Isaiah Stillman (1793–15 April 1861) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Cavalry

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

who led the

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

in the first armed confrontation of the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...

against

Black Hawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to: Animals * Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856 * Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus'' * Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii'' * Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urub ...

's Sauk Indian Band. The first armed confrontation would be named Battle of Old Man's Creek, but would later be named Stillman's Run after him. Isaiah Stillman was born and raised in the state of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, but he left the east and traveled to

to become a trader of pots, pans, and other items.The Black Hawk War and Stillman's Run
Retrieved on October 22, 2007 For a time, he lived in Coopers Creek Landing in Fulton County, before deciding to join the Illinois

as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

at the age of 35 in 1827. By the early part of 1832, Isaiah had attained the rank of Brigadier General-elect. With this new position, he gained the responsibility of defending everything west of the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the ...

. This land was mostly an empty place, with few First Nation's tribes and settlements. In April 1832,

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

John Reynolds ordered Stillman to raise a battalion for the

Illinois militia In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. ...

. He was unable to recruit a full battalion, so he was made a major rather than a general. The next year after Black Hawk War, he was promoted to general. He died in Kingston Mines, Illinois on April 15, 1861, at the age of 67. He is buried in Peoria.

References

External links

Historynet’s Black Hawk War
1793 births 1861 deaths American people of the Black Hawk War United States Army officers People from Massachusetts Burials in Illinois {{US-army-bio-stub