View source for Isaiah Stillman

{{Infobox military person
|name= Isaiah Stillman
|birth_date= {{circa}} 1793
|death_date= 15 April {{death year and age|1861|1793}}
|birth_place= [[Massachusetts]] 
|death_place= [[Kingston Mines, Illinois|Kingston]], [[Peoria County]], [[Illinois]]
|placeofburial=
|placeofburial_label= Place of burial
|image= Major Isaiah Stillman.jpg
|caption= Major Isaiah Stillman, Illinois militia leader
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[United States|United States of America]]
|branch= Illinois Militia
|serviceyears=
|rank= [[File:Union army maj rank insignia.jpg|35px]] [[Major (rank)|Major]]
|commands=
|unit=
|battles= [[Black Hawk War]]
*[[Battle of Stillman's Run]]
|awards= 
|laterwork=
}}
'''Isaiah Stillman''' ({{circa}} 1793&ndash;15 April 1861)  was an [[Americans|American]] Cavalry [[Major (rank)|Major]]  who led the [[Illinois]] [[militia]] in the first armed confrontation of the [[Black Hawk War]] against [[Black Hawk (chief)|Black Hawk]]'s [[Sauk people|Sauk]] Indian Band. The first armed confrontation would be named Battle of Old Man's Creek, but would later be named [[Battle of Stillman's Run|Stillman's Run]] after him.

Isaiah Stillman was born and raised in the state of [[Massachusetts]], but he left the east and traveled to [[Illinois]] to become a trader of pots, pans, and other items.<ref name="BHW&SR">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220934/http://www.comportone.com/cpo/genealogy/articles/localhistory/BlackHawkWar.htm The Black Hawk War and Stillman's Run ]}} Retrieved on October 22, 2007</ref> For a time, he lived in [[Coopers Creek Landing]] in [[Fulton County, Illinois|Fulton County]], before deciding to join the Illinois [[militia]] as a [[Captain (land)|captain]] at the age of 35 in 1827.<ref name="BHW&SR" /> By the early part of 1832, Isaiah had attained the rank of [[Brigadier General-elect]].<ref name="BHW&SR" /> With this new position, he gained the responsibility of defending everything west of the [[Illinois River]].<ref name="BHW&SR" /> This land was mostly an empty place, with few First Nation's tribes and settlements.<ref name="BHW&SR" /> In April 1832, [[Governor of Illinois]] [[John Reynolds (Illinois politician)|John Reynolds]] ordered  Stillman to raise a battalion for the [[Illinois militia]].<ref name="BHW&SR" /> He was unable to recruit a full battalion, so he was made a major rather than a general. The next year after Black Hawk War, he was promoted to general.

He died in [[Kingston Mines, Illinois]] on April 15, 1861, at the age of 67. He is buried in [[Peoria, Illinois|Peoria]].

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/american_indian_wars/3037561.html?featured=y&c=y Historynet’s Black Hawk War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030024110/http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/american_indian_wars/3037561.html?featured=y&c=y |date=2006-10-30 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070221024749/http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/blackhawk/gal/stevens97.html#about Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220934/http://www.comportone.com/cpo/genealogy/articles/localhistory/BlackHawkWar.htm Black Hawk War]}}

{{Black Hawk War (1832)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stillman, Isaiah}}
[[Category:1790s births]]
[[Category:1861 deaths]]
[[Category:American people of the Black Hawk War]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts]]


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