Plum River raid

At the site of what is now Savanna, Illinois, an encounter without bloodshed unfolded on May 21, 1832, forming one episode within the larger Black Hawk War. By the time hostilities broke out, nearly everyone living in the settlement had already sought refuge in Galena, Illinois, leaving only a handful behind to guard the place. Of the six men assigned to defend it, just three remained on hand when a small party of Native Americans, either Sauk or Fox, launched their assault. Those present pulled back into the blockhouse, where an exchange of gunfire lasting roughly an hour played out before the attacking party pulled away. Although the confrontation produced no deaths or wounds on either side, Colonel James M. Strode responded afterward by sending a militia detachment to Savanna. This force made it back to Galena without further trouble, and for a time, the settlement at Savanna stood empty.

Prelude

Copper deposits near the Mississippi River prompted the founding of the Plum River settlement in 1827. By the time the Black Hawk War broke out five years later, only 25 people called the small outpost home. News of Black Hawk's invasion left residents split on whether to flee toward the safety of Galena, Illinois, or remain in place. Places like Hanover saw their populations flee entirely, yet Plum River's inhabitants chose a middle path, sending the women and children off to Galena while the men remained to hold the frontier settlement. To improve their odds, they tore down portions of two houses in the settlement and used the materials to build a blockhouse. Six men stayed behind to guard this hastily built stronghold: Aaron Pierce, Vance Davidson, Robert Upton, William Blundell, Leonard Goss, and one known only as Hays. Militia volunteers fell into an ambush at Buffalo Grove on May 19, and within two days, on the very date of the Plum River raid, the notorious slaughter at Indian Creek unfolded.

Attack

On May 21, 1832, a handful of independent braves, drawn either from Keokuk's village or from the Fox settlement near Dubuque's Mines, struck the small outpost that would later become Savanna, Illinois, situated along the Plum River. This band had set out from territory west of the Mississippi, likely pushing eastward in search of supplies they lacked. Upon reaching the settlement, they discovered it nearly empty, with just three men remaining on site. Of the six settlers who normally resided there, three had already gone elsewhere by the time the warriors appeared: Blundell was absent, Upton had gone off to hunt nearby, and Davidson was searching for a stray horse.

Among the trio still present, Hays and Goss were busy gathering scattered livestock, leaving Pierce alone at the blockhouse. It was Pierce who first noticed a dog barking, and upon investigation he spotted a small group of Native Americans moving stealthily along the riverbank. He raised the alarm at once, prompting Hays and Goss to race toward the safety of the blockhouse. As they ran, shots rang out behind them.

Goss managed to reach the doorway and dash inside, but Hays stumbled and fell just short of entering. In that instant, three musket balls struck the wall precisely where he had been standing. While his attackers paused to reload, Hays scrambled through the entrance to join the others. What followed was roughly an hour of intense gunfire traded between the two sides before the raiders finally pulled back.

Meanwhile, Upton, the fourth settler who had been out hunting, was spotted by the raiding party and pursued for much of the afternoon, though he ultimately eluded them without harm. Remarkably, the entire encounter at Plum River ended without a single death or injury on either side. The attackers did manage to make off with three horses, though two had been wounded by gunfire during the raid, and a third was killed outright by the settlers defending their post.

Aftermath

Overnight, those who had taken refuge at Plum River settlement held their position before making their way to Galena, where they brought word of what had happened to Colonel James M. Strode. Strode responded by dispatching a militia party to secure the settlement and see that whoever was responsible faced consequences. Upon reaching Savanna, however, the detachment discovered the place empty of any Native Americans, though the marks of gunfire from the fight remained scattered about. From there the men pressed on to Fort Armstrong to gather supplies before making their way back to Galena, encountering nothing further along the way. On June 1, then-Colonel Zachary Taylor put his worries about the recent troubles, the Plum River raid among them, into a letter addressed to General Henry Atkinson. In it, he acknowledged that the settlement had almost certainly come under attack, yet noted that nobody had lost their life and that the place now stood deserted.