Fort Defiance was one of the last garrisoned stockade forts constructed in territorial Wisconsin. It was located approximately five miles southeast of
Mineral Point, Wisconsin. It was located in the booming lead mining region in an area of early settlement. The fort was built by local settlers in 1832 when developing tensions over Native American land rights erupted into 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", cros ...
. Although Fort Defiance did not experience attack, it did have a garrison of about 40 militia men who were said to be among the best drilled in the territory.
Fort Defiance - Mineral Point, WI - Military Installations on Waymarking.com
/ref> Fort Defiance had two blockhouses located at opposite corners of the stockade. Within the walls were two buildings used to accommodate the garrison and the families of settlers in case of a siege. There are no visible remains.
It was commanded by Captain Robert C. Hoard, a smelter from Mineral Point who would later be elected to the legislatures of the Michigan Territory and Wisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...
.
Notes
Defiance
Defiance
Buildings and structures in Lafayette County, Wisconsin
1832 establishments in Michigan Territory
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