Stillman’s Run Battle Site Memorial in Stillman Valley, Illinois

In 1832, central Illinois counties appealed for volunteers to safeguard the frontier against Black Hawk and his Sauk warriors. On the morning of May 14, 1832, tensions flared when Black Hawk's warriors spotted Major Isaiah Stillman and roughly 300 militia men establishing camp near Sycamore Creek in present-day Ogle County. Black Hawk, yet to initiate combat, sent three negotiators, although the intent of his emissaries remains disputed.

Meanwhile, five scouts were dispatched to monitor the safety of the messengers. Sensing a threat, some of Stillman's men targeted the scouts, resulting in the deaths of two scouts and one messenger. Despite Black Hawk's smaller force (30-50 men, according to most accounts), Stillman's troops comprised inexperienced individuals (some claims suggest they were intoxicated), and the battle, if it could be called one, was chaotic and disordered.

After being convinced of being outnumbered, Major Stillman ordered a retreat to Dixon’s Ferry. During this chaotic withdrawal, 12 of Stillman's men perished while attempting to hold their ground on a nearby hill. The following day, Abraham Lincoln, then a soldier from Sangamon County, arrived at the scene and assisted in burying the fallen soldiers in a shared grave.

The names of these 12 soldiers are etched on the Stillman Run memorial, alongside their military headstones displayed nearby. The valley surrounding this hill is named Stillman Valley, but Major Isaiah Stillman is better known for his humiliating military defeat and the battle that bore his name.