View source for Clack Stone

{{Infobox military person
|name=Clack Stone
|birth_date= 
|death_date= 
|image=
|caption=
|nickname=
|birth_place=
|death_place=
|allegiance=[[United States|United States of America]]
|branch=[[Illinois militia]]
|serviceyears=1832
|rank=[[Captain (land and air)|Captain]]
|unit=
|commands=[[“Apple River” company (military unit)|company]] of the 27th Regiment Illinois Militia
|battles=[[Battle of Apple River Fort]] ([[Black Hawk War]])
|awards=
|relations=
|laterwork=[[General store]] [[proprietor]]
}}

'''Clack Stone''' ([[floruit|fl]]. 1827&ndash;1839) was the elected [[captain (land and air)|captain]] of the “Apple River“ Company, 27th Regiment [[Illinois Militia]] during the [[Black Hawk War]] of 1832. He was in charge of a company mustered into service in May 1832 from [[Jo Daviess County, Illinois]]. Stone's company manned Apple River Fort, a log stockade and blockhouse— a reconstruction of which is located on knoll just east of present-day [[Elizabeth, Illinois|Elizabeth]] Stone provided leadership during two war-related incidents. In the first event, some horses were stolen from the fort during the night of June 17, in the prelude to the June 18 action known then as “Stephenson’s Fight.” Today, the fight is erroneously known as the [[Battle of Waddams Grove]]. The second event was on the afternoon of June 24: an intense battle known as the [[Battle of Apple River Fort]]. After the war, Stone built and operated a general store and helped Redding Bennett, John D. Winters, and others survey and lay out lot lines for the proposed village of Elizabeth. He also owned and apparently operated for a time the “Eagle Saloon” in [[Galena, Illinois|Galena]].
Stone laid claim to numerous land parcels located west of the present village. He remained in today's [[Jo Daviess County]] with his common law wife Delilah Hickman for several years, then moved south to Union Grove in what is now Carroll County, Illinois.

==Early life==
John D. Winters moved from [[Kentucky]] or [[Tennessee]]<ref name=note1>[[Elihu B. Washburne]] stated he believed Winters came from either Kentucky or Tennessee in writings 30 years later. See. Matile, "Were Pa, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe from Illinois?"</ref> to central Illinois, and then to Jo Daviess County in 1827.<ref name=matile>Matile, Roger. "[http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=3882 Were Pa, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe from Illinois?]," ''Ledger-Sentinel'' ([[Oswego, Illinois]]), April 7, 2005. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> Sometime after this, Winters and Clack Stone purchased a tract of land 127 feet (38.7 m) above the waters of the [[Apple River (Illinois)|Apple River]].<ref name=kett>Kett, H.F. and Co. ''The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=gWYOAAAAIAAJ&dq=Buffalo+Grove+%22William+Durley%22&pg=PA284 Google Books]), H.F. Kett & Co., Chicago: 1887, pp. 584&ndash;86. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref>

==Military service==
In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]], [[Sauk people|Sauk]] Chief [[Black Hawk (chief)|Black Hawk]] moved his so-called "[[British Band]]" of around 1,000 warriors and non-combatants into Illinois.<ref name=lewis>Lewis, James. "[http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/blackhawk/page2c.html The Black Hawk War of 1832] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815021319/http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/blackhawk/page2c.html |date=August 15, 2009 }}," Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project, ''Northern Illinois University''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> The conflict that followed became known as the [[Black Hawk War]]. Between May and June 1832, eight companies were mustered into service in the volunteer [[Illinois Militia]] under the command of Colonel [[James M. Strode]]. All eight companies of the 27th Regiment of Illinois Militia were from Jo Daviess County.<ref name=kett/> One of the eight companies in Strode's 27th was a 47-man unit eventually commanded by Captain Clack Stone.<ref name=armstrong>Armstrong, Perry A. ''The Sauks and the Black Hawk War'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=XfkfC5mOPdoC&dq=%22Clack+Stone%22+Illinois&pg=PA493 Google Books]), H.W. Rokker: 1887, p. 493. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> Stone's company was mustered into service by order of [[Illinois Governor]] [[John Reynolds (Illinois politician)|John Reynolds]] on May 15, 1832, one day after the first engagement of the war at [[Battle of Stillman's Run|Stillman's Run]].<ref name=ihpa>"[http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?RecNum=2976&SubjectID=57 Black Hawk War Militia Muster May 1 & 2 at Apple River Fort] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611055106/http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?RecNum=2976&SubjectID=57 |date=2011-06-11 }}," ([[Press release]]), April 30, 2004, ''[[Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]]''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> Initially, Stone's company, based at the Apple River settlement, was commanded by Captain Vance L. Davidson.<ref name=nrhp>Harmet, A. Richard. "[http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/201095.pdf Apple River Fort Site] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031144521/http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/201095.pdf |date=October 31, 2007 }}, ([[PDF]]), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, March 31, 1997, HAARGIS Database, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> When Davidson left for the Plum River settlement at present-day [[Savanna, Illinois|Savanna]], Stone took over command.<ref name=carterplum>Carter, Greg. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20091022132510/http://geocities.com/old_lead/plumriverfight.htm Plum River Fight 1832]," ''Old Lead Regional Historical Society'', 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> One of the longest serving groups of volunteers during the war, the 27th Regiment was mustered out of service on September 6, 1832.<ref name=armstrong/>

