Fort Blue Mounds, also known as Blue Mounds Fort, was located in Blue Mounds,

Dane County Dane County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County, Wiscon ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States.

History

The settlement of Blue Mounds was founded in 1828 by Ebenezer Brigham on the south slope of the eastern mound of the Blue Mounds. In 1832, when word arrived that

Chief Black Hawk Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa, known in English as Black Hawk (c. 1767 – October 3, 1838), was a Sauk leader and warrior who lived in what is now the Midwestern United States. Although he had inherited an important historic sacred bundle from ...

and his 1200 Sauk followers had crossed the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, it was decided to build a fort to protect the settlers. On May 10, 1832, the construction of Fort Blue Mounds began with the help of the residents of Blue Mounds, led by the newly promoted Colonel Ebenezer Brigham. The fort was built a mile south of Eastern Mound on the highest part of the open prairie, allowing for a commanding view of the open country for miles. Those who defended the fort were able to see to the east, south, and west, with the mound bounding the northern side of the fort. Word quickly arrived at the settlement of an engagement between Black Hawk's group and the

Illinois militia In the United States, state defense forces (SDFs) 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 st ...

on May 14, 1832. In what was to be called the

Battle of Stillman's Run The Battle of Stillman's Run, also known as the Battle of Sycamore Creek or the Battle of Old Man's Creek, occurred in Illinois on May 14, 1832. The battle was named for the panicked retreat by Major Isaiah Stillman and his detachment of 275 Mil ...

, the Illinois militia were defeated by the Indians. This, along with the closeness of the

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

tribe, brought fear to the settlers, and they worked quickly to complete the fort in about two weeks. From May 20 to September 20, 1832, the settlers and miners joined General Henry Dodge's Michigan Territory Militia during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

James Aubrey James Aubrey may refer to: * James Aubrey (actor) (1947–2010), English actor * James T. Aubrey (1918–1994), American television and film executive * Jimmy Aubrey Jimmy Aubrey (23 October 1887 – 2 September 1983) was an English actor wh ...

was the first commander at the fort, but after he was killed by the Indians on June 6, his

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

, Edward Beouchard, took command. He didn't command long before

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

John Sherman John Sherman (May 10, 1823October 22, 1900) was an American politician from Ohio who served in federal office throughout the Civil War and into the late nineteenth century. A member of the Republican Party, he served in both houses of the U. ...

succeeded him.

Archaeology

The site of the original fort was owned by Colonel Brigham's descendants until it was donated to the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of ...

, who dedicated it as a state historical site on September 5, 1921. Through excavation, it was found that the layout of the fort was very similar to one at Apple River in Illinois. The fort was surrounded by a picket fence about in length on each side. Its wall was made from

oak trees An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

that were about 16 or in height, with of trunk planted in the ground. At two of the corners of the fort were square

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

s. Inside the wall was a log building in the center that was 30 by that was used as a store-house and

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

Today

On May 22, 2010, the Blue Mounds Fort marker was rededicated following a three-year fundraising effort by the Blue Mounds Area Historical Society. The marker, which was cleaned up and re-mounted on a chert boulder donated by

Blue Mound State Park Blue Mound State Park is a state park in Wisconsin, United States, located atop the largest hill in the southern half of the state, near the village of Blue Mounds. The park features a pair of observation towers affording views of the Wisconsi ...

, sits on the site of the Fort, although it is not currently accessible by the public.

Notes

External links

Term: Brigham, Ebenezer 1789 - 1861
," Dictionary of Wisconsin History, ''Wisconsin State Historical Society''. Retrieved 14 August 2007 *Barton, Albert O
"Echoes of the Black Hawk War"
''Wisconsin Magazine of History'', 16: 4 (1932–1933). Retrieved 14 August 2007.
Dictionary of Wisconsin History"Rounding up its rich past"''Sauk and the Black Hawk War''
{{Authority control Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin Black Hawk War forts Buildings and structures in Dane County, Wisconsin Forts in Wisconsin Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin 1832 establishments in Michigan Territory National Register of Historic Places in Dane County, Wisconsin Military installations established in 1832 Military installations closed in 1832 1832 disestablishments in Michigan Territory

History

Archaeology

Today

See also

Notes

External links