Battle of the Sink Hole
Introduction Black Hawk led the Sauk Indians against the Missouri Rangers in the Battle of the Sink Hole on May 24, 1815, from a painting by artist George CatlinThe Upper Mississippi River during the War of 1812.1: Fort Bellefontaine U.S. headquarters; 2: Fort Osage, abandoned 1813; 3: Fort Madison, defeated 1813; 4: Fort Shelby, defeated 1814; 5: Battle of Rock Island Rapids, July 1814 and the Battle of Credit Island, Sept. 1814; 6: Fort Johnson, abandoned 1814; 7: Fort Cap au Gris and the Battle of the Sink Hole, May 1815.The '''Battle of the Sink Hole,''' sometimes known as " Forgotten War", was fought on May 24, 1815, after the official end of the War of 1812, between Missouri Rangers and Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk. According to Robert McDouall, the British commander in the area, the Sauk had not received official word from the British that the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war with the U.S. The battle was fought in a low spot near the mouth of the Cuivre River in Missouri, site of the  present-day city of Old Monroe in what is now Lincoln County near Fort Howard and Fort Cap au Gris. A contingent of 50 Rangers and Regulars, led by Captain Peter Craig, confronted the Sauk and Fox tribes roughly 300 meters south of Fort Howard. Captain David Musick, with 20 soldiers from Cape au Gris, joined the fray from the Cuivre River, located 3 kilometers south of the initial engagement. The Sauk and Fox forces split, with some retreating north to Bob’s Creek, while Black Hawk and about 20-35 warriors sought refuge in a sinkhole. American forces partially encircled the sinkhole, effectively trapping Black Hawk's group. The karst terrain of the sinkhole provided natural cover, allowing the Native American forces to hold their ground despite being outnumbered by the superior American forces. Both groups pulled back at nightfall, and the outcome of the battle was uncertain.An ambush by the Sauk of a company of rangers led to a prolonged siege: seven Rangers (including their commander, Captain Peter Craig) and one Sauk were killed and an additional 3 Rangers were wounded. Conflicting accounts of the action were given by John Shaw and by Black Hawk.After the battle, in 1816 Black Hawk entered into negotiations with the US government, ultimately reaffirming the Treaty of St. Louis.
References
External links * Geology of the War of 1812: Terrain Influences on the Battle of the Sink Hole, Missouri Territory* Michael Dickey, "The Forgotten War: Missouri from 1812-1815", Friends of Arrow Rock website, September 2013* Battle of Sinkhole - Missouri Speleological Survey (Publication)* Black Hawk's Folly: Battle of the Sinkhole