Upon hearing of Black Hawk's return, settlers throughout northern Illinois and southern [[Wisconsin]] hastily constructed forts.<ref name=birmingham>Birmingham, Robert. "[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wmh/pdf/summer03_birmingham.pdf Uncovering the Story of Fort Blue Mounds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914010101/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wmh/pdf/summer03_birmingham.pdf |date=2012-09-14 }}," ''[[Wisconsin Magazine of History]]'', Spring 2003. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> The Apple River Fort was constructed by the early settlers at present-day [[Elizabeth, Illinois|Elizabeth]] for protection during the war.<ref name=elizabeth>"[http://www.elizabeth-il.com/Eliz_History.cfm Elizabeth History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070623182138/http://www.elizabeth-il.com/Eliz_History.cfm |date=2007-06-23 }}," Past To Present - Mining To Farming, ''Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> At the onset of the Black Hawk War, settlers in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois constructed a series of hastily built forts; [[Apple River Fort]] was one of the forts erected after the militia's defeat at Stillman's Run.<ref name=birmingham/><ref name=wiscar>"[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/diary/002892.asp June 24, Elizabeth, Ill.: Women Save the Apple River Fort] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828041815/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/diary/002892.asp |date=2008-08-28 }}," Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, ''Wisconsin State Historical Society''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> The small fort was completed on May 22, 1832 under the supervision of Stone, one week after the battle at Stillman's Run.<ref name=nrhp/> The Apple River settlement, at the time of the fort's completion, was home to about 40 settlers.<ref name=wiscar/>

Stone was in command at the fort during two war-related incidents. In the days immediately preceding June 18, 1832, Apple River Fort's stables were broken into and horses were stolen during the night.<ref name=blanchard>Blanchard, Rufus. ''Discovery and Conquests of the North-west. with the History of Chicago'' ([https://books.google.com/books?id=Wv00AAAAIAAJ&dq=Battle+of+Apple+River+Fort&pg=PA382 Google Books]), R. Blanchard & Co.: 1881, p. 326. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> This incident was one of several around that time which led Illinois militia officer [[James W. Stephenson]] to clash with British Band warriors at [[Waddams Grove]] on June 18.<ref name=trask>[[Trask, Kerry A.]] ''Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZIXkMBBLw0C&dq=Battle+of+Yellow+Creek+Black+Hawk&pg=PA221 Google Books]), [[Henry Holt and Company|Henry Holt]]: 2006, pp. 220&ndash;223, ({{ISBN|0805077588}}), pp. 220-221. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> On June 24, the [[Battle of Apple River Fort]] commenced at the fort. Approximately 150&ndash;200 Sauk and Fox warriors under the command of Black Hawk attacked the fort, which was defended by about 25 militia.<ref name=ihpa2>"[http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/apple_river.htm Apple River Fort] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905203906/http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/apple_river.htm |date=2007-09-05 }}," Historic Sites, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref><ref name=marshall>Marshall, Janet A. and Marshall, Mary K., ''Black Hawk's War 1832'', 1997, pp. 90-94.</ref> The militia was shorthanded during the battle, as most of the fort's detachment were not present.<ref name=wischistory>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070814095355/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/diary/002795.asp May 14: Black Hawk's Victory at the Battle of Stillman's Run]," Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, ''[[Wisconsin State Historical Society]]''. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> Inside the fort, the people of the nearby settlement had taken refuge. One woman, [[Elizabeth Armstrong (settler)|Elizabeth Armstrong]], was singled out for her bravery after the battle. She rallied the fort's women to assist during the battle by making musket balls and reloading weapons.<ref name=nrhp/> Fierce fighting ensued for at least 45 minutes with both sides exchanging heavy gunfire.<ref name=nrhp/> Believing the fort to be more heavily defended than it was, Black Hawk and his band eventually retreated.<ref name=ihpa2/> Casualties were few, given the intensity of the battle.<ref name=nrhp/> Militia member George Herclerode was shot in the neck or head early in the battle and died; it has been documented that he was killed while peering over the stockade wall's pickets.<ref name=trask/><ref name=drake>[[Samuel Gardner Drake|Drake, Samuel Gardner]]. ''Biography and History of the Indians of North America: From Its First Discovery'', ([https://books.google.com/books?id=_bR9sz0aKFYC&q=Apple+River+Fort&pg=RA4-PA152 Google Books]), B. B. Mussey: 1848, p. 152. Retrieved October 26, 2007.</ref> The number of Sauk casualties is unknown.<ref name=nrhp/>

==Later life==
Immediately following the Black Hawk War, Clack Stone opened a store near the site of present-day Elizabeth. The store was directly across the street from the house of John D. Winters, who established a [[tavern]] around the same time.<ref name=kett/> In 1839, [[surveying|surveyor]] Charles R. Bennett laid out the village of Elizabeth on Winters' and Stone's land. The original village had twelve named streets.<ref name=kett/>

==Notes==
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{{Black Hawk War (1832)}}

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[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]
[[Category:American people of the Black Hawk War]]
[[Category:People from Elizabeth, Illinois]]