Clack Stone ( fl. 1827–1839) was the elected

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 ...

of the “Apple River“ Company, 27th Regiment

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 ...

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 ...

of 1832. He was in charge of a company mustered into service in May 1832 from

Jo Daviess County, Illinois Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 22,035. Its county seat is Galena, Illinois, Galena. Jo ...

. Stone's company manned Apple River Fort, a log stockade and blockhouse— a reconstruction of which is located on knoll just east of present-day

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

Stone provided leadership during two war-related incidents. In the first event, some horses were stolen from the fort during the night of June 17, in the prelude to the June 18 action known then as “Stephenson’s Fight.” Today, the fight is erroneously known as the Battle of Waddams Grove. The second event was on the afternoon of June 24: an intense battle known as the Battle of Apple River Fort. After the war, Stone built and operated a general store and helped Redding Bennett, John D. Winters, and others survey and lay out lot lines for the proposed village of Elizabeth. He also owned and apparently operated for a time the “Eagle Saloon” in

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crysta ...

. Stone laid claim to numerous land parcels located west of the present village. He remained in today's Jo Daviess County with his common law wife Delilah Hickman for several years, then moved south to Union Grove in what is now Carroll County, Illinois.

Early life

John D. Winters moved from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Elihu B. Washburne stated he believed Winters came from either Kentucky or Tennessee in writings 30 years later. See. Matile, "Were Pa, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe from Illinois?" to central Illinois, and then to Jo Daviess County in 1827.Matile, Roger.
Were Pa, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe from Illinois?
" ''Ledger-Sentinel'' (

Oswego, Illinois Oswego ( ) is a village in Kendall and Will counties, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 34,485. Oswego is the largest municipality in Kendall County. Part of the Chicago metropolitan area, it is an exurb of Chica ...

), April 7, 2005. Retrieved October 26, 2007. Sometime after this, Winters and Clack Stone purchased a tract of land 127 feet (38.7 m) above the waters of the Apple River.Kett, H.F. and Co. ''The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois'',
Google Books
, H.F. Kett & Co., Chicago: 1887, pp. 584–86. Retrieved October 26, 2007.

Military service

In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

, Sauk Chief Black Hawk moved his so-called "

British Band The British Band was a mixed-nation group of Native Americans commanded by the Sauk leader Black Hawk, which fought against Illinois and Michigan Territory militias during the 1832 Black Hawk War. The band was composed of about 1,500 men, wome ...

" of around 1,000 warriors and non-combatants into Illinois.Lewis, James.
The Black Hawk War of 1832
," Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project, ''Northern Illinois University''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. The conflict that followed became known as the

. Between May and June 1832, eight companies were mustered into service in the volunteer

under the command of Colonel James M. Strode. All eight companies of the 27th Regiment of Illinois Militia were from Jo Daviess County. One of the eight companies in Strode's 27th was a 47-man unit eventually commanded by Captain Clack Stone.Armstrong, Perry A. ''The Sauks and the Black Hawk War'',
Google Books
, H.W. Rokker: 1887, p. 493. Retrieved October 26, 2007. Stone's company was mustered into service by order of

Illinois Governor 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 on May 15, 1832, one day after the first engagement of the war at Stillman's Run.Black Hawk War Militia Muster May 1 & 2 at Apple River Fort
," (

Press release A press release (also known as a media release) is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing new information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public releas ...

), April 30, 2004, ''

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency The Illinois Historic Preservation Division, formerly Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois, and is a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It is tasked with the duty of ...

''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. Initially, Stone's company, based at the Apple River settlement, was commanded by Captain Vance L. Davidson.Harmet, A. Richard.
Apple River Fort Site
, (

PDF Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...

), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, March 31, 1997, HAARGIS Database, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. When Davidson left for the Plum River settlement at present-day

Savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, Stone took over command.Carter, Greg.
Plum River Fight 1832
" ''Old Lead Regional Historical Society'', 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2007. One of the longest serving groups of volunteers during the war, the 27th Regiment was mustered out of service on September 6, 1832. Upon hearing of Black Hawk's return, settlers throughout northern Illinois and southern

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 ...

hastily constructed forts.Birmingham, Robert.
Uncovering the Story of Fort Blue Mounds
," ''

Wisconsin Magazine of History 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 ...

'', Spring 2003. Retrieved October 26, 2007. The Apple River Fort was constructed by the early settlers at present-day

for protection during the war.Elizabeth History
," Past To Present - Mining To Farming, ''Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. At the onset of the Black Hawk War, settlers in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois constructed a series of hastily built forts; Apple River Fort was one of the forts erected after the militia's defeat at Stillman's Run.June 24, Elizabeth, Ill.: Women Save the Apple River Fort
," Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, ''Wisconsin State Historical Society''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. The small fort was completed on May 22, 1832 under the supervision of Stone, one week after the battle at Stillman's Run. The Apple River settlement, at the time of the fort's completion, was home to about 40 settlers. Stone was in command at the fort during two war-related incidents. In the days immediately preceding June 18, 1832, Apple River Fort's stables were broken into and horses were stolen during the night.Blanchard, Rufus. ''Discovery and Conquests of the North-west. with the History of Chicago''
Google Books
, R. Blanchard & Co.: 1881, p. 326. Retrieved October 26, 2007. This incident was one of several around that time which led Illinois militia officer

James W. Stephenson James W. Stephenson (1806–August 1838) was an American militia officer and politician from the state of Illinois. He was born in Virginia but spent most of his youth in Edwardsville, Illinois. In 1825 he was indicted for the murder of a fa ...

to clash with British Band warriors at Waddams Grove on June 18.

Trask, Kerry A. Kerry A. Trask (born October 17, 1941) is an American historian and author. Trask has worked as a history professor at the University of Wisconsin Manitowoc for more than thirty years. Trask was also the Democratic candidate for the Wisconsin Stat ...

''Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America'',
Google Books
, Henry Holt: 2006, pp. 220–223, (), pp. 220-221. Retrieved October 26, 2007. On June 24, the Battle of Apple River Fort commenced at the fort. Approximately 150–200 Sauk and Fox warriors under the command of Black Hawk attacked the fort, which was defended by about 25 militia.Apple River Fort
," Historic Sites, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.Marshall, Janet A. and Marshall, Mary K., ''Black Hawk's War 1832'', 1997, pp. 90-94. The militia was shorthanded during the battle, as most of the fort's detachment were not present.May 14: Black Hawk's Victory at the Battle of Stillman's Run
" Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, '' Wisconsin State Historical Society''. Retrieved October 26, 2007. Inside the fort, the people of the nearby settlement had taken refuge. One woman, Elizabeth Armstrong, was singled out for her bravery after the battle. She rallied the fort's women to assist during the battle by making musket balls and reloading weapons. Fierce fighting ensued for at least 45 minutes with both sides exchanging heavy gunfire. Believing the fort to be more heavily defended than it was, Black Hawk and his band eventually retreated. Casualties were few, given the intensity of the battle. Militia member George Herclerode was shot in the neck or head early in the battle and died; it has been documented that he was killed while peering over the stockade wall's pickets. Drake, Samuel Gardner. ''Biography and History of the Indians of North America: From Its First Discovery'',
Google Books
, B. B. Mussey: 1848, p. 152. Retrieved October 26, 2007. The number of Sauk casualties is unknown.

Later life

Immediately following the Black Hawk War, Clack Stone opened a store near the site of present-day Elizabeth. The store was directly across the street from the house of John D. Winters, who established a

tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...

around the same time. In 1839,

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

Charles R. Bennett laid out the village of Elizabeth on Winters' and Stone's land. The original village had twelve named streets.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Clark Year of birth missing Year of death missing American people of the Black Hawk War People from Elizabeth, Illinois