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

Dane County Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States.

History

The settlement of Blue Mounds was founded in 1828 by

Ebenezer Brigham Ebenezer Brigham (April 28, 1789 – September 14, 1861) was a 19th-century American pioneer, businessman, and politician. He was one of the first Americans to explore southwestern Wisconsin and the first permanent settler in present-day Da ...

on the south slope of the eastern mound of the Blue Mounds. In 1832, when word arrived that

Chief Black Hawk Black Hawk, born ''Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak'' (Sauk: ''Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa'') (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 his ...

and his 1200 Sauk followers had crossed the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

, 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 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. ...

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 Ill ...

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

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...

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 The Michigan Territory Militia was the predecessor to the Michigan Army National Guard and existed from 1805-1837 as an entity concurrent with Michigan Territory's existence in the United States. Colonial and pre-Territorial militias In the F ...

during 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", crosse ...

. James Aubrey 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 s ...

Edward Beouchard Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

, 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 of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

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

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 N ...

, 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 tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

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 usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

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, Wisconsin, Blue Mounds. The park features a pair of observation towers affording ...

, 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