The Bad Axe Massacre took place during the War of Black Hawk.
The beginning
On July 22, 1832, the Band of Black Hawk rested upon a hill on the Wisconsin Heights Battlefield. One of the leaders accompanying the Black Hawk Band tried to explain to a local militia that they wanted to stop the fighting and go home. Sadly the translators for the militia had already left the scene, so the soldiers, not understanding the Ho Chunk language, promptly opened fire upon the Indians, who fled the scene.
Day 1
The U.S. Militia caught up with the band of Indians on August 1 on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, just downstream from the mouth of the Bad Axe River where the band of Indians were trying to cross the Mississippi River to safety.
The band's attempt to cross was halted by the U.S. steamboat Warrior. Black Hawk waved a white flag in order to try to get the soldiers to understand that they wanted peace, but the soldiers opened fire upon the Indians anyway. The survivors of the initial volley returned fire and a 2 hour fire fight ensued. Eventually the Warrior had to pull out to refuel. This attack made Black hawk realize that refuge did not lay to the west but the north, but seldom few believed him. Late on August 1 Black Hawk and twenty of his men fled to the north, the remaining stayed on the eastern bank and prepared for more attempts to flee westward.
Day 2
At 2 a.m. the local militia made a a move onto the Indians base camp. After only a few miles they ran into the Indian scouts. the scouts fled in a different direction than base camp in hopes that the militia would follow them giving the band more time. But when a regiment came upon the trail the the Indian camp the scouts had to retreat and hope they had given their comrades enough time to escape. However the Warrior just arrived after refueling. the slaughter that happened lasted 8 hours.
The soldiers killed everyone who tried to run for cover or cross the river; men, women and children alike, even the Indians who fought with the U.S. Militia, were shot dead. More than 150 Indians were killed at the scene, along with 75 captured. The U.S. suffered only 5 casualties.
The soldiers killed everyone who tried to run for cover or cross the river; men, women and children alike, even the Indians who fought with the U.S. Militia, were shot dead. More than 150 Indians were killed at the scene, along with 75 captured. The U.S. suffered only 5 casualties.
Summary
The bad Axe Massacre was a one sided battle that took place on august 1-2, it took place on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. The majority of the Indians were killed or captured at the scene. this battle has been called a massacre by both modern and historians of that time period. Only 5 Americans were killed.
Why this is important
Because of the Bad Axe Massacre, thousands of Indians were forced north into the cold, barren desert. All others were forced upon the trail of tears, killing thousands of other Indians. This works into exploration and encounter as this event caused hundreds of thousands of Native Americans to seek out new sources of living.