Elijah Phillips

Elijah Phillips
Elijah Phillips
Born	April 11, 1809; Illinois Militia
Years of service	1832
Rank	Private
Battles/wars	Attack at Ament's Cabin (Black Hawk War)

Elijah Phillips (April 11, 1809 – June 18, 1832) was an early

Black Hawk. Phillips was born in New Hampshire and settled near Dover, Illinois

around 1830. During the war he, along with other settlers, fled their settlements in fear of Native American raids. In June 1832 Phillips returned to his cabin with six other men to retrieve some belongings. The group was attacked early one morning and Phillips was killed.

Early life

Elijah Phillips was born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire on April 11, 1809, son, and one of ten total children of Elijah Phillips.^[1] Phillips left New Hampshire for Illinois at a young age in 1830. He traveled by foot, and steamboat, passing over Lake Erie and the Erie Canal in his journey. He arrived in Illinois, where he met his friends, James G. Forristall and Sylvester Brigham, who had already established themselves and erected a log cabin. This site, in present-day Bureau County, Illinois near Dover, was where Phillips decided to settle.^[1]

In Illinois

Elijah Phillips settled a site near Berlin and Dover Townships, in present-day Bureau County, Illinois. The area was first settled by John L. Ament and his brother Justin, shortly after the pair settled, Justin sold his land to Phillips.^[2]^[3] Phillips erected his own cabin about one and a half miles (2.4 km) from John Ament's cabin.^[4]

Death

When the Black Hawk War erupted between elements of the Sauk and Fox and the Illinois and Michigan Territorial Militia in 1832 settler families had fled, leaving their goods and livestock behind.

private in Captain George B. Willis' company out of Putnam County, Illinois – it is unclear whether any of the other men were militia members.^[4]

The next morning, either June 17 or June 18, the band of about 30 Native Americans returned to their hidden positions of the day before and awaited the settlers.

tomahawks.^[3]^[5] Phillips' date of death is recorded as June 18, 1832 in the 1888 book The History of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-1887.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Norton, John Foote and Whittemoore, Joel. The History of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-1887, (Google Books), Burr Printing House: 1888, pp. 391–92, and 668. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
^ Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois, "History of Berlin Archived 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine," Pioneer Publishing, Chicago: 1906, p. 118. Retrieved 4 October 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Matson, Nehemiah. Memories of Shaubena, (Google Books), D.B. Cooke & Co.: 1878, pp. 226–34. Retrieved 4 October 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Armstrong, Perry A. The Sauks and the Black Hawk War (Google Books), H.W. Rokker: 1887, pp. 399–403. Retrieved 4 October 2007.
^ ^a ^b Matson, Nehemiah. "Killing of Phillips," Map & Sketches of Bureau County, ILL, via Tampico Historical Society, p. 22. Retrieved 4 October 2007.

[norton-1] Norton, John Foote and Whittemoore, Joel. The History of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-1887, (Google Books), Burr Printing House: 1888, pp. 391–92, and 668. Retrieved 11 October 2007.

[berlin-2] Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois, "History of Berlin Archived 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine," Pioneer Publishing, Chicago: 1906, p. 118. Retrieved 4 October 2007.

[matson-3] Matson, Nehemiah. Memories of Shaubena, (Google Books), D.B. Cooke & Co.: 1878, pp. 226–34. Retrieved 4 October 2007.

[armstrong-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Armstrong, Perry A. The Sauks and the Black Hawk War (Google Books), H.W. Rokker: 1887, pp. 399–403. Retrieved 4 October 2007.

[tampico-5] Matson, Nehemiah. "Killing of Phillips," Map & Sketches of Bureau County, ILL, via Tampico Historical Society, p. 22. Retrieved 4 October 2007.

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