battle bad axe battle bad axe known occurred august sac united_states_army regulars militia final battle took place near present day victory wisconsin united_states marked end war white settlers militia illinois michigan territory fox tribes warrior battle occurred aftermath band fled pursuing militia militia caught eastern bank mississippi_river miles downstream mouth battle followed sided historians called massacre 1850s fighting took place days warrior present days second day native american leaders fled band stayed victory united_states decisive end war allowed illinois present day wisconsin opened settlement background treaty governor council leaders fox native american tribes ceded million acres km2 land united_states annual treaty allowed fox remain land sold treaty controversial war leader disputed validity said tribal councils consulted council negotiated treaty authority land discovery lead illinois 1820s miners began moving area ceded treaty fox returned winter hunt found land occupied white settlers forced return west mississippi_river angered loss birthplace led number incursions mississippi_river illinois time persuaded return west april encouraged promises alliance tribes british moved called british band warriors non combatants illinois finding allies attempted return mississippi present day iowa illinois militia actions led surprising victory battle run number engagements followed militia state illinois mobilized hunt band conflict known period battle run raid mound late june filled war related activity series attacks settlement fort blue war famous incident massacre took place mid late june key battles june grove june played role changing public perception militia defeat battle apple river fort june marked end week important turning point settlers fight minute gun battle defenders garrisoned inside apple river fort fox warriors led chief day inconclusive skirmish band fled approaching militia modern day wisconsin mound raid occurred june days band fled pursuing militia passed followed marsh headed west lakes region near modern day madison july militia caught band attempted cross near present day town wisconsin resulting prelude hours midnight july band resting wisconsin heights battlefield key leaders accompanying attempted explain nearby militia officers group wanted end fighting mississippi_river loud voice delivered speech native language assuming band guides militia troops understand allies departed battlefield following failed attempt peace abandoned cause returned nearby village slowly months conflict joined gone especially children elderly died starvation band fled pursuing militia swamps following engagement militia decided wait following day pursue heard understand speech night surprise morning arrived enemy disappeared battle militarily devastating allowed group escape temporary safety short lived group fox women children attempted escape wisconsin following battle captured tribes shot soldiers downstream night non combatants escaped remaining warriors crossed river near present day prairie sac wisconsin band fled west rugged terrain banks mississippi_river week head start militia band fled west commanding general trimmed force men set join militia commanders resupply fort blue command men commands henry dodge crossed july july near present day wisconsin fed rested militia force picked trail july near present day wisconsin relatively quickly closed gap battle weary band native americans august men women children arrived eastern bank mississippi miles downstream mouth arrival leaders band including called council meeting discuss battle day near mouth august prophet fellow british band leader advised band time building cross mississippi_river forces closing urging instead flee northward seek refuge band chose try cross river band managed escape mississippi_river afternoon warrior commanded captain appeared scene halted band attempt cross safety waving white flag tried surrender happened past soldiers failed understand scene deteriorated battle warriors survived initial volley found cover returned fire hour ensued warrior eventually withdrew battle lack fuel returned prairie wisconsin time newspaper reports stated native americans killed including woman estimated years old shot child upper arm stood holding child watching battle child retrieved lieutenant anderson battle taken surgical tent baby arm child taken prairie believed recovered fight convinced refuge lay north west mississippi actions commander followers flee north listen late august dozen followers left british band fled northward remaining warriors non combatants remained eastern bank mississippi forces warrior suffered casualty retired soldier wounded knee fight second day august forces began break camp setting sunrise moved miles ran rear scout element remaining fox forces scouts attempted lead enemy away main camp initially successful combined forces fell formation battle generals alexander formed right wing henry left wing dodge regulars center element native americans retreated river militia left wing left rear orders regiment main trail camp scouts fight retreat hope given comrades chance escape militia fox kept retreating river warrior returned obtaining wood prairie leaving point midnight arriving bad axe slaughter followed continued hours henry men entire left wing descended bluff midst fox warriors desperate bayonet musket battle followed women children fled fight river drowned immediately battle continued minutes came dodge center element cutting escape remaining native warriors warriors managed escape fight willow island shot gunfire warrior soldiers killed tried run cover cross river men women children alike shot dead people killed outright scene battle combatants later termed massacre soldiers dead cut long strips flesh use razor forces captured additional native americans total fox bad axe august killed scene escaped river escaped river found temporary captured killed warriors acting support brought prisoners indian agent weeks following battle united_states suffered killed action wounded context battle bad axe sided affair called massacre modern historical accounts engagement participated august day battle indian agent street wrote describing scene bad axe events occurred stated fox shot water drowned trying cross mississippi safety major published account war included description battle description characterized killing women children mistake engagement killed mistake great miserable children carry execution plan formed morning battle come meet surrender prisoners war sight witness little children wounded suffering pain savage enemy common enemy country account present battle second day termed incident massacre later histories continued actions whites bad axe book called actions went second sic events honoring anniversary battle termed fight massacre speech battle site emphasized theme collection essays modern day historians continued characterize battle wholesale massacre history professor concluded based modern accounts better termed massacre work battle heart america points writings evidence beliefs brave deeds spurred forces pursue fox concluded statement confess filled heart gratitude joy think instrumental delivering country restoring people peaceful homes viewpoint held nearly militia members aftermath resulted deaths settlers soldiers hundreds band combat casualties war relief force general suffered hundreds deserted dead cholera end war bad axe ended large scale threat native american attacks northwest illinois allowed settlement illinois iowa wisconsin members fox later joined suffered unknown numbers dead war died fighting tracked killed native tribes died starvation drowned band long trek mouth entire british band wiped bad axe survivors drifted home villages relatively simple band fox found return homes difficult returned safely held custody army prisoners taken battle bad axe taken native american tribes following weeks taken fort armstrong modern illinois prisoners men women children waited end august released leaders british band immediately captured following conclusion hostilities august fox turned chiefs fort armstrong remained elusive fleeing battle scene small group warriors moved northeast group camped days eventually group included brother surrender initially resisted pleas surrender group eventually traveled village prepared surrender august remnants british band surrendered prairie
Battle of Bad Axe