adams' forlorn hope and not the rest of the militia.

[josef]

You shold really go to the battle site. It's about a 1/2 mile from the camp site to where Adams is buried. If you read a later account that was told by the last survivor of the BHW who was at Stillman's run written in 1904 in Princeton newspaper. He told about the battle and how the next day the remains were found on and about the hill top, when the militia returned the next day. I Ihave quite of bit of research n the battle if you are interested I would be happy to show you around on the field if you are ever up that way.

Josef Kleffman

[adjutant7inf]

Thanks for the offer. I have been to the monument many years ago, but do want to do a return trip. I will take you up on the offer.