The Spokesrider

The Blackhawk Battlefield Park in Stephenson County, Illinois, is a favorite spot of ours, not only for its historical significance but because of the view. A gravel road leads up a gentle but definite slope to the highest ground for miles around. At the top are the graves of men killed in the battle of Kellogg’s Grove, which took place nearby.

I’m not sure if that is Blue Mound in the distance, or another of the mounds that form landmarks that can be seen many miles away.

There were several motorcycles on the road that day, a Sunday. I could see why they like it. Instead of straight-line roads, there are gentle hills and curves to make it interesting.

Myra alerted me to the news about the recent flooding in Vernon and Crawford Counties, Wisconsin. Soldiers Grove is one of the flooded places. I had ridden through Soldiers Grove on my tour of the Black Hawk War Zone in September 2004. It was on my way to Victory, where the Bad Axe massacre took [...]

September 9, 2004, continued. This is state highway 35, maybe 3 miles north of DeSoto, Wisconsin (on the upper left of the map below). I would have taken highway 35 south to Prairie du Chien, but I think I was scared off by some of the discussions about highway 35 that had taken place on [...]

Sept 9, 2004, continued. By the time I got back to the campground at Blackhawk Park, the fog was gone entirely. Now I was able to get some clear shots of the river. This one is looking north. Black Hawk’s people were trapped on the bank on the right, in between the steamboat “Warrior” which [...]

If so, this would be in the near vicinity of the main path along which Black Hawk’s warriors were retreating and along which Henry’s militia forces were advancing, from right to left. Quite a few warriors were killed, as well as a few of the militia. But the real killing took place when the Sauk people reached the river and could go no further.

September 9, 2004, continued. It took me a long time to ride the two miles back down Battle Hollow road, because I made a lot of photo stops. It was still a foggy morning. On August 2, 1832, the soldiers were roused and on the march before sunrise. They knew they were getting close to [...]