Bad Axe Battlefield, Wisconsin
Most people drive past the quiet Wisconsin riverbank without knowing they’re crossing a battlefield.
In 1832, this peaceful spot witnessed the final and bloodiest fight of the Black Hawk War. Women, children, and warriors died trying to escape across the water.
Here’s the full story of what happened at Bad Axe and where to find its historical marker.
Disputed Treaty
The trouble began with the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis. U.S. officials got a few Sauk representatives to sign away millions of acres for just $2,500 and yearly payments of $1,000. Most Sauk leaders, including Black Hawk, said the treaty was invalid.
The signers had no right to give away tribal lands. By spring 1832, Black Hawk took action. He led about 1,000 Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo people across the Mississippi from Iowa into Illinois to reclaim their homeland.
Black Hawk Rises to Leadership
Black Hawk was born in 1767 in what is now Illinois. Unlike chiefs who inherited their position, he earned respect through his skills in battle. During the War of 1812, he fought with British forces against Americans.
This history made U.S. officials view him as a threat. Two people pushed him to return to Illinois: White Cloud (the Winnebago Prophet) offered spiritual guidance, while his lieutenant Neapope falsely promised help from the British and other tribes.
From Stillman’s Run to Wisconsin Heights
The war truly began on May 14, 1832, when U.S. militia attacked a Sauk peace delegation. Black Hawk’s warriors fought back and won this first battle at Stillman’s Run. This victory didn’t last.
All summer, U.S. forces chased Black Hawk’s people through Wisconsin as food ran out and hope faded. By July 21, militia caught up with them at Wisconsin Heights.
Though Black Hawk’s warriors helped many women and children escape, about 70 Sauk and Fox died.
Final Journey to the Mississippi
After the Wisconsin Heights battle, Black Hawk led his remaining followers toward the Mississippi River. Weak from hunger and exhaustion, they struggled through rough country.
By August 1, only about 500 people remained from the original group. They reached the Mississippi near the Bad Axe River in Wisconsin.
The desperate band immediately began building rafts and canoes. Their leaders disagreed about what to do next, but most wanted to cross the river quickly.
Warrior Blocks the River Crossing
As people started crossing on August 1, the steamboat Warrior appeared. Armed with a cannon and carrying 20 soldiers, it approached the shore. Black Hawk waded into the water with a white flag to surrender.
The soldiers either didn’t understand or didn’t care about his peaceful gesture. After 15 minutes of failed communication, the soldiers opened fire. Their cannon and guns killed 23 Sauk people before the steamboat left that evening.
Diversions and First Attacks
Early on August 2, U.S. troops approached from the east. Black Hawk knew his people needed more time to escape. He gathered a small group of warriors to create a distraction.
They led U.S. scouts away from the main group, drawing away most of the army. Fourteen warriors died in this brave effort. Their sacrifice bought precious time for others trying to cross the river.
Caught Between Army and River
The remaining U.S. troops soon found the main group of Sauk and Fox people by the river. Soldiers pushed them toward the water, leaving no escape route. The steamboat Warrior returned and fired its cannon into the trapped crowd from the river.
Caught between soldiers on land and gunfire from the water, families faced impossible choices. Some tried to surrender while others attempted to swim across the powerful current.
Death Along the Shore
For eight hours, soldiers killed Sauk and Fox people without mercy. They shot at everyone, making no difference between warriors, women, or children. Over 150 people died at the scene. Many drowned trying to swim the wide river.
Others were shot while trying to surrender. After the killing ended, soldiers scalped most of the dead and took other gruesome trophies, showing complete disrespect for the dead.
No Safe Haven Across the River
About 70 to 150 people managed to cross the Mississippi before or during the battle. They thought they had reached safety on the western shore. They were wrong. Sioux warriors, longtime enemies of the Sauk and Fox, waited on the other side.
Working with the U.S. Army, the Sioux hunted down the exhausted refugees. Later, they brought 68 scalps and 22 prisoners to U.S. officials as proof of their work.
Black Hawk Surrenders
Black Hawk escaped the massacre at Bad Axe. He fled north with a small group, hoping other tribes might shelter them. On August 27, 1832, he gave up. Black Hawk surrendered to U.S. authorities at Fort Crawford near Prairie du Chien.
Officials sent him and other Sauk leaders to prison at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis. Later, they transferred to Fort Monroe in Virginia, where they met President Andrew Jackson before returning to their people.
Treaties Force Native Removal
After the war, the U.S. government quickly took more land. In September 1832, the Sauk and Fox were forced to sign a treaty giving up six million acres in eastern Iowa. As payment, they received $20,000 yearly for thirty years—far less than the land’s worth.
U.S. officials made Keokuk, who had opposed the war, the main chief of both tribes. Later treaties in the 1830s and 1840s took the last tribal lands in Iowa, forcing them to move to Kansas.
Visiting Bad Axe Battlefield
You can visit the Bad Axe Battlefield marker along Great River Road (State Highway 35), about 2½ miles north of Main Street in De Soto, Wisconsin.
For a deeper understanding of the Black Hawk War, visit the Vernon County Museum in Viroqua, Wisconsin, which houses related artifacts and information.
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