Buffalo Grove ambush
Buffalo Grove ambush | |||||||
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Part of the Black Hawk War | |||||||
Historical marker located west of Polo, Illinois | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Kickapoo warriors | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Henry Atkinson James M. Strode | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
6 | Not known | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 | Not known |
The Buffalo Grove ambush was an
Background
As a consequence of an 1804 treaty between the
Prelude
When the
Ambush
Map of Black Hawk War sites Battle (with name) Fort / settlement Native village Symbols are wikilinked to article |
The Buffalo Grove ambush occurred near Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a small, unincorporated settlement in present-day Ogle County.[5] As the group neared the edge of the grove one of the party noted the increased chances for ambush and suggested that the party avoid the usual route by taking a more roundabout route. The suggestion was opposed and Durley reared his horse and entered the wooded area within the grove. He had traveled only a few "bounds" when he was cut down by gunfire from the previously suggested ambush.[6]
On May 20, 1832, Sergeant Stahl returned to Dixon's Ferry with the other four survivors of the attack and reported that his party had been ambushed by a group of Native Americans the evening before on the edge of the grove.[4][7] He reported that Durley was killed instantly, scalped, and left on the spot.[8] Stahl and James Smith both had bullets rip through articles of clothing but were uninjured and only Durley died in the attack.[4]
Aftermath
The events of the Buffalo Grove ambush are closely interrelated with those of the St. Vrain massacre. A group of four men, including Aaron Hawley and John Fowler, both casualties of the St. Vrain massacre, was en route to Galena when they stumbled upon the body of Durley at Buffalo Grove. The group returned to Dixon's Ferry, reported their find and stayed there overnight.[9]
When Atkinson returned to Dixon on May 23 it was with dispatches destined for
The Polo Historical Society erected a memorial to Durley on May 19, 1910, the 78th anniversary of the attack.[11] At that time, Durley's remains were moved from where St. Vrain's party buried him, near where he had fallen, and interred beneath the memorial.[3][11] The Buffalo Grove ambush historical marker and memorial to Durley are located west of the city of Polo, Illinois along Eagle Point Road.[11]
Notes
- ^ a b Lewis, James. "The Black Hawk War of 1832 Archived August 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine," Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project, Northern Illinois University. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
- ^ "May 14: Black Hawk's Victory at the Battle of Stillman's Run," Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, Wisconsin State Historical Society. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Buffalo Grove Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine," Polo Community High School, Lee/Ogle Regional Office of Education #47. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Kett, H.F. and Co. The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, (Google Books), H.F. Kett & Co., Chicago: 1878, p. 284. Retrieved August 13, 2007
- ^ Buffalo Grove is also the name of the geographic area surrounding the old town. See "Buffalo Grove," Lee/Ogle Regional Office of Education #47.
- ^ Hoffman, Charles Fenno. A Winter in the West, (Google Books), Harper: 1835, p. 297. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
- ^ Braun, Robert A. "A Chronology," Black Hawk's War April 5 - August 2, 1832, September 2001, Old Lead Historical Society. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
- Smith, William Rudolph. The History of Wisconsin: In Three Parts, Historical, Documentary, and Descriptive, (Google Books), B. Brown: 1854, p. 267. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
- ^ a b c Stevens, Frank E. The Black Hawk War Archived October 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Frank E. Stevens 1903, pp. 169-171. Available online at Northern Illinois University Libraries Digitization Project. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
- ^ "The Killing of Felix St. Vrain Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine," Historic Diaries: Black Hawk War, Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c "William Durley Monument," Illinois Digital Archives, Illinois Secretary of State/State Librarian, to access (PDF) click access this item. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
41°58′52″N 89°35′42″W / 41.98111°N 89.59500°W