Battle of the Sink Hole 1815
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 24 May 1815 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1815 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Indian Wars | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United States | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 38.9334, -90.6871 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of the Sink Hole, sometimes known as "Forgotten War", was fought on May 24, 1815, after the official end of the War of 1812, between Missouri Rangers and Sauk people led by Black Hawk. According to Robert McDouall, the British commander in the area, the Sauk had not received official word from the British that the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war with the U.S.
The battle was fought in a low spot near the mouth of the Cuivre River in Missouri, site of the present-day city of Old Monroe in what is now Lincoln County near Fort Howard and Fort Cap au Gris.
A contingent of 50 Rangers and Regulars, led by Captain Peter Craig, confronted the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes roughly 300 meters south of Fort Howard. Captain David Musick, with 20 soldiers from Cape au Gris, joined the fray from the Cuivre River, located 3 kilometers south of the initial engagement. The Sauk and Meskwaki forces split, with some retreating north to Bob's Creek, while Black Hawk and about 20-35 warriors sought refuge in a sinkhole, about 12-15 feet wide and 60 feet long. American forces partially encircled the sinkhole, effectively trapping Black Hawk's group.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Sink Hole (revision 1370602293), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of St. Louis 1780 · 55 km
- Battle of Virden 1898 · 101 km
- Battle of Moore's Mill 1862 · 107 km
- Centralia Massacre (Missouri) 1864 · 126 km
- Battle of Mount Zion Church 1861 · 130 km
- Battle of Fort Davidson 1864 · 146 km
Other battles of the American Indian Wars
- Battle of Blue Licks 1782
- Battle of Village Creek 1841
- Battle of Egan Station 1860
- Battle of Pease River 1860
- Bear River Massacre 1863
- First Battle of Adobe Walls 1864
- Battle of the Tongue River 1865
- Battle of Beecher Island 1868
- Battle of the Washita River 1868
- Battle of the North Fork of the Red River 1872
All 12 battles of the American Indian Wars →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles